Here's some "Gay Statistics" about the LGBT community and it's "spending habits."

    According to the 2005 "Gay & Lesbian Community Survey", an annual study by Community Marketing, Inc. that compiled 24,000 gay and lesbian survey responses:

* 98% indicated that a destination's gay-friendly reputation influenced their decision to visit there.
* 59% said gay welcoming hotels were very important.
* Gay and lesbian travelers took an average of six overnight trips in the last 12 months.
* 87% took at least one long leisure trip;
* 16% took five or more long trips.
* 55% of respondents took three or more overnight trips in the last 12 months where they traveled to the destination by air. 33% took five or more.
October, September, and February (in that order) were the top vacation months chosen by survey participants, demonstrating the non-peak seasonal preferences of gays and lesbians.
* 15 was the median number of hotel nights.
* 28% extended a business trip for leisure.
* 25% traveled for a pride festival.
* 36% had visited Canada in the last year.
* 33% had visited Latin America or the Caribbean.
* 29% visited Europe in the last 12 months.

Respondents Demographics:

* Median household income of US respondents is $87,500
* Median age of US respondents is 44 years.
* 84% of US respondents hold a valid passport (national average is 23%).
* 73% belong to a frequent flyer program (national average is about 27%).
* 53% spent $5,000 or more per person on vacations in the past year.
* 72% are college/university graduates (national average is 29%);
* 34% hold post-graduate degrees.
* 76% of those who took the 2005 survey are gay men, 20% are lesbian.
* 62% are in a committed relationship;
* 6% have children at home; lesbians are almost three times as likely as gay men to have children at home.

Statistic Source(s):

1. Advertising's Most Elusive, Yet Lucrative Target Market; Advertising Age
2. The Ultimate DINK (Dual Income, No Kids) Market Overlooked Opinions
3. Mulryan-Nash, NY NY
4. Kinsey Reports
5. National Opinion Research Center
6. Simmons Market Research Bureau

USA Today
Friday, July 28, 2006
by Kitty Bean Yancey

Average daily lodging costs 6.8% more

"Smith Travel Research says the average daily rate at U.S. lodgings was $96.56, up 6.8% from the first six months of 2005. Average occupancy was up 2.1%, to 63.5%. The luxury segment had the largest rate increases: from $249.28 to $271.68."