What’s trending in market niches? LGBT’s

The Pink Dollar, an expression used to signify the above-average earnings of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community has long been the object of attention for luxury marketers. Travel operators trying to shrug off hard times are waking up to the vast potential of gay and lesbian tourism, including the new and burgeoning market for same-sex weddings and honeymoons as more states/countries allow gay marriage.

New York’s tourism industry and hotels are cheering the state’s newly approved same-sex marriage legislation as both are putting global marketing campaigns in place to attract homosexual couples who can now legally wed there. With predictions that thousands of gay couples will bring their wedding parties (and dollars) to the city, luxury hotels across the city from The Westin New York at Times Square to the InterContinental New York Barclay have unveiled special offers for couples (its Worth the Wait Gay Wedding package comes complete with rainbow wedding cake).