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With Pride month in full swing, Trade Secrets co-hosts Jamie Biesiada (senior editor at Travel Weekly) and Emma Weissmann (senior editor at TravelAge West) sit down with Kelli Carpenter, co-founder of R Family Vacations (and travel advisor with Tzell Travel Group), and Rick Stiffler, senior vice president of global leisure sales at Preferred Hotels and Resorts, to talk about the latest trends in LGBTQ+ travel.
In this episode, Carpenter and Stiffler field listeners' questions about how to market to the LGBTQ+ community the right way (hint: don't logo-slap!); what travel advisors should keep in mind when vetting hotel partners; the top LGBTQ+ destinations and Pride events; and how to ask the right questions to ensure a great experience for clients in the LGBTQ+ market.
We'll also hear from Michele Quaranta Lindsay of Blue Point Travel, who has a transgender son and wants to learn more about which destinations will be welcoming and inclusive for him.
Editor's Note: As listeners may notice, this week’s episode is a bit different than previous ones, in that we are including a supplier in addition to a veteran travel advisor. But we thought it would be important to include Preferred Hotels in this episode on LGBTQ+ travel, as it has the Preferred has the Preferred Pride program, which provides member hotels with outreach to the LGBTQ+ community. Currently, travel advisors have helped generate more than $25 million in revenue through the program.
The Details
Preferred Hotels and Resorts
Preferred Pride
R Family Vacations
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Credit: 2021 Jenn MartinsResources Mentioned in This Episode and Related Reading
From TravelAge West
The State of LGBTQ+ Family Travel Today
What Makes Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara Two of Mexico’s Most LGBTQ-Friendly Destinations?
From Travel Weekly
The Forgotten T
Transgender Travelers Face Unique Challenges
Welcome Change
Underrepresented LGBTQ Community an Untapped Market
Ft. Lauderdale Features Transgender Models in New Ads
Have a Question?
If you're a travel advisor with a question about the latest travel news, trends, social media, best business practices or more, please send an email to [email protected]. Bonus if you send a recording of yourself asking your question — we may play it on the podcast.
About Your Hosts
Emma Weissmann is a Senior Editor of TravelAge West, a print and online magazine for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the co-host of Humans of Travel podcast, where she interviews notable individuals in the travel industry about their lives — the highs and lows that make them human.
Jamie Biesiada is a Senior Editor with Travel Weekly. She is an award-winning journalist, including being named the American Society of Travel Advisors’ 2019 Travel Journalist of the Year. Her roots are in community journalism, where she was the editor of several local newspapers and a regional entertainment magazine.
About the Show
Trade Secrets, a podcast from the editors of Travel Weekly and TravelAge West, is where travel advisors ask — and answer — questions. On each podcast, our editors will ask a veteran travel advisor to join them and field listeners’ questions. Topics will range from business advice to industry trends, history and more — as long as it’s travel-related, we want to address it! Find Trade Secrets wherever you get your podcasts, or at www.travelagewest.com/podcasts/trade-secrets.
