LGBT TOURISM


The latest global LGBT travel market valuation was released at WTM London. The global value of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender travel market has continued to grow and is now worth over USD$211 billion. New international research undertaken in 2016


from the LGBT2030 programme by specialist consulting fi rm Out Now reveals continuing expansion in key LGBT markets across the world. Ian Johnson, CEO of Out Now, presented the fi ndings at the LGBT Masterclass workshop. “The global LGBT market continues to be one of healthy growth and opportunities for a growing number of travel industry participants,” Johnson says. “However the LGBT consumer market continues to raise its expectations and there is much work to be done by the industry in the areas of communications improvements, strategy development, training and quality assurance for LGBT travellers.


AVIATION INDUSTRY PANEL


Aviation expert John Strickland was once again the host for the second aviation keynote. A relative newcomer to the industry, Finnair’s CEO Pekka Vauramo told the audience that the airline planned to increase its regional fl ying programme from the UK as it embarks on a new era of accelerated growth. Based on the Northern edge of Europe, Finnair has turned geography to its advantage. Via its Helsinki base it has built up an impressive portfolio of Asian routes for which it offers some of the fastest fl ight connections available to/from European cities.


During the last few months it has strengthened this competitive position through the introduction of the state of the art Airbus A350 to its fl eet, a new generation aircraft, ideal for serving such long haul routes. Vauramo also said he had seen an immediate spike in demand for travel to London, post Brexit, as people looked to take advantage of the weak pound and come to the capital to shop. These high volumes are seeing wide bodies aircraft used on short-haul routes, something Vauramo predicted we will see more of in Europe.


WTM Review 2016 63


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