As social acceptance for LGBTQ+ people grows, it is essential to research and understand more about tourism and its important role in the lives of LGBTQ+ populations. There are tourism communities around the country that may not be familiar with this market segment and are not sure where to start. This can leave the LGBTQ+ market segment under-represented in the tourism industry. This research sets out to answer the question, “Can tourism communities who wish to expand to newer generations of LGBTQ+ travelers market to them successfully?” Mixed research methods include an exploration of city tourism websites, interviews with tourism professionals, and focus groups with LGBTQ+ Millennials and Gen Z. From the findings and data collected, three significant themes, or “theories” in the terminology of grounded theory, emerged regarding effective marketing for LGBTQ+ tourism: 1) Target LGBTQ+ Millennials and Gen Z by Identifying Products and other Motives of Interest. 2) Reach LGBTQ+ Millennials and Gen Z Through Targeted Tourism Marketing Ads and Information Outlets, and 3) Send a Message of Inclusiveness, Acceptance, and Safety to Millennials and Gen Z. These themes are essential for any community that wishes to expand its tourism market successfully to LGBTQ+ Millennials and Gen Z. This research represents a significant first step in understanding those newer generations of LGBTQ+ tourists.
","abstract_html":"<p>As social acceptance for LGBTQ+ people grows, it is essential to research and understand more about tourism and its important role in the lives of LGBTQ+ populations. There are tourism communities around the country that may not be familiar with this market segment and are not sure where to start. This can leave the LGBTQ+ market segment under-represented in the tourism industry. This research sets out to answer the question, “Can tourism communities who wish to expand to newer generations of LGBTQ+ travelers market to them successfully?” Mixed research methods include an exploration of city tourism websites, interviews with tourism professionals, and focus groups with LGBTQ+ Millennials and Gen Z. From the findings and data collected, three significant themes, or “theories” in the terminology of grounded theory, emerged regarding effective marketing for LGBTQ+ tourism: <em>1) Target LGBTQ+ Millennials and Gen Z by Identifying Products and other Motives of Interest. 2) Reach LGBTQ+ Millennials and Gen Z Through Targeted Tourism Marketing Ads and Information Outlets</em>, and<em> 3) Send a Message of Inclusiveness, Acceptance, and Safety to Millennials and Gen Z</em>. These themes are essential for any community that wishes to expand its tourism market successfully to LGBTQ+ Millennials and Gen Z. This research represents a significant first step in understanding those newer generations of LGBTQ+ tourists.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Smith, George"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Masters Thesis","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Mark M. Miller","David M. Cochran","Chad R. Miller"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2020,"date_issued":"2020-08-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2020-08-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:45:19Z","subjects":["LGBTQ+","Tourism","Focus Group","Grounded Theory","Interviews","Gender and Sexuality","Human Geography","Other Geography"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/765","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Mark M. Miller","David M. Cochran","Chad R. Miller"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Smith, George"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2020-06-19T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["LGBTQ+","Tourism","Focus Group","Grounded Theory","Interviews","Gender and Sexuality","Human Geography","Other Geography"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/765"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["As social acceptance for LGBTQ+ people grows, it is essential to research and understand more about tourism and its important role in the lives of LGBTQ+ populations. There are tourism communities around the country that may not be familiar with this market segment and are not sure where to start. This can leave the LGBTQ+ market segment under-represented in the tourism industry. This research sets out to answer the question, “Can tourism communities who wish to expand to newer generations of LGBTQ+ travelers market to them successfully?” Mixed research methods include an exploration of city tourism websites, interviews with tourism professionals, and focus groups with LGBTQ+ Millennials and Gen Z. From the findings and data collected, three significant themes, or “theories” in the terminology of grounded theory, emerged regarding effective marketing for LGBTQ+ tourism: 1) Target LGBTQ+ Millennials and Gen Z by Identifying Products and other Motives of Interest. 2) Reach LGBTQ+ Millennials and Gen Z Through Targeted Tourism Marketing Ads and Information Outlets, and 3) Send a Message of Inclusiveness, Acceptance, and Safety to Millennials and Gen Z. These themes are essential for any community that wishes to expand its tourism market successfully to LGBTQ+ Millennials and Gen Z. This research represents a significant first step in understanding those newer generations of LGBTQ+ tourists.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Marketing to the New Generations of LGBTQ+ Tourists"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Mark M. Miller","David M. Cochran","Chad R. Miller"],"dc:creator":["Smith, George"],"dc:date.available":["2020-06-19T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["As social acceptance for LGBTQ+ people grows, it is essential to research and understand more about tourism and its important role in the lives of LGBTQ+ populations. There are tourism communities around the country that may not be familiar with this market segment and are not sure where to start. This can leave the LGBTQ+ market segment under-represented in the tourism industry. This research sets out to answer the question, “Can tourism communities who wish to expand to newer generations of LGBTQ+ travelers market to them successfully?” Mixed research methods include an exploration of city tourism websites, interviews with tourism professionals, and focus groups with LGBTQ+ Millennials and Gen Z. From the findings and data collected, three significant themes, or “theories” in the terminology of grounded theory, emerged regarding effective marketing for LGBTQ+ tourism: 1) Target LGBTQ+ Millennials and Gen Z by Identifying Products and other Motives of Interest. 2) Reach LGBTQ+ Millennials and Gen Z Through Targeted Tourism Marketing Ads and Information Outlets, and 3) Send a Message of Inclusiveness, Acceptance, and Safety to Millennials and Gen Z. These themes are essential for any community that wishes to expand its tourism market successfully to LGBTQ+ Millennials and Gen Z. This research represents a significant first step in understanding those newer generations of LGBTQ+ tourists.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/765"],"dc:subject":["LGBTQ+","Tourism","Focus Group","Grounded Theory","Interviews","Gender and Sexuality","Human Geography","Other Geography"],"dc:title":["Marketing to the New Generations of LGBTQ+ Tourists"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:45:19Z"}