Travel preferences of Asian gay men

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) travel is an emerging theme within tourism academia. However, most research to date has focused on the Western context. The reviewed literature appears to assume gay market to be homogenous. The present study contributes to understanding of Asian gay men travel preferences. Qualitative analysis of interviews with Asian gay men is undertaken. Findings suggest that the following categories impact travel decisions among Asian gay men: centrality of being gay to self-identity, degree of disclosure of personal sexuality to others, level of disposable income, purpose of travel, safety and conservativeness of the destination. Moreover, the findings provide a classification for gay tourist attractions. The classification of gay attractions includes the following categories: site/event, exclusivity, popularity, commercialisation, type of benefits provided and political activism. The results point to high diversity of travel preferences among Asian gay men. Treatment of LGBT travellers as a single market is critiqued.