Salient factors influencing gay travellers’ holiday motivations: a push-pull approach

Abstract

Gay travel is regarded as one of the fastest-growing markets in the international travel industry which leads to an increasing number of tourism destinations attempting to attract gay travellers. There appears to be a specific lack of direction in attracting the gay traveller to Cape Town despite the City’s attractiveness to these travellers, which may hinder effective destination marketing. The understanding of gay travel was enhanced by examining the salient factors influencing gay travellers’ holiday motivations within the push-pull framework. A self-administered web-based electronic survey was used to survey 439 international and domestic gay travellers to Cape Town. The findings suggest that rest and relaxation are at the core of gay travellers’ push motivation, as with most other travellers, followed by escape, novelty, intellectual enrichment and enhancement of kinship relationships. The most salient pull motivation was Cape Town’s dramatic and beautiful landscape and scenery, followed by the relaxing atmosphere, the local food and wine, climate/weather and a gay-friendly environment, suggesting that some gay travellers’ travel behaviour, in particular their pull motivations, are influenced by their sexuality. Tourism stakeholders may be encouraged to offer a more diverse range of tourism experiences to gay travellers as opposed to the “gay stereotypical holidays” characterised by partying, promiscuity and the pursuit of sexual encounters. It is suggested that resources be devoted to developing a well-organised travel package that resembles the most salient pull attributes and that the promotional message should match the most salient socio-psychological needs (push motivations).