Corporate LGBT + Market
OSA Digital Travel Services Ltd., focus also on the LGBT business enterprise or “LGBTBE” which means a business enterprise that is at least 51 percent owned by a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender per- son or persons; or, in the case of any publicly owned business, at least 51 per- cent of the stock of which is owned by one or more lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender persons; and whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more of those individuals.
OSA Digital Travel Services Ltd., gives the opportunity to LGBTBE community to explore more what attracts more the local business leisure opportunities including financial services linked to the leisure industry in the Maltese Islands.
First LGBT+ Tourism Summit that took place in Malta – 2018
International experts will discuss market developments, new marketing strategies and the economic prospects for the LGBT travel segment – The Malta Tourism Authority and TC-Consult & Associates collaborated with ITB Berlin, the host of the first LGBT+ Tourism Summit from 22 to 23 November 2018, discussed the opportunities and challenges offered by gay and lesbian travel. International experts presented the latest survey findings, information on current LGBT online marketing trends, illustrated how prospects for business in LGBT+ tourism were developing, and highlight examples of best practices. Discussion rounds also examined which factors played an important role in the LGBT tourism market.
Ahead of the LGBT+ Tourism Summit Rika Jean-François, CSR officer at ITB Berlin explained how the market has shifted: “With the LGBT+ community becoming more visible and gaining broader public acceptance, interest in the LGBT+ travel market has increased. LGBT travel has become one of the industry’s fastest-growing markets worldwide and with an estimated 23 million LGBT customers Europe is an extremely important source market.”
Peter Jordan of GenCTraveller, Amsterdam, will provide a comprehensive overview of the LGBT tourism market with data from the latest LGBT surveys. In his role as a tourism analyst he has authored the global report on LGBT tourism for the World Tourism Organization of the United Nations (UNWTO) together with the IGLTA, as well as the current manual on LGBT travel in Europe for the European Travel Commission (ETC).
Tom Roth, President of Community Marketing & Insights, San Francisco, and an LGBT research partner of ITB Berlin, presented tourism research findings, case studies and best practices.
Jaume Vidal of Visit Barcelona highlighted how marketing LGBT destinations can function successfully. Afterwards, representing IGLTA USA, LoAnn Halden spoke about the work of this leading LGBT travel association.
Rika Jean-François and Thomas Bömkes, the two representatives responsible for the LGBT Travel segment at ITB Berlin, spoke about the importance of the segment’s presence at the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show.
Matt Skallerud of Pink Banana Media, New York, gave information and valuable tips for marketing LGBT travel online in 2019. Philip Ibrahim of Accor Germany spoke about the Pink Pillow marketing initiative of Visit Berlin.
Frédérick Boutry of Visit Brussels underlined how important culture, sport and party events are for the LGBT segment. Taking Malta as an example, the conference concluded with Philip Ibrahim, Frédérick Boutry and Rika Jean-François discussing which criteria play an important role for LGBT+ customers’ travel choices.
At the subsequent networking session experts and conference attendees had ample opportunity discussing topics in depth and established new contacts.
LGBTQ+ LEADERSHIP - SUMMIT MALTA 2022
The global LGBTQ+ leadership summit is an annual conference which takes place during ITB Berlin, the world’s leading travel trade show, every year in March. But the conference is also available to be hold in other places around the world.
It’s a one-day conference with key note speeches, presentations, panel discussions and break-out sessions. They will discuss and highlight LGBTQ+ relevant topics about life, work, family & tourism with leaders and decision makers from around the world. The goal is to get a better understanding of the current needs of the LGBTQ+ community in different global regions in the post-pandemic era. Partners of this conference are global acting LGBTQ+ business networks from brand Companies like BMW, Siemens, IBM, Coca Cola etc.
Malta will be the host of the conference. The educational and the organizational part will be managed by Diversity Tourism. Handling of Logistics will be the responsibility of OSA Digital Travel Services Ltd., the conference and the networking receptions will be promoted with partners like ITB Berlin and other LGBTQ+ business networks, national and regional LGBTQ+ business chamber.