Beijing: The spending power and keen interest in travel by those in China's well-heeled Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community are attracting growing attention from tourism startups.
Wang Zhao, CEO and co-founder of GLOW Travel, an acronym for Gays and Lesbians On the Way, had been a travel consultant for years when his gay friends said he should be providing services tailored for people like them.
In November 2014, Wang organised a trip for a group of 11 gay travelers to the island of Bali, Indonesia. Its success confirmed his decision to start a company
focusing exclusively on such services for China's LGBT community.
"People like us have totally different interests and demands when traveling abroad. We want to explore local communities that are friendly to homosexuals instead of pure sightseeing," Wang, 35 told state-run China Daily said. "Additionally, LGBT people have strong demands for acceptance during their trips. Travel is also a good way for them to make friends," he said.
Another startup, CandyCANer, is also trying to optimise regular travel services for the LGBT community. Its website is expected to be launched by the end of this month. "A tiny detail will make them feel welcome and comfortable. Take bathrobes, for example. A regular hotel will provide bathrobes for a man and a woman in the room. The hotels we arrange would provide a pair of men's or women's bathrobes for a gay or lesbian couple," Xiao Haisheng, co-founder of CandyCANer said.
"Our ambition for the future is not only providing travel services, but creating a cultural space for LGBT people to socialise with each other." Although there are no official statistics, it is estimated that China has 50 million to 70 million people who identify as LGBT, based on typical numbers in other countries.
A report from Work For LGBT, a non-profit business network in Beijing, said those they surveyed in China's cities are not only doing well financially, they also enjoy traveling. The survey said 75 per cent of its respondents traveled
within the Chinese mainland over the past year and a quarter traveled overseas.
