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Greece reaps benefits from gay tourists

Gay tourism has become a substantial part of the international tourist industries and gay-friendly places reap the benefits. As anyone who has ever visited the cosmopolitan island of Mykonos (pictured) can tell you, gay tourism is more profitable and contributes to the glamor and growth of every vacation spot.

As a matter of fact, a gay tourist spends 57% more money than a straight one and that is why tourist agents are happy to promote gay-friendly places for them. According to researches, LGBT tourism constitutes 10% of the international market, or 75 million tourists.

Speaking to Deutsche Welle, president and CEO of International Gay and Lesbian Tourism Agency (IGLTA) John Tanzella confirms that Mykonos is among the top gay tourist spots in the world, alongside other Greek islands, Australia, Spain and the US.

“The majority of gay people consider a place as gay-friendly, when they can hold hands in public places”, said Mr. Tanzella. He could have been painting an everyday vacationing image from the Aegean island in the summertime.

Concerning the reasons why a gay tourist spends more on average than a straight one, Tanzella says it's a question of budget and vacation frequency. “Most gay people don't have families with kids, which means they can afford more vacation money. Plus, they vacation more often.”