Gay Tourism

Gay turizam je turizam homoseksualnih osoba, prvenstveno gay muškaraca. Premda je riječ o turističkoj niši koja se brzo razvija, relativno je malo istraživanja gay turizma, s obzirom na rastući interes tržišta za gay populaciju kojoj je potrošnja, pa tako i ona turistička, dio životnog stila i način manifestiranja seksualnog identiteta. Ovaj rad bavi se gay turizmom kao relativno novim fenomenom, iako je turizam, tj. putovanje iznimno važno gay populaciji kao način bijega od svakodnevice, često praćene društvenim neprihvaćanjem, i prilika da „izađu iz ormara“, barem privremeno. U kontekstu gay turizma izuzetno je važno postojanje gay prostora kao dijela javnog prostora namijenjenog gay zajednici, koji je brojnim gradovima bio pretpostavka razvoja gay turizma. Gay turizam kao ekonomska i društvena pojava donosi brojne promjene destinaciji, poput ekonomske dobiti, gentrifikacije, rasta tolerantnosti prema gay populaciji, ali ponegdje i njena pada i sl. Do promjena dolazi i unutar same gay zajednice, od kojih su neke pozitivne, a druge negativne. Gay turizam omogućuje širenje i razmjenjivanje iskustava unutar zajednice, potvrdu identiteta gay pojedinaca kroz slobodu da budu što jesu u sigurnom prostoru, ali također često produbljuje razlike među članovima gay zajednice na osnovi klase, spola i rase. Gay zajednica sama po sebi nije homogena, a dominantni interes turističke industrije za bijelim i imućnim gay muškarcima, članove zajednice koji ne odgovaraju takvu opisu gay turista izostavlja iz turističkih tokova i samog poimanja gay turizma. U sklopu gay turizma može se govoriti i o lezbijskom turizmu koji, premda s gay turizmom ima mnogo dodirnih točaka, ima i svoje specifičnosti koje proizlaze iz specifičnosti lezbijskog povijesnog i društvenog iskustva.Gay tourism is tourism of homosexual people. Although it’s a fast-growing tourist niche, there are relatively few studies on gay tourism, considering the growing market interest for gay population for whom consumption, including the touristic one, represents a part of lifestyle and a mean of manifesting sexual identity. This paper deals with gay tourism as a relatively new phenomenon, although tourism, i.e. travel is very important to gay population as a way of escaping daily life, often accompanied by social rejection, and an opportunity to come out, at least temporarily. In the context of gay tourism, the existence of gay space is very important as a part of public space intended for gay community and an assumption for developing gay tourism in many cities. Gay tourism, as an economic and social phenomenon, brings many changes in the destination, such as economic benefits, gentrification, increase in tolerance towards gay population, or even its decline in some cases. Some changes are happening inside the gay community itself, some positive and some negative. Gay tourism enhances the spreading and sharing of gay community experiences, supports identity confirmation of gay individuals by giving them liberty of being what they are in a safe environment, but it also deepens the differences among community members based on class, gender and race. Gay community is not homogenous and the dominant interest of the touristic industry for the white and wealthy gay male, omits members who don’t fit the profile from tourist flows and the very understanding of gay tourism. It’s possible to discuss lesbian tourism within gay tourism, which has its specificities resulted from the specificities of lesbian historical and social experience, although it shares much of its characteristics with gay tourism