Gay Travel


Gay travel is a larger segment of the travel marketplace than ever before. International in scope, it generated over 65 million in revenue in 2008. A pervasive market, it now represents 5-10% of the travel public. You'll hear from those who know it best, from representatives in the airline, hotel, and cruiseline businesses, and from associations and institutions that represent them. They'll present the facts and figures on same in case you didn't know. And you'll be fascinated by what the're doing to accomodate this exclusive part of the industry.







Guests

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Darrell Schuurman, President
Travel Gay Canada


Darrell is the co-founder and President of Travel Gay Canada, and the parent organization The Canadian Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. Darrell is responsible for improving economic opportunities for gay and gay-friendly tourism-based businesses through research, market development, and the promotion of Canada as a gay travel destination.

Darrell has over 17 years experience in the tourism industry, working in the accommodation, transportation, tourism services, and travel trade sectors of the industry. He currently works with Canada's national passenger railway, VIA Rail, as Manager of Market Development.

Darrell completed his Bachelor of Commerce Degree concentrating in Tourism at the University of Calgary. He currently resides in Toronto, Ontario.

Travel Gay Canada (TGC), a membership based not-for-profit association of tourism-related organizations, works with the community, destinations, government and the tourism industry to develop a sustainable network of tourism products and services to meet the demands and expectations of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) travel market.









Bryan Herb, Co-Founder
Zoom Vacations


Now better known as one of the men of award-winning gay travel company, Zoom Vacations, Bryan grew up in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, and his childhood was filled with outdoors adventure. His roots in the outdoors and his appreciation for health and fitness (as well as for fabulous hotels and resorts) have led him to adventures in every continent but Antarctica. He has toured the ancient catacombs of Rome, swam with horses where Australia's rainforest meets the reef, climbed Guatemala's Mayan ruins, haggled with Hong Kong merchants, danced the Samba in Brazil, and has even studied ecology in a Scottish commune. Bryan is also the Board Chairperson of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association, and has appeared as a travel expert on the Travel Channel’s hit show, "Vacation Challenge" and as a gay travel expert on five episodes of Logo's hit gay travel show, "Bump". His gay travel advice appears on several online and print publications worldwide.

Award-winning Zoom Vacations puts fun and glamour back into travel, offering multi-sensory, luxurious, modern gay tours to the hottest destinations in the world. Each trip is fully escorted, and includes unique, exclusive events and excursions not found anywhere else. Trips are filled with adventure and culture, while emphasizing comfort and style. You can find more information on his website at www.zoomvacations.com or call 866 966-6822.











Betty Young, Director, Diverse Segment Marketing
American Airlines


A native of Dallas Texas, Betty Young, is a seasoned employee at American Airlines, where she began her career as a reservations agent in 1989. Through years of excellence in service at American, Betty was promoted throughout the company, where she now serves in her most recent appointment as Director of Diverse Segment Marketing for American Airlines. In her newest role, she oversees the company's Diverse Segment Marketing strategies, focusing on enhancing services, support and outreach to American’s loyal LGBT, African-American, Hispanic, and women customers, as well as other diverse populations.

For the previous five years, Betty Young served as National Sales and Marketing Manager for the Rainbow TeAAm - the first-ever LGBT sales and marketing group created in a Fortune 500 company. She was instrumental in supporting the LGBT community and fostering a targeted sales strategy that has maintained American’s leadership in this important market segment. At American, Young has held positions as Meeting Planner in Passenger Sales as well as Sales Manager for the CorporateAAcces.com product.

Young is known throughout American Airlines for her enthusiasm and dedication both to the company and to her customers. In her previous position as Sales Manager, she excelled in the implementation, growth and sales of the very popular CorporateAAcces.com product, by using incentive campaigns and other intuitive and creative approaches. Her success is attributed to accomplishments in training American’s entire sales force, building an advocate awareness program, delivering effective presentations to corporate accounts, and managing relationships with her many customers.

As a valuable member of American Airlines' Global Sales Department, Betty promoted a variety of travel products including AAirpass, Incentive Certificates and the UATP card program. Her in-depth knowledge of these travel products will be invaluable to the many gay and lesbian community groups and national and local organizations that she now serves.

Through her leadership and others at American Airlines, the company has maintained a perfect 100% ranking on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index (CEI) since its inception – a record for citizenship unmatched by any other airline in the nation.

Betty resides in Fort Worth, Texas with her partner of 9 years and their two children – a 14 year old son, and 15 year old daughter. Four Italian Greyhounds complete their family.



To read more about American Airlines' LGBT Policies and Practices, click here







Bryan S. Halker, Recruitment Manager
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants


As the national recruitment manager and an integral member of the Human Resources team at Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Halker assists in the direct recruiting of Kimpton's executive committee in addition to other Kimpton positions nationwide. Halker began working for Kimpton in 2008 and has since played an active role in developing and maintaining corporate employment initiatives and increasing awareness of the company’s policy of diversity and inclusion.





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