YOU OUTTA KNOW
IN THE WORLD OF TRAVEL: MEET JOHN TANZELLA By Michael Goodman Whoever said you can’t judge a book by its cover has not met John Tanzella. The President/CEO of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA), Tanzella is cool, calm and collected as he oversees this global not-forprofit organization founded in 1983 with more than 2,000 members in 88 countries. From his early years growing up in Boston and then Atlanta, Tanzella was like a sponge absorbing his parents love for the travel industry. Both his father and mother worked for the airlines so this youngest of three brothers was destined to make travel a significant part of his life. And travel he does about twice a month visiting destinations around the world. Graduating with an advertising degree from the University of Georgia, Tanzella was off to a life of adventure. He took on a marketing and sales role with Delta Airlines and then lived in Florence, Italy for a few years to market to U.S students about learning abroad. That was until he was recruited by the Washington, D.C. Convention and Visitors Bureau to support their corporate sales goals. It was there that he was exposed to IGLTA and saw the potential to market exclusively to the gay traveler. The rest is history as this charming, modest gentleman has been at the helm of IGLTA since 2005. And now as he and his team of eight prepare for the IGLTA Annual Global Convention in Fort Lauderdale, which takes place May 1015, he is poised to take this organization to the next level of success. “John has brought so much to IGLTA –we have evolved from a good business model to a strong business organization with an international presence,” said Tanya Churchmuch, Board Chair of IGLTA, publisher of girlport.com and Manager of International Relations and Gay and Lesbian Market for Tourism Montreal. While most businesses and organizations were experiencing a decline in sales due to a fickle economy, he recognized the value in more niche marketing—and what better market than the LGBT community. During the past year, the LGBT market represented $75 billion in travel expenditures in the United States alone.
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| VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 5 | APRIL 2011
“We seized the moment and now have extended our tentacles out there to really impact the gay travel market in a sound and meaningful way on behalf of our growing membership,” Tanzella said. International gay travel is booming and so with offices in Paris, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, IGLTA is on a roll to fulfill its primary mission to connect businesses in the LGBT tourism industry. Over the last five years, membership has grown from 800 to over 2,300 businesses and there are now ambassadors situated in 20 countries. John adds, “It’s working well, and we are making great strides to ensure that the gay traveler is accepted, welcomed and treated with respect. More and more people get that, and we are here to help them promote and profit from this.” The success continues as IGLTA has recently been accepted as part of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, which validates gay tourism on a whole new level. So what’s next for John and his team? The May 2011 Convention is a great indicator of what’s in store with speakers from Google, Topguest, Gay Cities, TripAdvisor and more. The emphasis is on education, social media and the actual gay traveler who is in the driver’s seat deciding where they want to go, how they want to get there and what they want to do. Fiscally in good shape with a vision for the future, IGLTA is embarking on yet another milestone in its history, which will establish a new foundation to further impact gay tourism. With a huge grin, John adds, “I am really proud of where we are and am up for the challenge as we evolve to better serve our members and further embrace the gay traveler.” OMG! IGLTA ANNUAL GLOBAL CONVENTION Fort Lauderdale, FL. May 10-15 954-630-1637 www.igltaconvention.org