Gay and lesbian tourists at a Southern U.S.A. beach event.

This study examined economic and social impact measures for a random sample of 1272 gay and lesbian tourists on a five-mile section of the Gulf Islands National Seashore near Pensacola, Florida during Memorial Day Weekend, 1994. The findings suggested young, urban, highly-educated gay and lesbian tourists with high household incomes; traveling frequently in groups to new destinations, and reporting large expenditures across the measurement categories. The findings also suggested that gay and lesbian tourists felt it was very important to be "out" (i.e., visible) in the host community, display gay or lesbian symbols, and receive positive media coverage of their presence. Host community reaction to large numbers of gay and lesbian tourists is discussed.