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OXFORD, England, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Elsevier Limited, with the support of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), is proud to announce a first-of-its-kind book in tourism marketing called, Gay and Lesbian Tourism: The Essential Guide for Marketing, written by Philadelphia native Jeff Guaracino. Gay and Lesbian Tourism: The Essential Guide for Marketing offers marketing professionals the benefit of knowledge gained over decades by the many leaders in gay and lesbian tourism marketing. The book will be released in November 2007.

Gay and Lesbian Tourism: The Essential Guide for Marketing is a 176-page "how to" manual for those who want access to the best practices in gay and lesbian marketing. Marketers of destinations, hotels, airlines, cruise lines, tour operators and related companies will learn how to design a successful tourism marketing program, to identify and apply the latest research on gay and lesbian tourism; build stakeholder support; create strategies to win conventions and meetings, and establish a viable and profitable reputation among gay and lesbian travelers. The book is divided into three categories: best practices in tourism marketing; case studies; and interviews with the experts who are pioneers in gay travel.

The book includes: -- Knowledge and insider tips by experts in the field such as "What Makes A Destination Gay-Friendly", "The Historic Rise in Gay Tourism Since 9/11", "The Top Ten Marketing Mistakes to Avoid" and "Top 10 Tips On Booking Conventions." -- A dictionary of terms relevant to the gay traveler that could be used in marketing programs (plus terms that should be avoided!) -- Case studies on destinations including Dallas, Texas, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Bloomington, Indiana, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Montreal Canada and for-profit companies American Airlines, Kimpton Hotels and Rosie O'Donnell's family vacations.

"In 2006, we were able to track well over $5 million in business from the gay and lesbian community, and we know that number is much higher if you count community members that have not yet identified themselves through our customer loyalty programs," according to Michael Depatie and Niki Leondakis, Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants, "Jeff Guaracino's new book offers companies looking to enter the GLBT market a gateway to success."

"Marketers must not forget that people want to be invited. For gay and lesbian travelers who aren't sure if they are going to be welcomed for who they are, an invitation is definitely needed," said Meryl Levitz, president and CEO, Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation

"If you are even thinking of navigating the ever-growing gay travel market, Guaracino's book is your must-have marketing roadmap," said Ed Salvato, editor in chief, The Out Traveler and corporate director of travel media at Planet Out, Inc. "Gay and Lesbian Tourism: The Essential Guide for Marketing provides actionable advice from the pioneers in gay travel, who can help you avoid all-too-common pitfalls and position your gay tourism campaign for success."

To order Gay and Lesbian Tourism: The Essential Guide for Marketing, visit books.elsevier.com/hospitality. To contact the author, visit gayandlesbianmarketing.com or gayandlesbianmarketing.uk. For more information on Elsevier Science & Technology books, visit books.elsevier.com. For more information on the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, visit gophila.com.

About the Author:

Author Jeff Guaracino is vice president of communications for the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation where he helped develop the Philadelphia Get Your History Straight and Your Nightlife Gay(R)tourism campaign. The Philadelphia campaign is widely acknowledged as a trailblazer in gay tourism marketing, winning top awards from the Travel Industry of America, the Association of National Advertisers, PR Week, the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International. It has also been the subject of a number of college case studies.

He is a regular speaker on gay and lesbian tourism within the hospitality industry and to gay travelers. Guaracino's work is not limited to gay tourism marketing. Guaracino is leading the GPTMC communications programs in the Canadian, Hispanic and African-American, and general destination travel markets. He recently spoke at the National Association of Black Journalists Convention (July 2007) on the importance of, and strategies to, achieve diversity within the communications and tourism industries.

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. Working in partnership with the global science and health communities, Elsevier's 7,000 employees in over 70 offices worldwide publish more than 2,000 journals and 1,900 new books per year, in addition to offering a suite of innovative electronic products, such as ScienceDirect (http://www.sciencedirect.com/), MD Consult (http://www.mdconsult.com/), Scopus (http://www.info.scopus.com/), bibliographic databases, and online reference works.

Elsevier (http://www.elsevier.com/) is a global business headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and has offices worldwide. Elsevier is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc (http://www.reedelsevier.com/), a world-leading publisher and information provider. Operating in the science and medical, legal, education and business-to-business sectors, Reed Elsevier provides high-quality and flexible information solutions to users, with increasing emphasis on the Internet as a means of delivery. Reed Elsevier's ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation