Tourism for all: lots of choices for singles, gays, single parents and even families

SPAIN Specialised tourism is nothing new but the one-size-fits-all kind is gradually giving way to such specific-client holidays such as that offered to singles, gays, one parent families, activity or chill-out oriented and even for pets, so that Rover doesn't have to be kenneled. The singles market, which aims a lot of its marketing towards 'making new friends', is booming, according to Luis Pineda, who owns one of Spain's first singles holidays websites, solterosdeviaje.com. "We can't guarantee that they will their life's partner, but it has happened," he says. "What we can guarantee is a good ambiance, a group of people in similar positions, and everything they may want for a great holiday." He adds that his clients don't usually pay single occupancy fees as they are offered the option of sharing a room with another single with a similar profile. "Cruises are the rage right now," says Pineda.>
Single parents and their children get their own holidays, too. Several agencies specialise in these, no matter if the parent is male or female, single, divorced or widowed. The focus, in any case, is on the kids, who get all the entertainment they could want while the parent gets a rest - or the chance to meet new people. 

Gays and lesbians are particularly attractive to the tourism industry, principally because this collecive is considered to have more disposable income. The destinations for this group always include accomodation at exclusively gay hotels, usually within known gay areas, says Claudia Alou, Commercial Director for gayexplora.com, which also organises travel to GayPride conventions worldwide.

The handicapped do not have an enormous selection of holiday options as yet. However, a specific social network has been created for accessible tourism. Called Puedo Viajar (I Can Travel, unfortunately the website is only in Spanish), it was launched with the backing of the Junta's Department of Tourism and the Comité Español de Representantes de Personas con Discapacidad (Cermi), among others. Puedo Viajar was present at the latest edition of Fitur in Madrid, one of Europe's largest tourism fairs, and offers information on accessibility at facilities, destinations and regarding tourist services.

Another possibility is what the Spanish industry calls 'solidarity and sustainable tourism'. To get away from the conventional, it is possible, for instance, to stay at any of 325 places, or take one of 25 different routes through Africa. Turismo Solidario y Sostenible is a project by Fundación Banesto, aimed at contributing towards the development of Africa through support of female businesses and their local environment.

But let's not forget Rover, who has a right to go on holiday with his people. Dogs, cats, parrots, hamsters and their kin can find pet friendly places all over the country. In the US, there is an airline that flies only dogs and cats; how long before there is one in Europe?