Reframing Gay Tourism Branding: Toward Inclusive and Sustainable Directions

Abstract

This research note reconceptualizes gay tourism branding through the lenses of identity affirmation, digital mediation, and sustainability orientation. While existing scholarship has examined the motives and behaviours of gay tourists, limited attention has been paid to how inclusive branding, virtual spaces, and regenerative tourism practices intersect within this evolving domain. Adopting a structured narrative review approach, 56 peer-reviewed publications published between 2007 and 2023 were identified through searches in Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Following defined inclusion criteria, 44 studies were retained for in-depth thematic analysis. The review identifies emerging research opportunities in areas including virtual gay tourism branding, digitally mediated destination image formation, inclusive policy frameworks, and sustainable travel behaviours. The paper proposes a conceptual framework illustrating the interconnections between gay tourist identity, digital engagement, destination branding, and sustainability orientation. The implications extend to destination management organizations, policymakers, and scholars by positioning inclusivity not merely as a market strategy but as a catalyst for ethical and regenerative tourism development. The study contributes to advancing discourse on equality, representation, and sustainable destination competitiveness within contemporary tourism scholarship.