MyGayTrip

myGayTrip is a travel and lifestyle website aimed primarily at gay and lesbian travelers.[3] It was founded in 2010 by French entrepreneurs, Matthieu Jost and Marc Dedonder.[4] By 2012, the website was earning 80,000 unique visitors each month.[5]

myGayTrip
TypePrivate
IndustryTravel services, Social network
FoundedParis, France, 2010 (2010)[1]
FounderMatthieu Jost
Marc Dedonder[2]
Headquarters
Paris
,
France
Websitewww.mygaytrip.com

History

myGayTrip was founded as a joint venture between Matthieu Jost, Marc Dedonder, and Têtu, a French magazine for gay men.[1] The site was launched as a response to the relative dearth of gay-friendly travel websites and, in particular, the closure of Attitude Travel in 2011.[6] myGayTrip, Têtu, and Têtu Travels (a subsidiary travel agency under Têtu) have all worked closely to provide an improved travel experience for those in the LGBT community,[7] but the partnership has since ended.

In 2011, the website achieved a milestone of 50,000 unique visitors per month and 11,000 followers on Facebook. By 2013, those numbers had increased to over 100,000 and 50,000 respectively.[8] The number of destinations and places featured in myGayTrip increased from 15,000[6] to 20,000 between 2012 and 2013.[8] Also in 2013, myGayTrip entered into a partnership with short-term apartment rental website, Sejourning, to create Misterbnb, a gay-friendly homestay service similar to Airbnb.[9]

Overview

The website is designed as a travel guide that is similar in style to TripAdvisor.[10] Users participate in rating and commenting on certain establishments and places,[3] including hotels, bars, restaurants, beaches, and more.[11] The site also offers city guides and a full social networking experience.[1] The goal is to provide in-depth information about locales that are gay-friendly and/or accepting of the gay community (including a poll that asks users to rank the most gay-friendly cities in the world).[10] Co-founders, Jost and Dedonder, are attempting to make gay-friendly establishments more accessible and obvious to gay travelers by providing multi-colored logos to participating establishments.[5] The website also offers news that is relevant to gay tourism, travel, and other LGBT topics.[8]

References
  1. Beveraggi, Jean (23 March 2011). "Tourisme Gay et Lesbien : plus qu'une niche, un marché à part entière" (in French). Tour Magazine. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  2. Villagomez, Andrew (17 November 2013). "My City: Paris Musts From The Founders Of Misterbnb & MyGayTrip". Vee Travels. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  3. R., Audrey (22 June 2011). "MyGayTrip.com, 1er réseau social de voyageurs gay, fête ses 1 an" (in French). Tour Magazine. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  4. "myGayTrip.com, 1er réseau social de voyageurs gay, fête ses 1 an à l'occasion de la marche des fiertés de Paris" (in French). RSSTourisme Infos. 21 June 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  5. "Mygaytrip.com à la découverte de notre île" (in French). Reunion.fr. 27 September 2012. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  6. Cholez, Laury-Anne (11 April 2012). "Les gays aiment les agents de voyages... qui ne le leur rendent pas!" (in French). Tour Magazine. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  7. "Mondial du tourisme: TÊTU vous attend près du jacuzzi" (in French). Têtu. 16 March 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  8. "Interview de Matthieu Jost, cofondateur de MyGayTrip.com" (in French). CityZeum. 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  9. Middleton, Josh (20 March 2013). "A Gayer Version of Airbnb, Misterbnb, Launches". Philadelphia magazine. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  10. "myGayTrip.com, 1er portail dédié aux voyageurs gay" (in French). TonGay. 8 December 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  11. Cabe, Alex; Bruno Delangre; Antonin Grenin; Jean-Paul Labourdette; Dominique Auzias (2012). Paris Gay et Lesbien (in French). Le Petit Futé. ISBN 978-2746937697.
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