Tom Hewitson

Why are there no gay backpackers?

Tue, 07 May 2013 20:12:00 +0100

There are plenty of articles around on whether you should be out while travelling but they’re almost all about whether certain destinations are safe for LGBT people.

For me there is a broader question as even in positively gay friendly destinations LGBT backpackers are often noticeable by their absence.

However, I should dismiss this perennial travel myth right at the start once and for all. Of course there are gay backpackers, I should know, I’m one of them.

Yet the fact that I’ve been asked this question on multiple occasions by both gay and straight travellers says something about the alienation and discomfort LGBT people can experience on the road. The question is not why are there no gay backpackers, it is why are there no gay backpackers who are willing to be out on the road?

Just like being gay, the experience of travelling is unique to every single person so I can’t claim to provide any kind of wide ranging answer, just what I have observed from my own personal experiences.

I first came out to a friend when I was 15 and most of my family by the time I was 18. After years of hiding my sexuality at school I was determined to be out and open when I went to university. I am out at work and to every single person who is important to me. Simply put, I’m proud and happy to be gay and wouldn’t change it for a second.

That being said I’ve never really fitted the stereotype. The vast majority of my friends are straight and I would find it strange to choose who you hang out with just because they’re into the same type of guys.

All of this works well living in London with a stable group of friends who you’ve known for years. Yes, at one point you have to do the slightly awkward moment when someone you’ve known for a little while asks what you’re doing this weekend and you tell them you’re going to Heaven but it beats saying “Hi, I’m Tom. I’m gay.”

However, following the travel pattern of most backpackers and changing location every couple of days, I hardly ever reach the point where I know someone well enough that I’m willing to have that awkward moment. When you’re likely to never see them again it hardly seems worth the effort.

Repeat this again and again and you can discover, as I did after 3 months in South East Asia that you’re effectively back in the closet.

This had two real impacts on my time travelling:

One, it made one of the best things about travelling impossible, the chance to be completely free of any of the expectations you have to live up in real life. Back home what you do and where you come from matter, when you travel the only thing that counts is whether you’re friendly and open to new experiences. But how can you do that when you are now tacitly pretending to be straight?

Secondly, it makes meeting other gay travellers much harder. I’d be lying if I wasn’t slightly jealous of the ease with which straight friends fell into relationships while on the road around. Also, unless you are travelling with a LGBT friend, even if you’re in a gay friendly destination, your chance of escaping the awful nightclub that all the backpackers seem to be funneled into and where you will be forced to endure multiple songs by Flo Rider is almost zero.

It’s not normally that I’m worried that other backpackers would react badly or that somehow I’d be putting myself in danger (though from time to time it has seemed sensible on that front too) it’s just that fellow travellers automatically assume you are straight and there never seems to be a right moment to correct them.

The overall effect is despite my love of discovering new cultures, getting off the beaten track and meeting other travellers, I find myself wanting to book holidays with gay friends to mainstream LGBT destinations and wondering why there are no gay backpackers?

I guess I only have myself to blame.

‘Content is king’ again: why Bill Gates may be right after all

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:40:10 +0000

‘Content is king’ again: why Bill Gates may be right after all

Could Tumblr Save Web Publishing?

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 11:36:10 +0000

Could Tumblr Save Web Publishing?

What traditional media could learn from Reddit’s membership model

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 10:22:58 +0000

What traditional media could learn from Reddit’s membership model

Do we really need state-funded news entities like the BBC any more?

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 10:22:40 +0000

Do we really need state-funded news entities like the BBC any more?

The journalism we need is changing, but can journalists make the transition?

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 10:22:17 +0000

The journalism we need is changing, but can journalists make the transition?

Turn pirates into customers: a smart approach to the photo problem

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 10:21:55 +0000

Turn pirates into customers: a smart approach to the photo problem

Nokia Here Maps App Coming To iOS, Apple Should Welcome It With Open Arms

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 10:21:33 +0000

Nokia Here Maps App Coming To iOS, Apple Should Welcome It With Open Arms

Airbnb Launches Neighborhoods, Providing The Definitive Travel Guide For Local Neighborhoods

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 10:21:06 +0000

Airbnb Launches Neighborhoods, Providing The Definitive Travel Guide For Local Neighborhoods

Nielsen: Native Travel Apps Trump Mobile Web By 95%, Google Maps Top Travel Service By A Mile [Updated]

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 10:20:48 +0000

Nielsen: Native Travel Apps Trump Mobile Web By 95%, Google Maps Top Travel Service By A Mile [Updated]

How To Identify And Stop Emotion Based Conversion Killers

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 12:11:51 +0000

How To Identify And Stop Emotion Based Conversion Killers:

The web is littered with landing pages that convert, perfect buttons, and copy that clinches sales, but you’re skirting around the major issues if that’s where you devote all your time and energy. Focus on your customers’ emotions, and you’ll gain much deeper insights into who they are, what they think about you, and crucially, why they aren’t buying from you as much as you’d like.

Why You Rarely See That Amazing Conversion Lift Your Testing Tool Promised

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 12:11:13 +0000

Why You Rarely See That Amazing Conversion Lift Your Testing Tool Promised:

If your site’s conversion rate is relatively constant throughout the year, you may not share Neil’s problem. But if your primary conversion rate does fluctuate, it’s likely that you won’t be able to count on the lift that is being reported in your tool! Neil has gone so far as to say that he just accepts it as part of his testing program (as sometimes it’s easier to accept an observed behavior than try to explain it).

The Telegraph brings web meter, mobile subs to overseas readers

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 12:10:24 +0000

The Telegraph brings web meter, mobile subs to overseas readers:

UK news publisher Telegraph Media Group (TMG) is the latest to try two vogeuish flavours of reader payment – metered access, and charging overseas readers. The company today begins charging £1.99 per ($3.20) month for up to 20 Telegraph articles via website and mobile app, and £9.99 ($16) per month for full tablet access.

PRSS aims to be a low-cost iPad magazine factory in the cloud

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 12:09:48 +0000

PRSS aims to be a low-cost iPad magazine factory in the cloud:

Now the Amsterdam pair want to help other would-be publishers feel the same glow — by giving away dedicated new web-based software they recently wrote themselves to redesign their own publication. Called PRSS and launched on Thursday, the template-driven production suite lets people drag and drop web objects to design pages, is free for anyone to use and saves on distribution costs by storing magazines on Amazon’s cloud hosts.

Clay Christensen, newspapers and the cliff of despair

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 12:06:26 +0000

Clay Christensen, newspapers and the cliff of despair:

Are readers suffering from a lack of paywalled content for which they can submit their credit cards? Probably not. It’s also interesting that the newspaper that gets the most praise from Christensen is the Post, which remains adamantly opposed to a paywall.

The dummies’ guide to increasing conversions using email (re)marketing

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 12:05:38 +0000

The dummies’ guide to increasing conversions using email (re)marketing:

Every business has at least one key attribute they can use to segment users. Find yours, track it and split your emails using these details. As an example, ASOS collects information on whether a customer is a male or female in one click. This keeps their sign up simple but gives them a really powerful attribute to filter with.

Web Ads Have Likability Problem

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 12:04:53 +0000

Web Ads Have Likability Problem:

There is a sliver of hope, as brands and publishers are dipping their toes into more and better custom content for the Web. The study found that 73 percent of consumers think ads should be more about storytelling than about selling something. That’s probably something that will send heads nodding at many ad agencies, which are often pushed by clients to “make the logo bigger” and go for the hard sell.

Digital first isn’t an option for media — it’s the only way forward

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 12:03:58 +0000

Digital first isn’t an option for media — it’s the only way forward:

As the traditional media industry continues to struggle with the disruption caused by the web, some sceptics argue that a “digital first” approach isn’t the answer — but the reality is that focusing on digital is the only hope the industry has.

“Engaging Facebook through EdgeRank” - Kelvin Newman, Jeremy Waite and Martin Belam at a4uexpo

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 12:03:20 +0000

“Engaging Facebook through EdgeRank” - Kelvin Newman, Jeremy Waite and Martin Belam at a4uexpo:

He talked about needing great content to punch through, but also the fact that something like 96% of people who ‘Like’ a brand page only visit it once. What is important to note, he said, is that 66% of users have ‘Liked’ five brands or less. That means that your social media presence is unlikely to be competing for space in the news feed against other banks or insurers or whatever vertical you work on, but you will be competing instead with Lady GaGa and Coca-Cola.

Forrester: US Online Display Ad Spend $12.7B In 2012, Rich Media + Video Leading The Charge

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 12:02:28 +0000

Forrester: US Online Display Ad Spend $12.7B In 2012, Rich Media + Video Leading The Charge:

Still, it points out that CPMs are actually on the rise. The average CPM — cost per thousand impressions — for 2o12 will be $3.17, but by 2017 that will rise to $6.64, largely because of the shift to real-time bidding and away from portal buys where placement is not guaranteed. The rise, the analysts note, is also a supply and demand issue: marketers are competing for similar audience segments and bid density is continuing to increase.