Tris Reid-Smith, editor-in-chief of Gay Star News, told delegates at the TTG LGBT conference that a reader survey suggested LGBT people voted overwhelmingly (76%) to remain in the EU in last month’s referendum.

The 48% of the population who voted Remain therefore includes the majority of the LGBT market, he pointed out.

“Brexit has created a very real division within society, but you can either give in to the fear or fight back. Targeting the LGBT market is key to that fight back,” he suggested.

“Those that voted Remain are more likely to have a different way of looking at the world than the mass market, to think beyond the heterosexual norms and racial norms,” he continued. “So this has got to be the era of targeted marketing, to reach out to those that feel excluded from the mainstream, heterosexual family-centric advertising.”

He admitted that Brexit poses challenges for the travel industry, in terms of exchange rate and shrinking disposable income, but suggested that working with the LGBT market, which has higher disposable income, travels more frequently and is more internationally minded, could help travel companies weather the storm.

The most successful marketing campaigns within the LGBT sector were those that featured real people, avoiding over-use of rainbows, and featured human interest stories.