By Michael T. Luingo

　　The travel industry has long viewed frequent fliers as fitting a certain stereotype : hard-charging men who touch down in a city, stay only as long as necessary to get their job done and leave quickly.

　　But as the ranks of frequent fliers grow more diverse, travel companies are catering more to the needs and wants of women, as well as minorities and the more narrow niche of gay travelers.
In general, many companies say, these travelers want a little more comfort, and they tend to stay longer and spend more money in the cities they visit.

　　 “Men have a ‘fix it and leave’ attitude,” says Marybeth Bond, a consultant who has advised hotels on marketing to women. “Women will take more time for themselves than men if they are traveling for business. Men will rush home, but women will stay an extra day.”

　　When she travels, Ms. Bond said, she wants to “fell I have taken a little bit of time for myself and incorporate a thing for pleasure,” such as visiting art galleries after her work is done. Longer stays, of course, can make travelers more valuable customers.

　　Pete Garcia, vice president for Latin America at Continental Airlines, said as more Latinos move to the Unites States, they often mix business with pleasure when visiting their home countries.

　　Continental sponsors events like Cinco de Mayo festivals and the Edward James Olmos Latino Book and Family Festival. The airline has also worked with the United States-Brazil Business Council and the United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce.

　　Community Marketing, a San Francisco firm that advises companies about gay travel marketing, said it surveyed 3,439 travelers in the Unites States last year and 28 percent said they had extended a business trip a day or two for leisure.

　　 “That has something to do with the dual-income, no-kids,” said Jerry McHugh, the firm’s head of research and development.

　　The Kimpton Hotel chain is marketing more to gay and women travelers with its In Touch loyalty program, started in 2004. Through a newsletter it sends to about 5,000 gay clients it highlights sponsorships of organizations like the Red Ribbon Campaign, which holds fund-raisers for H.I.V and AIDS charities. It also mentions Gay Pride events in cities where it has hotels.

　　Kimpton, part of the Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group, also sends a general newsletter to 190,000 men and women who are members of its loyalty program. The chain’s executives say male travelers generally give greater weight to miles and points programs when deciding where to stay, while many women travelers are equally interested in safety precautions and the organization the hotel chain supports.

　　The W Hotels chain started selling “Wonder Woman” hotel packages in October, which include emergency makeup kits and dresses designed by Diane von Furstenberg for business women who might have to attend unexpected client dinners on their trips.

　　Jane Lehman, director of public relations for W Hotels, which is owned by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, said that the company had sold 618 such packages to date generating more than $550,000 in revenue.

　　To attract more women, Wyndham Hotels has upgraded many of its amenities. Wyndham, a unit of Cendant, improved lighting and security, installed better beds and added magnifying mirrors in the bathrooms.

　　The trick to catering to niche markets, said Cary J. Broussard, a consultant for Wyndham, is to make sure no group is alienates while “taking great ideas and implementing them for everybody.”

　　American Airlines, which is owned by ARM, started a marketing program aimed at gay business travelers in 2005. Its efforts include establishing sponsorship deals with Gay and Lesbian Chambers of Commerce ; American has been the official airline sponsor of various chamber conventions.

　　American Airlines has also increased its marketing to other minority groups. For example, it has sponsored organizations like the United Negro College Fund and the Asian-American Chamber of Commerce.

　　The editor in chief of Business Traveler magazine, Eva Leonard, said that when the publication asked women if hotels met their travel needs, 65 percent of the respondents said no. Many said they wanted more personalized service and a less condescending attitude, better security and hallway lighting, more comfortable beds and healthier food choices.

　　“As the number of female business travelers is growing and they’re being vocal about their needs, I think it’s just better for everybody,” she said. “I think it’s to everyone’s benefit because, for the most part, they are changes that men appreciate, too.”