Nearly one-third of LGBT respondents to a recent survey say they've increased their travel over the last year, a sign of spending growth among this niche demographic.

Community Marketing Inc.'s 2012 LGBT Travel Survey shows 32% of gay men and 35% of lesbians increased their travel in the last 12 months, compared to the prior year. Gay men averaged about 4.7 leisure trips and 3.2 business trips over the last year, while lesbians averaged 4 leisure trips and 2.1 business trips, the survey found.

When asked what characteristics describe them as a traveler, gay men overwhelmingly responded that they are warm weather (67%), cultural (54%), restaurant and wine (46%) and urban core (46%) travelers. Lesbians also reported being warm weather (66%) and cultural (51%) travelers, but also ranked outdoor/active travel (42%) high on their list.

The vast majority of LGBT travelers (57%) say they travel for rest and relaxation. And while summer is the most active travel period for the community (peaking in August), travel is evenly spread throughout the other seasons.

The survey found that 79% of U.S. LGBT respondents hold valid passports. Of those, 51% used their passport for travel in the last year.

The primary motivation for visiting their most recent destination was a "return to a favorite destination," but "attending an event" and an "LGBT friendly reputation" also helped spur travel in certain destinations.

Houston ranks among the top "business travel" destinations for LGBT travelers, the survey found. The top three leisure travel destinations are New York, San Francisco and Chicago.

For more on this survey, click here.