I recently experienced my first visit to Fort Lauderdale two weeks ago, traveling with a few friends who were looking to take a break from the approaching winter weather of Chicago to enjoy one final weekend of 2007 at the beach. I knew the city had a reputation of being popular with the gay crowd, and knew its tourism industry was not only supportive and welcoming of our community but also actively marketing to us.
The trip was a relaxing escape, made more fulfilling by our departing flight taking to the air as the flakes of the season’s first snowfall hit Chicago. I already have plans for a return visit.
So, it quickly caught my eye when I saw Steve Rothaus’ blog this week detailing a presentation by Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitor’s Bureau President Nicki Grossman. She was a featured during The Eighth International Conference on Gay & Lesbian Tourism, presented this week in Fort Lauderdale by Community Marketing Inc. (CMI). Our own Ben Finzel, who has posted here previously about the conference, also was a speaker at the event.
Noting the our community was “a big-time market,” Grossman told the group of travel professionals how her town this year became the No. 1 resort destination for gay visitors, according to readers of OutTraveler.com and among top sites on the recent CMI travel survey.
Grossman said the Fort Lauderdale CVB was among the first to actively recruit gay tourists to South Florida and that forethought has paid off.
In 1996, according to Rothaus’ blog, the year after Grossman arrived at the CVB, there were five gay-owned guest houses in Fort Lauderdale and the bureau spent $35,000 marketing itself to gay travelers. This year, there are more than 30 gay guesthouses and the CVB will spend more than $400,000 courting gay travelers.
This is a time when a growing number of U.S. cities and tourism campaigns are fighting for the gay and lesbian dollar. In light of that recent progress, Grossman’s remarks detailed further in the Miami Herald blog are stirring and insightful, coming from someone who has a decade of gay and lesbian tourism marketing challenges under her belt.
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Dear Out Front readers:
It was my pleasure to meet so many fabulous people from around the country during the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Conference this week at the St. Regis Resort, Fort Lauderdale. The beautiful five-star hotel is the essence of Fort Lauderdale — all grown up. We invite you to experience our sunny shores for yourself and enjoy our new beach chic destination and warm hospitality, complete with all the amenities to make your stay as relaxed or as vibrant as you wish. We look forward to welcoming each of you to the newly transformed Fort Lauderdale.