Posted on 12/06/2014 6:55:29 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
To have and to hold and to hitch it up in the Sunshine State: That's the honeymoon-swoon allure of a new Visit Tampa Bay ad campaign created in anticipation of Florida soon eradicating a ban on same-sex marriage.
Earlier this week, a federal appeals court ruled that a stay in the state's ban on same-sex nuptials will be lifted Jan. 5 because of the ban's unconstitutionality.
If that holds up, Visit Tampa Bay, Hillsborough County's nonprofit tourism branch, would "almost immediately" court betrothed-minded LGBT folks with its glossy new "To Have and To Hold" blitz. There will be matrimonial-specific print ads in the Northeast, the Middle Atlantic, Ohio and Texas; digital ads in Chicago and Dallas; and conquerwithpride.com, a microsite listing local events, hotels and services.
"We've had this campaign ready for a while," Santiago Corrada, president and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay, said on the phone from Chile, where he was trumpeting the joys of the bay area to South American executives.
Corrada said his team commenced work on the "progressive" campaign after the city of Tampa created a domestic partnership registry in 2012, and then Hillsborough County followed suit this year. This is Visit Tampa Bay's second ad outreach aimed at enticing the gay community into vacationing here.
This ad campaign — its subtitle is "Our Treasures Are Yours" — adds yet another selling point for the gay community to drop vacation dollars in Tampa Bay. Not only is St. Pete Pride — scheduled for June 26 to 28 — one of the biggest LGBT celebrations in the eastern United States, with more than 100,000 revelers last year, but now Tampa will fire up the party machine March 28 at Pride Parade & Festival in Ybor City.
If the ban is lifted Jan. 5, the economic impact is expected to be significant. After same-sex marriages were allowed in New York City, the Big Apple issued 8,200 gay marriage licenses — and generated $259 million in gay marriage-related spending.
Something similar could be felt here. According to a University of California at Los Angeles study promoted by Equality Florida, a political advocacy group, the numbers are impressive. Solely based on LGBT Floridians getting married in Florida, some $182.2 million could be spent, with $117 million of that in the first year alone. That doesn't even include visitors from out of state. The study also said "up to 2,626 jobs would be created" to keep up with so many people tying the knot.
There aren’t that many gay people.
“Solely based on LGBT Floridians getting married in Florida, some $182.2 million could be spent, with $117 million of that in the first year alone.”
ASIC that Monet would not have been spent or invested otherwise. No net gain. Total ignoramuses.
Their economy is really going to boom once Barack Hussein Obama “evolves” on pedophilia, all of the “judges” legalize pedophilia and the child sex trade kicks in there.
You’re kidding, but I’m sure it’s in their plans.
Dammit!
I moved to Florida because it was Southern, but these liberals are turning it into CA or NY. Can’t they just stick to Miami with the rest of the New Yorkers?
The West Coast should be preserved for us bigots and backwoods folk.
Oh, poo. I was thinking Tampa would be a good place for a winter home. If it’s trying to be San Francisco by the gulf, it’s not for me.
it’s probably the best idea if the fags just stay away
LOL
My wife loves her beaches, but she does have relatives there. Been seriously considering it...
We have a coastline here and lots of lakes.
Downtown Tampa is sort of a shit hole anyway. I don’t know of anyone who would want to visit there. Clearwater Beach or some of the barrier islands south of there are nice though.
I have a relative who travels there and loves it. Seems a bit far away for me!
Nothing is that far away in the age of jet travel.
“Nice” isn’t even close to describing the beaches on the Gulf Coast.
They’re GORGEOUS.
Well, I live 500 yards from the beach in Jupiter so I’m pretty happy where I’m at. I guess I’m not easily impressed. Also Atlantic water > Gulf water imo.
Most downtown areas are run down. There are a lot of nice areas here. Include some of the best beaches in the country.
You live in Jupiter but think tampa is a shithole? Lol. Wow
I live 45 mins from siesta key, ft Desoto and a host of fantastic beaches. Great fishing too.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.