I know, you meant Tom Gallagher...
Posted on 08/03/2006 8:39:52 AM PDT by presidio9
During the annual Gay Days in Orlando earlier this summer, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau bought a billboard to entice travelers to head south.
Fort Lauderdale has emerged as a hot spot for gay-friendly travel, a market so lucrative that state tourism marketer Visit Florida recently created a task force to explore how to better cater to gay travelers, who are estimated to have $641 billion in purchasing power this year.
"We rolled out what we call the rainbow carpet a couple of years ago, and we've seen a lot of green success," said Nicki Grossman, president of the Fort Lauderdale bureau.
Though marketing to those groups isn't new -- Key West began nearly 10 years ago -- the task force and a report due out this year by the Travel Industry Association of America confirm gay travelers' status as a highly sought-after group.
-snip-
And though Disney doesn't officially acknowledge Gay Days, its resort is the focal point of the event that drew 140,000 people this year.
-snip-
Fort Lauderdale, on the other hand, is a place where gays feel comfortable holding hands on the street, said Darren Frei, editor of The Out Traveler.
"The only time you can really do that at Disney World is during Gay Days," Frei said. "Fort Lauderdale has really become the gay neighborhood of Florida."
Earlier this summer, Visit Florida Chairwoman Donna Ross created the task force focused on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender markets.
"When you have a population that big and that travels with that kind of buying power, we would like very much to participate," she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at sun-sentinel.com ...
Oh well. They just put up a new mosque down there and Hezbollah has a camp or two there too. Must be the new hot spot.
Last night I was watching "City Confidential" and the story was about an Orlando (I think it was Orlando) murder for hire deal involving televangelists. One of the Florida officials they talked to said something along the lines of "This used to be a state run by conservatives but conservatism is going to be dead here soon". It was really depressing.
They don't have kids to raise, they fleece corporations and the government for "family" benefits and spend all their money on themselves.
"Key West began nearly ten years ago.." And Key West is an absolute garbage dump of trashy bars and gay sex.
"entice travelers to head south
What a metaphor!"
Beat me to it!
Steve Jobs, too... he's worth many billions.
But 0% of pedophiles are gay, of course.
Jeb Bush, the great Governor of Florida. I dread the day his term is up. The taxes will probably go up for one thing.
Note to self: stay away.
I like the northwest FL gulf coast areas better anyway. Cedar Key is awesomely beautiful and more geared to fishing/hunting/kayaking. It is stunning, and the people are fantastic.
A must read "The Jewish Century" Yuri Slezkine . He tells of history's liberal roots.
Another reason to vote for Gallagher next month.
Actually gay male "couples" have one of the highest income levels of any group. Think about it, two men with careers no wife or kids to support.
Oh the opression they have to experience! /sarc
Uncledave---that figure does seem a bit blown outta proportion.
That happened to me last time I took the San Fran subway.
I was OK with that.
Fort Lauderdale area--everyone is from up north anyway---it's like Brooklyn with palm trees.
I guess in Florida they really bend over for their gay tourists.
Isn't fort lauderdale where that big church televangelist is located?
Seems this is more fluff than substance.
They kind of gloss over that FL does not allow homosexuals to adopt children, has strict sex predator laws, and will most assuredly have a marriage amendment on the 2008 ballot.
I know, you meant Tom Gallagher...
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