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Gay tourists find 'welcome' signs across Florida
Sun-Sentinel ^ | August 3 2006 | Beth Kassab

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 ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: barf; beware; celebrateperversity; disneyworld; fortlauderdale; gaydays; homosexualagenda; keywest; orlando; shirtlifteragenda; tourism
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To: Suzy Quzy

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.


21 posted on 08/03/2006 9:01:45 AM PDT by Fawn (BUILD A LONG TALL WALL)
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To: presidio9

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.


22 posted on 08/03/2006 9:06:16 AM PDT by kittykat718 (Me-ow)
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To: presidio9
who are estimated to have $641 billion in purchasing power this year.

They don't have kids to raise, they fleece corporations and the government for "family" benefits and spend all their money on themselves.

23 posted on 08/03/2006 9:07:10 AM PDT by Fido969 (Don't tread on me.)
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To: presidio9

"Key West began nearly ten years ago.." And Key West is an absolute garbage dump of trashy bars and gay sex.


24 posted on 08/03/2006 9:09:00 AM PDT by squarebarb
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To: traditional1
"Is money all that's important to America anymore?"

Yes. When the bottom falls out, you better be ready.
25 posted on 08/03/2006 9:09:56 AM PDT by Freedom4US
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To: Ben Mugged

"entice travelers to head south
What a metaphor!"

Beat me to it!


26 posted on 08/03/2006 9:10:52 AM PDT by toddlintown (IT)
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To: Gay State Conservative
$641 billion? That's BS. To hell it is!
Why John Kerry alone has $1.5 billion in spending power.

Steve Jobs, too... he's worth many billions.

27 posted on 08/03/2006 9:11:23 AM PDT by rivercat (Welcome to California. Now go home.)
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To: lormand
That's because the pro-homo agenda crowd thinks that 10% of Americans are homos.

But 0% of pedophiles are gay, of course.

28 posted on 08/03/2006 9:23:28 AM PDT by Teacher317
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To: dcam

Jeb Bush, the great Governor of Florida. I dread the day his term is up. The taxes will probably go up for one thing.


29 posted on 08/03/2006 9:23:37 AM PDT by bicyclerepair (Moonbats are everywhere!)
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To: presidio9
Fort Lauderdale has really become the gay neighborhood of Florida

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.

30 posted on 08/03/2006 9:25:13 AM PDT by PLK
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To: presidio9

A must read "The Jewish Century" Yuri Slezkine . He tells of history's liberal roots.


31 posted on 08/03/2006 9:25:23 AM PDT by tbird5
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To: bicyclerepair

Another reason to vote for Gallagher next month.


32 posted on 08/03/2006 9:26:59 AM PDT by darkangel82 (Higher visibility leads to greater zottability.)
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To: lormand

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


33 posted on 08/03/2006 9:30:19 AM PDT by Rameumptom (Gen X = they killed 1 in 4 of us)
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To: Uncledave

Uncledave---that figure does seem a bit blown outta proportion.


34 posted on 08/03/2006 9:41:28 AM PDT by brooklyn dave (CUBA LIBRE! can't wait--Ding Dong Fidel is Dead!)
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To: Utahrd
But on the hand hand, if my daughter isn't with me, and if 2 good-looking, under 170-pound Lesbians want to start making out in front of me in the lift line.........

That happened to me last time I took the San Fran subway.

I was OK with that.

35 posted on 08/03/2006 9:43:05 AM PDT by AdamSelene235 (Truth has become so rare and precious she is always attended to by a bodyguard of lies.)
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To: PLK

Fort Lauderdale area--everyone is from up north anyway---it's like Brooklyn with palm trees.


36 posted on 08/03/2006 9:44:17 AM PDT by brooklyn dave (CUBA LIBRE! can't wait--Ding Dong Fidel is Dead!)
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To: Mazda3Fan
Ok we won't say Gay any more we will call them what they are..Queer!I will never go to or take my family to that park again..We have been to both Disney-world and Disney-land but no more..I wonder why they don't have a Straight day or Real Family Day..No telling what kind of diseases they have in those bathroom now..
37 posted on 08/03/2006 9:44:36 AM PDT by Beth528
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To: presidio9

I guess in Florida they really bend over for their gay tourists.


38 posted on 08/03/2006 9:46:12 AM PDT by AxelPaulsenJr (Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.)
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To: presidio9; All

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.


39 posted on 08/03/2006 9:48:44 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: darkangel82
I sure hope you don't mean this Gallagher!! :-)

I know, you meant Tom Gallagher...

40 posted on 08/03/2006 9:50:59 AM PDT by Dooderbutt (It's God's job to judge the terrorists. It's our job to arrange the meeting.)
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