Ian Johnson, Out Now
September 27, 2007
Gay Market News has been reporting on the recent gay travel market woes of Fort Lauderdale, Florida where a local politician, Mayor Jim Naugle, has been responsible for significant negative gay PR for the destination.
Now there is news that the State of Florida is keen to push the destination's gay market credentials to the US travel and tourism market.
The San Francisco gay market newspaper, Bay Area Reporter has coverage of this. Here is an extract:
Florida wants gay travelers to pay the state a visit. To back up that desire, the Sunshine State is boasting that it is the only state whose tourism department has an official Web site dedicated to gay and lesbian visitors.
One area of the state, long known as a gay destination, took a hit earlier this summer, however, after Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle went on a tirade, issuing anti-gay comments.
Last week, a group of five Florida tourism officials visited the Bay Area, in part, to drive home the point that the state is welcoming and actively promoting gay tourism.
Earlier this summer, the state's official tourism agency, Visit Florida, launched www.gay.visitflorida.com as part of a drive to increase visibility for the market that has always been important to the state. In its fiscal year that began July 1, the agency initially allocated approximately $160,000 for the gay market, according to Steve Smith, a former International Lesbian and Gay Travel Association president, who is working with the state agency on the LGBT marketing plan.
The money will be used to fund advertising and to pay for the promotion of gay tourism in travel trade shows, according to Paul Kayemba, a Visit Florida public relations representative. Kayemba led the group in the Bay Area last week.
Kayemba told the Bay Area Reporter that California is the fifth largest air travel market to Florida. Kayemba said that only New York, Illinois, Georgia, and Massachusetts fly more tourists into his state.
David Downing, the public relations director of the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, told the B.A.R. that Visit Florida actively encourages destinations within the state to be partners through the state Web site and through its gay promotional campaigns.
Jessica Taylor, who works for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau, said that her office was "shocked" by the comments by Naugle about gay people. (Naugle) says that he uses the term homosexual, not gay, because (in his opinion) most gay people are not happy.
Taylor noted that Mayor Naugle was removed from his position on the Tourist Development Council because of his remarks. Mayor Jim Naugle, a Democrat, will be forced to leave office in 2009 because of term limits.
Want to receive Gay Market News by email? It's easy--click here.
Out Now Consulting has 15 years experience in working in all facets of gay and lesbian marketing, including understanding gay and lesbian market research lifestyle issues and how they affect consumer brands targeting the gay market. To get expert gay and lesbian marketing insight, expert gay and lesbian target marketing advice, lesbian and gay marketing expert input, and access to leading gay community marketing professionals, all from the leading gay and lesbian community marketing experts: contact Out Now.
-------------------
For reaching gay consumers, lesbian and gay market research, GLBT advertising, gay PR, GayComfort™ training and gay marketing strategies, choose OutNowConsulting.com. To contact Out Now, send us an email. Helping brands marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians. LGBT communications successfully reaching the lesbian and gay consumer market since 1992. Out Now Consulting and Gay Market News will keep you updated on all the latest gay marketing, GLBT community market research, LGBT travel and gay tourism, gay and lesbian communications, gay PR and gay advertising developments. Gay market insight is Out Now: Gay Marketing. Solved. OutNowConsulting.com GayMarketing101.com. All content on all Out Now websites (C) 2007 - Out Now. If you find any material you believe is subject to other copyrights here, other than allowed fair use for copyright purposes, please contact Out Now with details. Out Now Gay Market News -- Gay Marketing 101 gay market updates site. LGBT communications. Gay PR. Global gay PR marketing, gay public relations strategy, GLBT PR, LGBT issues training, gay advertising, LGBT market, lesbian and gay market research leaders, GLBT marketing. Gay Market News is Gay Marketing 101 - Out Now Gay Marketing, Advertising, Gay PR, Market Research. Travel Market. Training.
gay market gay advertising gay marketing gay tourism gay travel pink dollar pink pound gay agency advertising marketing travel tourism gay lesbian gay and lesbian market research glbt lgbt communications community pink euro
0 comments:
Post a Comment