Miami Beach runs up the rainbow flag

As if South Beach weren’t already gay enough, the rainbow flag now flies over Miami Beach City Hall.

Mayor Matti Herrera Bower raised the flag on Monday, reversing a policy that had specifically forbidden the multi-colored banner. “I think that this is just another step to making a whole city, a city that really welcomes gays and lesbians,” she said.

Herrera said the gay flag will fly intermittently over government buildings, while businesses will likely keep it up year-round. The city commission hopes the largely symbolic gesture will be adopted by other jurisdictions in South Florida.

CBS4.com: “Gay pride flag is raised in Miami Beach“

Following Prop. 8, Connecticut steps up as gay wedding destination

Today marks the first day that same-sex couples can request marriage licenses in Connecticut, following a favorable ruling by the State Supreme Court on Oct. 10.

Tens of millions of dollars that had been flowing into California’s tourist economy could now be redirected to the opposite coast. On the same day that California voted overwhelmingly in favor of anti-gay Proposition 8, voters in Connecticut soundly rejected a constitutional convention that could have overturned same-sex marriages in their state.

The economic benefits in Connecticut could be huge. The website RainbowWeddingNetwork.com estimates that the average same-sex couple spends $15,000 to $20,000 on a wedding, and a 2006 UCLA Law School study found that gay weddings in Connecticut could generate more than $2 million a year in new sales tax revenues alone.

Love Makes a Family, a Connecticut non-profit promoting GLBT rights, has created a wedding catalog listing businesses that support same-sex marriage. It takes a $100 donation to get a six-month listing, and no travel agencies have yet signed up for this potentially lucrative marketing vehicle.

Hartford Courant: “Same-sex marriage: Something new, indeed“

Should gays boycott ‘Mormon state’ for role in Proposition 8?

Gay marriage proponents incensed by California’s passage of Proposition 8 are calling for a potentially crippling statewide tourism boycott — not of California, but of neighborhing Utah, where the Mormon church supplied much of the money and muscle required to pass the amendment.

“At this point, honestly, we’re going to destroy the Utah brand,” says John Aravosis, a blogger never known for his subtlety. Aravosis calls Utah “a hate state” where the Mormon hierarchy “just took marriage away from 20,000 couples and made their children bastards. You don’t do that and get away with it.”

A widespread boycott would certainly hurt a state like Utah, where tourism provides some $9 billion in annual revenues. But the pain would be felt mostly in Salt Lake City and Park City, two popular tourist destinations with lots of gay-owned and gay-friendly businesses.

Scott McCoy, an openly gay state senator from Salt Lake City, says the idea of a boycott is wrong-headed. “I would rather have every gay person in the country come to Utah and show the people of Utah what genuine wonderful people and families we have, and to help educate them that we deserve the exact same legal rights and protections they and their families are afforded under the law,” he told the AP.

Travelgaygents could have a big impact in creating momentum for the boycott — or stopping it dead in its tracks. So what do you think is the best strategy: Avoid or engage? What will you tell your clients?

The world through pink-colored glasses: Ecuador*

Here’s a depressing fact: The voters of Ecuador apparently are more enlightened than the voters of California. After all, California soundly defeated a pro-gay constitutional amendment just weeks after Ecuador overwhelmingly approved a new, gay-friendly constitution.

Travelgaygent.com has already noted that Ecuador’s famed Galapagos Islands might now be a good place for commitment ceremonies — a way to celebrate love and diversity in one of the world’s most diverse ecosystems, as it were.

But Peter Lauffer, owner of TrueColors Travel in Quito, points out that there’s much more to his adopted country than just the islands made famous by Darwin. “Mainland Ecuador offers in my opinion much more than the Galapagos Islands,” Lauffer tells us, “especially for the active, upscale traveler who likes to discover people, culture, or doing adventure activities.”

Lauffer says the GLBT community in Ecuador has made “huge progress in the last years,” capped by a two-thirds vote in favor of the new constitution, despite intense opposition by the Roman Catholic Church. Big cities like Quito and Guayaquil boast thriving gay scenes, while smaller cities such as Cuenca, Manta, and Machala “are on their way to having an established gay life.”

Gay travelers visiting Ecuador for the first time inevitably fall in love with the country’s beauty and diversity — which is exactly what happened to the Swiss-born Lauffer. He says he started TrueColors to introduce the world to “an Ecuador that many visitors never see.”

“All of the gay travelers are overwhelmed by the natural beauty Ecuador offers,” Lauffer says, especially “the friendliness of the people and the variety of activities. The only problem we have is that gay travelers plan ‘only’ a trip to the Galapagos Islands.”

Lauffer and his team — Pablo, Sebastian, and Javier — have made it their mission to bring more visitors to the mainland. Through their local expertise they can arrange an airlift to the remote and luxurious Kapawi Lodge — one of the most pristine rainforest lodges in the world — or a nine-day tour of orchid plantations that are rarely opened to outsiders.

Special-interest group packages include the week-long Gay Trekking and Mountaineering experience that concludes with a climb of the world’s highest active volcano (no experience necessary) and the eight-day Bareback Mountain horse riding trip through the Ecuadorian Andes.

All packages are commissionable to travel agents, and TrueColors can quote additional hotel nights, transfers, and private tours at net rates for agent mark-up.

*Note: Pink-Colored Glasses is our occasional feature on gay-friendly destinations and tour companies around the world. If you have a destination you’d like to see included, please drop us an email with details.

Travel-agent-in-chief: Obama expected to attract foreign tourists

After years of increasing security hurdles that discouraged foreigners from visiting the U.S., a new poll by the London Telegraph shows that 80% of Britons say they are more inclined to make the trip than they were before the presidential election. That’s a startling number, given that the British pound has slipped about 20% against the U.S. dollar in recent months, making travel more expensive for British tourists.

Britons are expected to visit the U.S. in record numbers next year, not only due to excitement about the new president, but also wall-to-wall coverage of the campaign that showed viewers there is more to America than just New York, California, and Florida.

More good news could be in store for the travel industry once Barack Obama takes the oath of office. As a senator he sponsored a bill to market the U.S. around the world, noting that the drop in international tourism has cost the country about $150 billion in lost revenue. He also supports expanding the visa waiver program, which makes it easier for citizens of friendly countries to visit the U.S.

London Telegraph, Barack Obama factor boosts US tourism

Vegas casinos betting on gay tourists

Luxor Las Vegas

As an enthusiastic gambler, I can never understand when clients tell me they hate Las Vegas. I literally own stock in the place, and I’d probably own more if I didn’t gamble quite so enthusiastically.

But objectively speaking, I can see why some GLBT people feel uncomfortable in Sin City. With its emphasis on topless showgirls, drunken bachelor parties, and busloads of tourists from Topeka, Las Vegas can definitely feel a little homophobic. And then there’s the tackiness factor: all-you-can-eat buffets, drive-through wedding chapels, and faux volcanoes don’t exactly appeal to most gays’ sense of taste.

Evidently some casinos are beginning to realize they have an image problem among GLBT travelers. Both Paris Las Vegas and Luxor are actively marketing themselves to the gay community with new ads and special packages targeting same-sex couples.

“We decided the gay and lesbian travel market is a very lucrative and appealing market financially,” says Mike Weaver, marketing VP for Paris Las Vegas and two other casinos owned by gaming giant Harrah’s Entertainment. Weaver says the company’s research shows that gays and lesbians come to Las Vegas as couples, then spend more money per day and show greater loyalty than the general market.

Paris offers same-sex commitment ceremonies on-site, as well as a honeymoon package for couples who choose to get married at a sister property north of San Diego. Luxor has commitment ceremonies, as well, plus a Pride package offering free drinks and spa services. And just last month, Luxor launched Closet Sundays, a weekly event hosted by gay party promoter Jeffrey Sanker and reality TV star Reichen Lehmkuhl.

Paris Las Vegas

Both Paris and Luxor feature dedicated GLBT sections on their websites. Their parent companies, Harrah’s and MGM Mirage, respectively, are both Platinum level partners of IGLTA.

Neither hotel can do anything about those drunken bachelor parties, but at least gay travelers know that every employee has been trained to make them feel welcomed and comfortable. And if they ever start to feel lonely, they need only head up the Strip to Caesar’s Palace, where three gay icons — Cher, Bette Midler, and Elton John — draw adoring throngs.

Las Vegas Review-Journal, “Casinos market to gays, lesbians“

New York to London for $12?

Michael O’Leary, CEO of European discount leader Ryanair, says the airline industry’s looming recession will be long and painful … and that could be very good news for travelers.

With troubled carriers cutting routes and grounding planes, O’Leary plans to buy up to 60 widebody aircraft on the cheap, eventually creating a discount trans-Atlantic airline. He thinks he can charge as little as 10 euros for a one-way flight, though the total price would rise significantly once taxes and government charges are added on — not to mention fees for checked bags, assigned seats, peanuts, water, and toilet privileges. (Not really on that last one. Not yet, anyway.)

Under O’Leary’s plan the new airline — totally separate from Ryanair — would fly from European cities such as London, Dublin, Milan, Frankfurt, Rome and Barcelona to American cities including New York, Los Angeles and Denver.

In U.S. dollar terms, the base price of a ticket from London to New York would work out to about 1/3 of 1 cent per mile. Needless to say those fares won’t pay any commission, but they would work wonders to get people flying again.

London Telegraph, Ryanair reveals cut-price transatlantic plans