Outside the Beltway

ROLLING OUT THE PINK CARPET

James Joyner · Sunday, November 23, 2003 · 2 comments

I saw a story in the print edition of WaPo this morning, but couldn’t find it in the online edition. I found it instead in the Philadelphia Business Journal

Philadelphia is rolling out the red carpet for gay and lesbian travelers.

The city’s two major tourism groups — Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. and Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau — will coordinate their efforts this fall around events that are both for the gay-and-lesbian market and for the mainstream market.

“Community events are a great catalyst for gay and lesbian travel,” said Thomas Roth, president of Community Marketing Inc., a San Francisco research firm whose findings have been used by both GPTMC and PCVB. “[In Philadelphia] the infrastructure is there and there’s the support from the community. It has a strong gay and lesbian community … and great tourist attractions.”

The city hopes to bring travelers to events like Blue Ball, the International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, Equality Forum, Gay & Lesbian Theatre Festival, Philadelphia Black Gay Pride, Pride Day and Outfest.

It also hopes to tie in mainstream events like the “Manet by the Sea” exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art; the Philadelphia Flower Show, the Philadelphia Antiques Show, the World’s Largest Garden Party and Philadelphia Open House Tours.

In December, GPTMC will kick off an advertising campaign aimed at gay and lesbian leisure travelers with a print ad in New York magazine, said Executive Director Meryl Levitz.

GPTMC has committed to a three-year marketing effort, with $270,000 budgeted for the first year.

Meanwhile, the Convention & Visitors Bureau has budgeted $50,000 on its marketing efforts that encompass its efforts to attract convention-goers, international travelers and group travelers.

PCVB has published a brochure for gay and lesbian travelers called, “Philadelphia: The City of Brotherly Love (and Sisterly Affection).”

Nothing like playing to stereotypes to make people feel welcome, I guess.