Vancouver Tops List of Canada’s Most Gay Friendly Destinations
by
Duane Wells, Gay Wired
Apparently, no city in Canada does it better for America’s gay and lesbian travelers than Vancouver, which, for the second year in a row, has been recognized as the no.1 gay leisure travel destination in Canada in a new Community Marketing Inc. survey.
With a value of somewhere between $55 billion and $65 billion annually in the U.S. alone more and more destinations have invested in attracting the pink dollar in recent years and Vancouver has been at the forefront of the movement.
According to the Vancouver Sun, Tourism Vancouver consumer marketing manager, Candice Gibson, said the gay travel market is a lucrative and loyal sector that has responded very positively to Vancouver in recent years.
"Vancouver has been newly discovered as a market for gay travelers," Gibson offered in an interview with Vancouver Sun. "The destination itself is a big seller and we've been able to get the word out about that over a sustained period and now it's paying off."
Gay and lesbian tourism in
Vancouver has also grown significantly since same-sex marriage became legal in the province back in July 2003, a factor that has both enhanced the gay-friendly image of the destination while simultaneously enticing hundreds of couples to exchange vows in its picturesque environs.
Overall Vancouver was the fourth most visited international destination for U.S. gay and lesbian travelers, trailing London, Puerto Vallarta and Paris according to the results of the Community Marketing Inc. survey.
Meanwhile, Montreal and Toronto ranked fifth and sixth on the list rounding out a strong performance by Canada in this year’s rankings.
Apparently, no city in Canada does it better for America’s gay and lesbian travelers than Vancouver, which, for the second year in a row, has been recognized as the no.1 gay leisure travel destination in Canada in a new Community Marketing Inc. survey.