GLCVB - Fort Lauderdale

Greater Fort Lauderdale Rolls out the Rainbow Carpet
for Gay and Lesbian Travelers with ‘2007 Rainbow Vacation Planner’

Greater Fort Lauderdale, one of the top gay travel destinations, has unveiled its 2007 Rainbow Vacation Planner, a complete guide dedicated to gay and lesbian travel in Greater Fort Lauderdale. The 28-page, full-size, full-color guide, which features Greater Fort Lauderdale’s edgy new advertising images, is available free of charge by calling 800-22-SUNNY or by visiting the Rainbow Carpet section of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Web site at www.sunny.org/rainbow.

The Rainbow Vacation Planner includes a detailed list of 86 hotels and resorts that cater to the gay and lesbian markets, including 31 gay-owned properties, plus information on restaurants, shopping, nature and adventure attractions, fitness clubs, arts and entertainment.

A multitude of gay-owned establishments in Wilton Manors, a bustling hotspot for residents and visitors, offer several dining, nightlife and shopping options including Georgie’s Alibi, Rosie’s Bar & Grill, Galanga Thai Kitchen & Sushi Bar, and New Moon. Other trendy places to “see and be seen” include chic Las Olas Blvd. and downtown Fort Lauderdale.

“Our overall marketing strategy includes a strong focus on the gay and lesbian traveler,” said Nicki E. Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. “It is a market that we have been very successful in attracting to our destination, and a large part of that success is due to the diverse tourism product that we offer. Our new Rainbow Vacation Planner puts everything in one place and makes it easy to choose a hotel or create a complete vacation itinerary.”

From arts and entertainment to beaches and boating, the new Rainbow Vacation Planner is a SUNsational start to planning a “gay” vacation in Greater Fort Lauderdale.

“It has been extremely satisfying to see Fort Lauderdale surge in popularity as the #1 gay resort destination in North America, due in part to our savvy rainbow marketing campaign,” says Richard Gray, gay liaison to the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau and proprietor of the award-winning Royal Palms Resort. “More than 950,000 gay travelers visited Fort Lauderdale in 2006 and spent more than $1.2 billion,” said Gray.

“The Greater Fort Lauderdale Rainbow Vacation Planner is an impressive resource for gay travelers and is a welcome step “out” for a CVB to offer such a comprehensive gay guide,” said Ed Salvato, travel editor of PlanetOut Inc and travel expert commentator on Sirius Satellite Radio’s OutQ station.

The Greater Fort Lauderdale Rainbow Vacation Planner is also an excellent resource for meeting planners that specialize in the gay and lesbian market. This year’s planner will be distributed to national and local gay and lesbian businesses, organizations and meeting planners to provide a valuable resource on the diverse offerings available throughout Greater Fort Lauderdale.

Greater Fort Lauderdale Best of the Best for Gay and Lesbian Travelers

Greater Fort Lauderdale has just been named “Best Gay Resort Town” by the 2006 PlanetOut Members' Choice Travel Awards. Thousands of members voted to determine the best of the best gay and lesbian travel choices. This year’s top choices can be viewed at HYPERLINK "http://www.planetout.com/travel" \o "http://www.planetout.com/travel" www.planetout.com/travel. In addition, the Royal Palms in Fort Lauderdale, was named “Best Gay Resort” in the 2006 PlanetOut Travel Awards.

Greater Fort Lauderdale recently announced a joint partnership with American Airlines to be the first and only official airline of the destination’s GLBT community. The gay and lesbian travel industry is estimated to be a $55 billion market. In 2005, more than 950,000 gay and lesbian travelers visited Greater Fort Lauderdale and spent approximately $1.2 billion. As a pioneer in the gay travel industry, Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau has expanded and increased its GLBT advertising and marketing budgets each year since the “Rainbow Carpet” initiative began in 1996, bringing the investment in this import niche market to $300,000. Ads will be featured in Damron’s, Out Magazine, OutTraveler, Advocate, Mantours Guide, Spartacus Travel.

“We welcome GLBT travelers to Greater Fort Lauderdale, whether they are here on business, leisure or with a meetings group,” said Nicki E. Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. “With our increased spending on advertising and marketing, as well as our partnership with American Airlines and our local gay community, we hope to further position ourselves as the top destination for the GLBT community.

Planning a Meeting

Relax. The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau knows how to make a meeting planner shine. You’ll appreciate the unparalleled attention from our award-winning Sunsational Service team. With the 600,000 sq. ft. Broward County Convention Center, you’ll enjoy state-of-the-art meeting and exhibit space as well as five-star food service, an Internet café and elegant banquet rooms.

If you are interested in having your meeting in Greater Fort Lauderdale, please contact:
John Webb
Sr. Vice President
Phone: 954-765-4466
Fax: 954-765-4467
Email: jowebb@broward.org

Submit/Attach an RFP Here
Click here to fill out a form, so we can find the perfect meeting facility that meets your needs. Or simply attach an existing RFP you may already have.

Hotels by the Numbers (click for pdf)
Charts of hotels listed by number of rooms meeting space, and largest meeting rooms.

Top Ten Reasons to meet in Greater Fort Lauderdale.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For more information on Greater Fort Lauderdale, contact the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, 100 East Broward Boulevard, Suite 200, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301; call 800-22-SUNNY (U.S. and Canada) or log onto www.sunny.org.