Puerto Vallarta seriously has a lot going for it as a Gay resort destination. That might mean great shopping sports and outdoor adventure art and culture such as galleries, theater and cabaret offerings and of course, accommodations to fit a broad range of budgets and tastes.Īll of this brings to mind one of my favorite Gay destinations: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Not just one big Gay dance club – but also a diversity of options, for daytime and nighttime activities. That certainly means having a broad offering of gay nightlife. For a city to become a serious contender as a gay travel destination there has to be a diverse business and arts community able to cater to the needs and desires of a Gay community that is anything but homogeneous. Private sector entrepreneurs play perhaps the most vital, and challenging, role of all. And they must back up nice words with action on behalf of the local and visiting Gay community. Local government – including but not limited to the local Tourism Board – has to be supportive to the point of investing resources and having local politicians out front, vocalizing their support and welcome. It’s more than a marketing program launched last month or last week.Ī general culture of welcoming acceptance – not ‘tolerance,” – but honest, heartfelt welcoming acceptance, is obviously vital for any destination hoping to capture a share of the Gay travel market. We see the evidence for this in multiple surveys that ask LGBT respondents what cities are “most-visited” or “most-wanted-to-visit.”īuilding up the infrastructure to become a truly world-class “Gay destination” requires time, capital investment, and a willing partnership between city governments and private entrepreneurs. And, while true that we are as diverse as society itself, and we all have our own expectations and interests in what we want out of our vacation, the “Gay Destination” still seems to be very much in the vernacular of Gay travel. But not every place that’s competing for your vacation dollars has the infrastructure in place to truly welcome LGBT visitors. It’s true that Gay folks travel more than their Straight counterparts…and often spend more when they travel. Competition for Gay travelers has been really heating up in the past few years, with cities large and small vying for what is perceived to be a bonanza in pink dollars.