During a recent trip to Europe, Robert Wilson spoke with natives about America’s
most desirable destinations for gay and lesbian travelers.
Of course they talked about San Francisco, New York and South Florida. But the
Europeans also grew excited about Atlanta.
“Atlanta is extremely well known and well received [among gay travelers],” said
Wilson, executive director of the Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.-based International
Gay & Lesbian Travel Association.
In addition to Peachtree Street and Piedmont Park, Wilson said the Europeans
he spoke with were also familiar with the city’s government, and the
gay-friendly posture it has assumed.
That should be music to the ears of Mayor Shirley Franklin, as the gay tourism
initiative she launched in May 2002 enters its second year.
Administered by the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, the initiative
consists of placing ads in gay publications throughout the Southeast, creating
a Web site — www.gay-atlanta.com — and purchasing e-mail lists,
said Gregory Pierce, ACVB chief financial officer and vice president of technology.
“The most important thing is raising awareness of Atlanta,” Pierce
said.
Spurgeon Richardson, ACVB president and CEO, will review the initiative’s
first year and discuss other gay-targeted projects the bureau is pursuing when
he speaks on Aug. 21 to the Atlanta Executive Network, a gay business group.
“We’ve been very pleased with the results and the reception of
the gay and lesbian tourism campaign since its inception more than a year ago,” Richardson
said in a statement. “While in the current environment there are certainly
budget constraints, we plan to continue the program and hope to grow it through
securing corporate sponsorships.”
To judge the initi
ative’s effectiveness, the ACVB tracks how many of
the people who received e-mails clicked the link to the gay Atlanta Web site
and registered for a tour package, Pierce said.
Campaigns targeted at specific groups — particularly African-Americans
and gays — double the click-through ratio of general campaigns, he said.
The number of people receiving monthly e-mail newsletters about Atlanta’s
gay events has grown from 5,000 to 8,000, said Cindy Abel, president of bizvox
Marketing Communications, a gay-owned ad firm involved with the initiative.
The ACVB spent between $58,000 and $60,000 on its gay tourism initiative last
year, including a $20,000 grant from the city that was available by then-Gov.
Roy Barnes, Pierce said.
A similar amount will be spent on the initiative this year, but the mayor’s
office no longer directly contributes funds to the project.
“The initial $20,000 from Gov. Barnes was seed money to get the program
started,” said Gary Cox, Franklin’s deputy chief operating officer
and highest ranking gay appointee. “The gay tourism initiative from its
inception was intended to be an integral part of the ACVB budget.”
The mayor’s office continues to support the initiative, said Pierce
and Cox, mainly through courting corporate sponsors.
“We believe the initiative was extremely successful. For example, the
original estimate for the economic impact Gay Pride weekend in 2002 was $18
million,” Cox said. “This year’s estimated economic impact
increased to $20 million. For this one event alone we believe we have an estimated
$2 million increase as a direct result of tourism initiative.”
The initiative has also helped lure prominent gay events to Atlanta, including
the 2004 Rainbow Pride Conference, a gathering of deaf gays and lesbians.
Spurgeon Richardson
Aug. 21, doors open 5:45 p.m.
Sheraton Midtown Atlanta Hotel at Colony Square
188 14th St. NE
Members $10; guests $20; students free
404-892-6000
www.aen.org
