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July 9, 2007
Gay tour operators have complained about the
less than sunny side of Caribbean destinations when their cruiseliners dock but some
Caribbean destinations have decided to turn that around. The latest is Curacao which
is wooing the gay visitor.
LoAnn Halden and Kenneth Kiesnoski of www.outtraveler.com
writing in the Miami Herald yesterday
lauded the Curacao Tourism Board as being the first in the Caribbean to launch a gay
marketing campaign through a website designed specifically for the gender benders.
Curaco is hosting its third annual "Get Wet" competition for same sex couples this
summer which is coinciding with International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association
symposium.
"The economic allure of the gay and lesbian traveler may eventually drive many more
Caribbean destinations to try this welcoming approach. The Cayman Islands is
notorious for shunning an Atlantis gay charter cruise in 1997, but Pilar Bush,
director of the islands' tourism board, has spent the past two years working to
improve her homeland's tarnished image," they said.
"The gay-friendliness of each Caribbean island often correlates directly to its
cultural heritage and politics. The most noticeable signs of gay life can be found
in American territories such as Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, particularly
on St Croix. Puerto Rico offers the largest concentration of gay bars (in San Juan)
as well as the opportunity for a quiet gay getaway on the isle of Vieques. French
and Dutch-speaking islands also lean toward tolerance. The French West Indies isle
of St Barts may not have any all-gay venues, but it's a popular choice among
sophisticated gay travelers. Saba, the tiniest member of the Netherlands Antilles,
frequently welcomes gay and lesbian scuba diving groups."
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