Charm City has been gaining ground as a tourist destination for LGBT travelers, fueled by a highly coordinated outreach effort on the part of Visit Baltimore and the Baltimore LGBT Tourism Advisory Committee.
"Showing LGBT travelers that your city is welcoming is the right thing for any city to do," says Tom Noonan, President and CEO of Visit Baltimore. "The fact that any city creates a unique and robust outreach program is an attention grabber."
When Visit Baltimore and the Advisory Committee began their effort to market the city as a LGBT travel destination four years ago, only two Baltimore hotels had received the Travel Alternatives Group's designation as certified LGBT friendly hotels. The city now has 25 TAG certified hotels.
Visit Baltimore is looking to carve out a niche as a welcoming destination for gay families as well. Baltimore Pride will feature a new family fun zone this year. Welcoming events are also planned for the Zoo and the Aquarium.
"Most LGBT Tourism dollars go toward attracting couples and singles, and families are ignored. We're also trying to market Baltimore as a destination for families with kids," says Barry Werner, a member of the Baltimore LGBT Tourism Advisory Committee.
Attracting more LGBT tourists to Baltimore has been a long term goal for Visit Baltimore. With tourism as the second largest source of jobs in the city, LGBT tourism dollars are an important potential revenue source for the sector. In order to reach more LGBT tourists with Baltimore's message of welcome, Visit Baltimore has recently launched a cooperative marketing campaign with more than 20 city businesses. Full-color, four-page inserts in LGBT publications in the Northeast market tout the city's cultural attractions, restaurants, and accommodations.
Writer: Amy McNeal
Sources: Barry Werner, Tom Noonan, Visit Baltimore