Source: San Francisco Chronicle, Vancouver Sun
San Francisco's tourist industry is betting that gay marriage will lead to a boon in same-sex wedding and honeymoon packages, but another West Coast city to the north worries that it might now lose some of those tourist dollars.
Nationally, gay tourism amounts to a $60 billion-a-year industry. Thanks to Thursday's ruling by the state Supreme Court striking down the ban on same-sex marriage, California stands to become a destination spot for gay and lesbian couples from around the world who want to get hitched.
And San Francisco is hoping for the biggest slice of the wedding cake.
Tourism official in Vancouver, British Columbia, on the other hand, admitted that the marriage ruling in their large neighbor to the south would probably cut down on the number of gay U.S. travelers heading to B.C. to get married, but they don't expect the the impact to be huge.
Tourism Vancouver representative Dayna Miller said Vancouver is considered a very attractive destination for gay travelers for many reasons, not just because Canada has allowed same-sex marriages since 2003.
"This decision could have an impact but it won't be huge," she said in an interview. "Gay travelers have a lot of compelling reasons to come to Vancouver -- first and foremost because it's an attractive destination. Marriage is certainly a key selling feature but it's not the only reason to come."
No sooner did the court decision come down than the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau fired off a release to the gay press, inviting couples to get married in the city where "lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history continues to be made."
"The beauty of it is, all the news reports have made this a San Francisco thing because we led the charge," said visitors bureau chief Joe D'Allesandro, who is likely to get married to his partner as soon as the court's decision takes effect within the next month.
Unlike Massachusetts, the only other state with gay nuptials, California doesn't limit marriages to residents of the state - so same-sex couples could pour in from all over.
"That's huge," said David Paisley, senior project director of Community Marketing Inc., a firm in the Castro that specializes in gay and lesbian tourism.
California already has four of the top 10 U.S. gay destinations - Los Angeles, San Diego, Palm Springs and San Francisco, which was rated the No. 1 gay-friendly destination in a 2006 Travel Industry Association survey.
And talk about timing - the court ruling on same-sex marriage will kick in just two weeks ahead of the city's big Gay Pride celebration June 28-29, which brings in throngs of visitors every year.
Vancouver rated highly as a desirable destination for lesbian and gay travelers in the same survey.
Gayvan.com Travel Marketing president Angus Praught, who specializes in marketing Vancouver to gay travelers, said the California court decision won't have a dramatic impact on the city's appeal to the international gay community.
"Initially it may have some effect in the beginning as people in California decide to get married at home," he said. "But in the big picture, the gay community also looks at the political environment in destinations, which still gives us an advantage."
Full article: SF hopes for big slice of gay marriage money | San Francisco Chronicle
California gay marriage law won't likely hurt travel to B.C | Vancouver Sun