Brazil Takes Pride in Focus on Gay, Lesbian Tourists

The tourist boards of most Latin American countries don’t include the gay and lesbian market in their tourism marketing strategies. But that’s not the case with Embratur, Brazil’s official tourism organization.

Plano Aquarela, Embratur’s marketing plan, includes the gay and lesbian niche (which it calls GLS or GLBT) as an integral part of its strategy, and tourism officials work directly with Abrat GLS, an association of Brazilian tourism businesses, suppliers and officials, to make sure that the destination is known as gay-friendly.

Abrat GLS, founded a little more than three years go, now has more than 100 members, including Sofitel, Golden Tulip, TAM Brazilian Airlines and numerous travel agencies and tour operators. The organization also offers gay marketing and sensitivity training programs for hotels and travel-oriented businesses.

To help get the word out, Embratur last year for the first time co-sponsored a press trip for international gay journalists, in conjunction with G Brazil, a Rio de Janeiro-based tour operator. Embratur has also created a website, http://www.theloveland.net/, that features information about Sao Paulo’s annual gay pride parade and other events.

What makes Brazil a good destination for gay travelers? Part of it is the quantity of gay-popular events and gay-friendly destinations. There are some 400 gay and lesbian events throughout Brazil year-round, according to government figures, offering plenty of options for travelers looking for a gay-friendly environment.

According to tourism estimates, the U.S. is Brazil’s No. 1 source of gay travelers, followed by Germany, Argentina, Spain, the U.K. and France. The most-visited Brazilian destinations for gay travelers include Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Florianopolis, Salvador and Recife, according to Embratur.