Buenos Aires gay move reviewed

The breakthrough was marked in 2002. That year, the adoption of the Civil Union Law positioned as a city of progressive mentality, and the devaluation of the peso made it once again accessible to foreigners. Since then, Buenos Aires started to grow as a gay tourist destination, and the circuit is still expanding to more locations and visitors who come to enjoy a mix of friendly, convenient shopping, cultural activities and a lot of movement.

While there are no official figures, it is estimated that gay tourists are around 20% of the total, estimated at 550,000 per month. “The projection is very encouraging. Not only looks at the exponential increase of visitors, but the number of entrepreneurs and local and foreign companies are investing, opening new spaces and services targeted to our audience,” says Carlos Melia, Pride Travel, one of the first tourist agencies specializing in the gay sector.

More and more shops joined the flag of the rainbow, a symbol of the “gay friendly” (with a friendly deal to the community). And it is significant diversity of items. “There is a gay culture that includes festivals, bars, restaurants, milongas, business clothing and aesthetics”, lists Leo Toy, a journalist who has just released GayBa, the first gay guide in book form.

Toy reviewed over 200 stores: Most are places to eat, drink or go to dance. One is the aphrodisiac restaurant “Te Mataré Ramirez”. “nCustomers rose 10% last year. Most are Americans and Latin Americans,” said Charles Di Cesare. In the EC, a designer hotel that receives many gay tourists, adding: “Their average age is 38 and 40% comes in pairs.”

According to all operators, these tourists have good purchasing power, and are spending a lot. The consultant Alfacrux, led by former secretary of Tourism Hernan Lombardi, conducted a survey among 400 cases that allows drawing a profile of the gay visitor. “The preferred neighborhoods are San Telmo, for its architecture; Recoleta area bowling alleys, and Palermo Viejo. The first choice for the visit are the bars and nightlife, followed by landscaping and architecture cosmopolitan. Among the other destinations they visit in Argentina, the first is surprisingly Ushuaia, which is a move to electronic music that appeals to this audience, followed by Mar del Plata, the Atlantic Coast and ski resorts, “explains Lombardi.

Luciana Paez, from the travel agency Viajeras.net, the only specialized in public lesbian, brings more keys: “Men like night. Going to expensive hotels, tours are interested in purchasing and spending on clothing and design. Women prefer eating culture and buy handicrafts, do not care whether the category of hotel.

There is a coincidence, all these travelers are looking for respect. “We have our staff trained to provide a natural treatment and hospitality. These visitors expect this, which is the same thing anyone asks from a holiday. Tourism, and especially in this area, mouth to mouth greatly influence. If they are well cared for, these visitors come back and recommend the place to their friends, “says Alberto Albamonte, president of Howard Johnson, the first hotel chain internationally recognized as gay friendly. Today, most hotels in Buenos Aires category, but is not promoted as gay friendly, they are indeed.
The idea is to capture this target, but there are also greater openness in Buenos Aires. “Slowly we are being given a change of mentality,” says Jorge Bianco, head of Bianco Real Estate, a real estate aimed at the gay community. Since the State, the idea is to encourage tourism, and the official website www.bue.gov.ar included a link on the supply gay. “We are interested to be seen as a gay friendly city. Is an interesting niche, but not seeking to promote special circuits but integrate this segment in the overall supply and they feel comfortable,” says Marcela Cuesta, Undersecretary for Tourism Buenos Aires. A recent article Portal www.gaychile.com (a country of many tourists who come from this segment) about Buenos Aires, it seems to give them the reason: “There are increasing numbers of visitors homosexuals across the world attracted by the vibrant gay circuit of the city where, according to the publicity and reviews, are accepted as part of urban life. “