LGBT + Visitor Center

OUR LGBT + VISITOR CENTER SERVES ALL OF GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE

The Greater Fort Lauderdale LGBT Chamber of Commerce operates the area’s first LGBT+ Visitor Center to showcase attractions of interest to LGBT+ visitors. Greater Fort Lauderdale has been popular with the LGBT+ community for decades, welcoming 1.5 million LGBT+ visitors who spend $1.5 billion annually. The Visitor Center is a result of a partnership between Visit Lauderdale and the Greater Fort Lauderdale LGBT Chamber of Commerce. The center is located with the Greater Fort Lauderdale LGBT Chamber of Commerce in the heart of Wilton Manors, Broward County’s LGBTcentric district with the destinations’ largest concentration of LGBT residents and businesses.

“We are proud to have a long and positive history of supporting the LGBT+ community. The opening of this Visitor Center in 2018 marked another important milestone in the uniqueness of our area in recognizing the value and needs of the LGBT+ visitor,” said Richard Gray, Senior Vice President Inclusion & Accessibility of Visit Lauderdale. “We are very excited about this latest advancement in calling attention to all of our great attractions, hotels, clubs, bars and restaurants that cater to this important audience.”

The Greater Fort Lauderdale area has hundreds of LGBT-owned and operated businesses and the highest concentration of same-sex couple households in the country and is noted as one of the most diverse and welcoming destinations in the world. The LGBT+ community has played a major role in the economic growth and development of the area and is a major tourism draw with its nightlife including some of the most popular LGBT+ bars in the country, such as Hunters Nightclub, and clothing and novelty stores, such as Pride Factory. Gay-owned businesses, such as Castelli Real Estate, have been drivers of real estate for many years and great ambassadors to draw new residents to Broward County. Many local businesses, such as Thasos restaurant, are active in providing support for LGBT+ causes in the community.

“The economic impact the LGBT+ community locally cannot be understated, especially by LGBT+ visitors that come here from all over the world year after year,” said Keith Blackburn, CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale LGBT Chamber of Commerce. “While LGBT+ travelers have many of the same needs as straight travelers, many unique needs exist. This Visitor Center serves as a place where people can stop in, ask for recommendations and receive information about the community, our member businesses, events and organizations.”

Greater Fort Lauderdale is also home to one of the largest Pride Centers in the country, the world’s first AIDS museum, the global headquarters of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association, and the Stonewall Museum, one of the only permanent spaces in the U.S. devoted to exhibitions relating to LGBT+ history and culture.

Visit Lauderdale has been welcoming LGBT+ travelers since 1996 when it became the first Convention & Visitors Bureau with a dedicated LGBT+ marketing department. Since then, Greater Fort Lauderdale has continued to break down barriers and facilitate visibility for the LGBT+ community at large, acting as a pioneer in the hospitality industry and ensuring that the destination is inclusive and welcoming with a diverse, safe and open community for all travelers. For more information on LGBT+ travel in Greater Fort Lauderdale, visit www.sunny.org/lgbt.

About Greater Fort Lauderdale Tourism

From the seagrass to the sawgrass, Greater Fort Lauderdale, located in Broward County, boasts more than 34,000 lodging accommodations at a variety of hotels, luxury spa resorts and Superior Small Lodging properties reflecting a “beach chic” vibe. Visitors enjoy 23 miles of Blue Wave certified beaches, discover 300+ miles of inland waterways that run from the Intracoastal Waterway to the Everglades, dine at thousands of restaurants and eateries, get immersed in a thriving arts and culture scene and indulge in top shopping.

Donate your gently used items and help feed our communities in need. Of our 2022 program participants with HIV last year, over 90% are virally suppressed and cannot transmit HIV to anyone else. We have been collaborating with organizations throughout South Florida to feed those impacted by COVID19 with food deliveries to the poorest people, right to their doorsteps. No long lines, no humiliating wait, just the exact foods they selected brought right to their homes. Your support has allowed this type of dignified service. Thank You!

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Donate your gently used items and help feed our communities in need. Of our 2022 program participants with HIV last year, over 90% are virally suppressed and cannot transmit HIV to anyone else. We have been collaborating with organizations throughout South Florida to feed those impacted by COVID19 with food deliveries to the poorest people, right to their doorsteps. No long lines, no humiliating wait, just the exact foods they selected brought right to their homes. Your support has allowed this type of dignified service. Thank You! www.poverello.org