Why Tourism Offices Should Be Celebrating This Week’s Supreme Court Ruling

From national news to Facebook feeds everywhere, the feel good story of the week has been the Supreme Court’s “decision-not-to-decide” regarding same-sex marriage, effectively ensuring that a number of states will quickly legalize same-sex unions. It’s a civil rights bonanza, of course, and there are a LOT of happy LGBT couples with whom we can’t wait to celebrate.

But there’s another reason for tourism offices, specifically, to rejoice: not only do destination weddings account for 24% of all weddings (and the average wedding price tag in 2013 was a record-breaking $30,000, according to TheKnot), but even non-marital LGBT tourists quite often choose to spend their dollars in socially-supportive economies. And that’s significant; LGBT spending globally on tourism was projected at more than $200 billion in 2014.

For Utah (full disclosure: a Turner PR client), Virginia, Indiana, Oklahoma and Wisconsin, this means that the marketing and promotion of tourism to their states has just opened up a bigger opportunity for market share with a lucrative audience. And there’s ample precedent that wedding spending alone will have a significant impact in the coming year. Let’s look at New York State, which legalized gay marriage in 2011, as a case study:

• By 2012, the state cited an economic boon of more than $259 million to New York City alone.
• The state issued more than 8,200 same-sex licenses in the first year, accounting for more than 10% of the overall licenses.
• Same-sex couples spent an average $9,039 on their weddings, while 31% spent $10,000 or more.
• More than 200,000 guests flocked to New York City from other parts of the state or country to partake in the celebrations.
• Hotels booked nearly 236,000 nights at an average rate of $275 per night.

Other states are benefiting, or looking to benefit. Massachusetts, which first legalized same-sex marriage in 2004, gained $111 million from 2004 to 2009, according to a study from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law released this summer. A working paper from the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization predicted that the Aloha State, which legalized same-sex unions roughly a year ago, could bring in an additional $69 million a year from 2014 to 2017. So, what should tourism offices be doing to capitalize on the new rulings?

• Update your website’s LGBT wedding content immediately, including clear information about how and where to obtain licenses. There will be a lot of searching going on, and building credibility and history online is key for online authority.
• Check out how Hawaii hotels and resorts have embraced specific offers and marketing; they’ve been creative without patronizing.
• Consider joining the IGLTA, The International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association, “the world's leading global travel network dedicated to connecting and educating LGBT travelers and the businesses that welcome and support them along the way.”
• Before you start any major campaigns, do your homework. There are a number of great sources and media with deep expertise; I’d recommend following Andrew Collins (he has a great recurring column); Out Traveler has been a leading editorial voice for decades.