Richmond Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau Launches Gay Tourism Site

In a move that ought to be emulated by cities in the Hampton Roads area - or better yet done as a regional effort - the Richmond Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau has launched a tourism page aimed at the LGBT tourism dollar. The site, called Rainbow Over Richmond, covers everything from restaurants and accommodation, gay friendly areas of the city, shopping to historic attractions.

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With the Hampton Roads area containing Jamestown, Yorktown, Williamsburg, historic Fort Monroe, NASA Langley, the Mariners Museum, the Chrysler Museum of Fine Arts, the Air and Space Museum, and Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA, there are an abundance of attractions to lure LGBT tourists to the area if (1) the region would market to them and (2) more B&B's and hotels would likewise advertise to the LGBT community. Virginia Beach long ago made the decision to market to the "family vacationer" - which translates to blue collar straight couples with children from inland areas - and has no gay clubs in the resort area, but there is no need for the rest of the region not to get on board with smart marketing and pursue a market segment long ignored. The site also links to GayRVA, a local LGBT news and entertainment website.

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The site is currently running the following promotion: Join us for Rainbow Over Richmond: 30 events in 60 days, an eclectic and engaging series of events from late August through October, exploring and celebrating LGBT and LGBT-friendly culture and community.
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What makes this new approach by the Richmond Tourism office all the more fun is that it's happening right under the noses of Virginia's anti-gay governor, Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell, and the hysterically anti-gay attorney general, Ken "Kookinelli" Cuccinelli. Once the business community catches on to the courting the LGBT community makes good business sense, it's a pretty good sign that the Christo-fascists are losing the culture wars. Obviously, some folks in Virginia don't believe that Virginia is only for straight lovers anymore. Would that Hampton Roads would wake up to this reality.