Resort Towns Ask: Will There Be Summer?

Outer Banks beach.

Locally, the cities of Williamsburg and Virginia Beach rely heavily on tourism for a large part of their economy.  To the south in North Carolina's Outer Banks, dependence on tourism is even more significant.  With Memorial Weekend the weekend after next, the big issue facing businesses within the tourism industry is whether or not there will be a summer tourist season and, if there is, what will it look like. With over three weeks of paid vacation left of the year, the husband I find ourselves with no travel plans for the first time in years - our October cruise was cancelled - and left without two months of income from the husband's salon which just reopened under a whole new mode of operation: open more days, stylists working staggered schedules to keep the numbers of people in the place at any one time reduced to less than 10 people, constant sanitizing, and many client in-salon perks eliminated, with no one knowing how long this "new normal" will last. Will we travel this summer?  I honestly do not know.  In Virginia Beach hoteliers are facing an even more daunting scenario as they wonder who will visit the area given the economic stress so many unemployed people face and fears of exposure to the covid-19 virus.  A piece in the New York Times looks at the questions facing the tourism industry around the country.  Here are highlights: 

In summer resort towns across the United States, livelihoods for the year are built in the 15 weeks between Memorial Day and Labor Day. It is during those 15 weeks that tourists from around the country and the world arrive to bask on the beach and gather for festivals and weddings. And it is during those three months that tour operators, hoteliers, innkeepers, restaurant employees and others earn the bulk of their income.

But this year, with Memorial Day — the kickoff for summer — approaching, there will be fewer guests to welcome and likely no sizable weddings or festivals to host. Business owners in resort areas, from Cape Cod, Mass., to Lake Chelan, Wash., say that as the start of summer approaches, they are having to face the difficult reality that little money will be made this year.

Between canceled trips and uncertainty about how willing and financially able people will be to travel once shelter-in-place rules are lifted, business owners say that even if summer travel starts late, it won’t make up for losses that have already been incurred.

Traffic to resort towns will likely consist of local visitors from nearby cities and towns for day or weekend trips, rather than for longer stays, business owners speculated. Many also said they expect to see few, if any, international visitors.

Public health is essential and should be prioritized, Ms. Rishel and other business owners said, but business survival is also important. And so resort towns are grappling with the cost-benefit analysis of reopening and potentially having the virus spread versus remaining closed and potentially shuttering doors.

In North Carolina’s Outer Banks, tourists will be allowed to return and stay in hotels beginning on May 16, but life will be different. Social-distancing rules will have to be followed; businesses will limit the number of people to 50 percent of their usual capacity; sanitizing stations will be at every turn; and staff at hotels will wear masks.

“Even if we can’t do 100 percent of our normal business, we are just excited to be back in business and have a chance at survival,” said John Harris, a co-founder of Kitty Hawk Kites, which offers adventure tours and sells and rents equipment for various outdoor activities. “Staying closed isn’t an option for a community that’s 90 percent dependent on tourism.” Mr. Harris said about 80 percent of his revenue is made between Memorial Day and the end of September.

In New Jersey, where beaches will be open for Memorial Day, with restrictions, and hotels will reopen on June 1, the mood among some innkeepers and hoteliers is also cautiously optimistic. . . . . Who will come and how many of them will come is the unknown at this point, but we’re getting calls for reservations and people are reaching out on Facebook, so it looks like we will have our summer.”

“I’m excited to see people, but I’m also being terrified because it’s too soon to reopen,” she said. “I don’t think the state has met all the standards they said we’d need to meet before we open. We are still seeing new cases, and the rules about how to operate just aren’t clear.”

Ms. Gutlon, as well as other innkeepers and owners in North Carolina, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Washington state, said that they are trying to figure out the rules for guest numbers, social distancing and serving food on their properties. For example, she said, no more than 10 people can gather, but the inn typically has about 16 guests in its eight rooms, in addition to staff — so would filling rooms be breaking the rules?

In Massachusetts, where short-term rentals (including hotels) have been banned since March, the lack of direction from authorities led 26 Martha’s Vineyard innkeepers and hotel operators to write a letter to Gov. Charlie Baker’s advisory task force earlier this month, asking for guidance about reopening.

Hospitality businesses are also thinking about how the industry has been fundamentally changed by the coronavirus. When tourists return, there will be no hugging and no touching; smiles will be hidden behind masks; turndown service likely won’t exist; and many travelers will be afraid of staying in hotels where they don’t control cleaning procedures or know who stayed there before they did.

“Will people want to pay hundreds of dollars to take their own sheets off their bed or to sit in their room and eat all their meals there?” asked Ms. Gutlon of the White Doe Inn in the Outer Banks. She and others said that those questions will also affect people’s willingness to travel from afar. Guests who usually book for more than just a few days have all canceled their trips this year, she said.

Carol Watson, one of the owners of the Captain Farris House, an inn on Cape Cod, said she is already feeling the loss of international visitors.

Memorial Day, Ms. Watson said, is the real kickoff for the summer season, and she would normally be preparing for a revolving door. Instead, she is spending her time on conference calls with other business owners and a marketing company, trying to stay on top of what’s going on and updating policies and cleaning and sanitizing procedures.

“Everybody is frustrated with where we’re at and we’re all worried about this summer, but we don’t want to see people sick,” she said. “We don’t want to see people dying.”

Carnival Corporation Supporting Challenge to Bermuda Rescission of Gay Marriage

As regular readers know, I have not minced my words about Bermuda's recent rescission of same sex marriage.  Moreover, I have urged the LGBT community and our friends and families to boycott (i) Cunard Lines which has its ships registered in Bermuda for tax purposes, and (ii) cruises with destinations that include Bermuda.  Interestingly, tourism groups in Bermuda opposed the effort lead by right wing pastors aided by American Christofascists.   Their motivation?  The tourism industry groups saw the repeal of marriage equality as severe threat to Bermuda's tourism industry which remains lackluster compared to its glory days.  Now, Bermuda News is reporting that a second legal challenge to the repeal of marriage equality has been filed and apparently Carnival Cruise Lines, the parent corporation of Cunard Lines, is backing the legal challenge.  Here are article highlights:

OUTBermuda and Maryellen Jackson have filed legal action in the Bermuda Supreme Court seeking an order declaring that provisions that “have the effect of revoking same-sex marriage” are in contravention of the Bermuda Constitution, with the local legal action — which marks the second filed about the matter — being backed by the Carnival cruise line.

The legal action is by OUTBermuda and Ms. Jackson, who said they “are actively preparing evidence for submission this week and an application to join their case to the Ferguson v Attorney General case so both cases can be heard together.

“While marriage equality is just one issue facing the LGBTQ+ community, OUTBermuda believes it is well positioned to provide a legal voice on a topic that has recently been handled like a political football in Bermuda.

OUTBermuda and Ms. Jackson said they “strongly oppose any measure to revoke the right to marry” and “believe that the ruling originally handed down by the Supreme Court of Bermuda in May 2017 permitting same-sex marriage is good law.”

Carnival Corporation said they are “actively supporting OUTBermuda” which includes providing “financial, civic and public relations support, as well as involvement by our company,” with the cruise line also confirming that they will be “filing an affidavit supporting the legal action.

Carnival’s Statement

The lawsuit by a Bermuda LGBTQ charity and a Bermudian, and has the support of the Carnival Corporation, which said, “Carnival Corporation believes our employees, guests and the public at large deserve equal dignity and respect.

“Our ongoing efforts have been recognized over several years by various organizations, such as the Human Rights Campaign, as one of the top companies to work for LGBTQ equality, including perfect scores in 2017 and 2016 in HRC’s Corporate Equality Index, which rates U.S. companies on their treatment of LGBTQ consumers, investors and employees. As such, we believe that marriage equality should be lawful in Bermuda.

“We applauded the May 2017 ruling in Bermuda’s Supreme Court allowing and recognizing same-sex marriages on the island. Longstanding law and custom allowed ships registered in Bermuda to conduct opposite-sex wedding ceremonies at sea, and the 2017 court decision enabled cruise companies to also begin offering same-sex wedding packages.

“Beginning in summer 2017, we began booking onboard wedding packages for same-sex couples looking for the unique experience of being wed at sea, with the same equal legal recognition as opposite-sex couples.

“As a company committed to equality, inclusion and diversity, we were disheartened by Bermuda’s subsequent reversal of the May 2017 ruling.

“We support marriage equality and we have been actively engaged in supporting efforts by OUTBermuda – a registered charity that promotes and supports the wellbeing, health, dignity, security, safety and protection of the LGBTQ community in Bermuda — to legally challenge the action to again allow same-sex marriages on the island.

“In fact, Carnival Corporation is actively supporting OUTBermuda, along with another plaintiff, Maryellen Jackson, who have jointly submitted an Originating Summons to the Supreme Court of Bermuda for that court to issue an order declaring that Section 53 of the Domestic Partnership Act 2017 and all other provisions in the act that deal with and give effect to that provision or have the effect of revoking same-sex marriage or making same-sex marriages void, are in contravention of the Bermuda Constitution 1968.

“Our engagement includes providing OUTBermuda with financial, civic and public relations support, as well as involvement by our company. In addition, we will be filing an affidavit supporting the legal action submitted by OUTBermuda and Ms. Jackson.

“We are sensitive as to why some travelers may consider avoiding Bermuda while this ban is in place. While we always abide by the laws of the countries we sail to and from, we believe travel and tourism brings people and cultures together in powerful ways. As a result, we believe it is important to stand by the LGBTQ community in Bermuda and its many allies to oppose any actions that restrict travel and tourism.

“In addition, we have had ongoing meetings with LGBTQ community organizations based in Bermuda and they have shared their own concerns that both the existing law and any potential reduction of travel to Bermuda will have a negative impact on the local economy and locals who depend on tourism for their livelihood.

“At their urging, we believe it is best to align our actions with the LGBTQ community and others who live and work in Bermuda and depend on tourism for their living.

“For those reasons, we believe we can have the most significant impact through direct action. This is why we are working closely with local groups in Bermuda to support their efforts to use the legal process to challenge the decision. As part of this effort, we are actively seeking out and supporting local community organizations working for positive change.”

The Trump Effect: Significant Drop in Tourism to the United States

Among the many things that Der Trumpenführer claims he will do is bring back jobs to America. Like most of what the man says, the claim is untrue, especially in terms of coal industry jobs and manufacturing jobs.  And in one industry, the travel industry, Trump is undermining jobs and  could be the cause of job losses.  It seems that many foreign tourists have no desire to visit America given the hate, bigotry and discrimination that Der Trumpenführer have unleashed.  Frommers reports that there has been a "devastating drop" in tourism to the USA.  Indeed, the husband and I are headed to the UK in August to visit a much more LGBT welcoming country.   Here are highlights from travel experts at Frommers:

Though they may differ as to the wisdom of the move, the travel press and most travel experts are of one mind: They are currently drawing attention to an unintended consequence of the Trump-led efforts to stop many Muslims from coming to the U.S., pointing to a sharp drop in foreign tourism to our nation that imperils jobs and touristic income.  It’s known as the “Trump Slump.” And I know of no reputable travel publication to deny it. Thus, the prestigious Travel Weekly magazine (as close to an “official” travel publication as they come) has set the decline in foreign tourism at 6.8%. And the fall-off is not limited to Muslim travelers, but also extends to all incoming foreign tourists. Apparently, an attack on one group of tourists is regarded as an assault on all. As far as travel by distinct religious groups, flight passengers from the seven Muslim-majority nations named by Trump were down by 80% in the last week of January and first week of February, according to Forward Keys, a well-known firm of travel statisticians. On the web, flight searches for trips heading to the U.S. out of all international locations was recently down by 17%.  A drop of that magnitude, if continued, would reduce the value of foreign travel within the U.S. by billions of dollars. And the number of jobs supported by foreign tourists and their expenditures in the United States—and thus lost—would easily exceed hundreds of thousands of workers in hotels, restaurants, transportation, stores, tour operations, travel agencies, and the like.  

According to the Global Business Travel Association, in only a single week following announcement of the ban against certain foreign tourists, the activity of business travel declined by nearly $185 million.  Other observers, including local tourist offices, have reached similar conclusions. In referring to New York City’s $60 billion tourist industry alone, the head of the city’s tourist effort complained that his agency’s effort to portray the United States as a welcoming destination to foreign citizens “was all in jeopardy.” Several other tourist officials have made like statements. . . . .  there is plenty of evidence for a negative conclusion.  

As I have long said, hate and bigotry carry a heavy economic cost.  Given Virginia's heavy reliance on tourism, this is not welcomed news. One can only hope that Trump hotels are especially hard hit - a number of bankruptcy would be a form of divine justice.  Are you paying attention Rep. Scott Taylor?

Virginia Makes A Push for LGBT Tourism Dollars

With Virginia being hammered by reduced federal government spending, one of the pushes of Gov. Terry McAuliffe has been to pursue the LGBT tourism dollar.  Indeed, McAuliffe has set up and LGBT Tourism Commission (on which some of our friends currently serve) and, unlike members of the Virginia GOP who continue to prostitute themselves to Christian hate groups and extremists, he realizes that being welcoming to all makes good business sense.  A piece in the Daily Press looks at this common sense effort that more parts of Virginia need to embrace (after years of lagging, Norfolk has realized the attractiveness of welcoming the pink dollar).  Of course, the current anti-LGBT toxicity reigning in North Carolina makes Virginia destinations look even more attractive to many living in the mid-Atlantic region.  Here are highlights:

RICHMOND – You can now buy "Virginia is for Lovers" trucker hats with a gay pride flag incorporated into the state's iconic tourism pitch.

The hat, and other state swag, is part of a new branding effort targeting LGBT tourists. There's a new web page highlighting events and destinations that have self-identified as LGBT friendly and a new resource guide for businesses looking to cash in.

The Virginia Tourism Corporation rolled out the campaign heading into this weekend, just ahead of the Virginia Pridefest in Richmond. But this is no limited-time event.

"This is going to be fully integrated in all our marketing, from top to bottom," tourism corporation spokeswoman Caroline Logan said. "This will be going on forever as far as we're concerned."

Eight other states have done something similar, but Virginia is the first one in the South, unless you count Florida. The campaign has been two years in the making, started by a push from Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who made clear from before he took office that he wants everyone to visit Virginia, and to leave lots money.

LGBT tourists – and that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender – make up 10 percent of the U.S. tourism market, Logan said. They spend somewhere around $57 billion a year on travel and tourism, she said.

"They travel more and they stay longer and they spend more money," she said.

Logan said campaign feedback has been positive, but the effort is bound to be controversial for some.

Businesses and events have to opt into this particular marketing campaign, just as they do for other targeted state campaigns. The database of places to stay included 120 locations on rollout. Among other things, the website features a picture of McAuliffe marrying a lesbian couple.

In addition to the web page and database, the tourism corporation has created an LGBT Tourism Resource Guide for state businesses in the tourism industry, which generated an estimated $23 billion in spending last year in the state.

As noted, here's why courting the LGBT tourism dollar makes sense: "they travel more, stay longer and spend more money."  Only a fool - or religious extremist of GOP political whore - would not welcome that kind of traveler. 

North Carolina Already Feeling Effects of Anti-Gay Law

As noted in the prior post, a federal lawsuit has been filed challenging North Carolina's Republican backed anti-LGBT license to discriminate law.  More on this will follow.  But first, it is noteworthy to see the manner in which this special rights for Christofascists law is already harming the state.  First, New York State has banned all state employee travel to North Carolina.  Second, the High Point Furniture Market - a huge concern in the world of furniture - has felt compelled to release a press statement in the wake of the notifications it is receiving from customers who will be boycotting the Market this year.  Here are highlights:

High Point, NC, March 28, 2016 —In the last few days, dozens of customers have contacted the High Point Market Authority to inform us that they have cancelled plans to attend the Market in April due to passage of HB2. There are also several campaigns on social media calling for a boycott of the High Point Market this spring.

As leaders and organizers of the High Point Market, we feel an obligation to inform the public and our government leaders in Raleigh of the significant economic damage that HB2 is having on the High Point Market and on the North Carolina economy. Based on the reaction in just the last few days, hundreds and perhaps thousands of our customers will not attend Market this April.

We believe it is vital for them [legislators and state agencies] to be kept informed of the public’s reaction to HB2, and to the significant economic damage that this controversy is causing.

Meanwhile, the City of Charlotte is already seeing cancellation of plans for conventions and events in that city.  Here are highlights from the Charlotte Observer:

North Carolina’s new law limiting LGBT protections has already dissuaded some outside businesses and groups from planning events in Charlotte, the city’s tourism authority says.

Tom Murray, president and CEO of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, said Monday the group is “extremely concerned” about the controversial new legislation, and it continues to hear “negative feedback and potential event cancellations” from customers.

Some would-be customers have withdrawn their interest in Charlotte as a host destination, the CRVA said, though the group declined to say how many or which customers. No existing conventions have canceled yet, Murray said.

“On behalf of the visitor economy that represents one in nine jobs across the Charlotte region, we strongly urge that state and local leaders find a resolution that represents the best interests of our city and state,” Murray said. “This issue is in danger of setting us back from the progress we’ve made in positioning Charlotte as an attractive, inclusive destination,” Murray said.

Tourism and hospitality serves as the Charlotte region’s fourth largest industry, generating more than $6.3 billion a year, according to the CRVA, a public organization supported by taxes on hotel and motel rooms and restaurant and bar tabs. Those tax dollars can be used only to promote the city or for tourism projects and research.

It is important to remember what is ultimately behind this vicious law: the desire of Christofascists to feel superior to others and to punish those who fail to conform to their fear and hate based religious beliefs.  

In terms of the lawsuit filed yesterday to challenge this anti-LGBT law, The New Civil Rights Movement has details.  Here are highlights:

Two civil rights groups and three people have joined to file a lawsuit against North Carolina over HB 2, the discriminatory anti-LGBT law the General Assembly passed and Gov. Pat McCrory signed into law on March 23. 

The ACLU of North Carolina, Lambda Legal, and three individuals filed the lawsuit overnight in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, Buzzfeed's Dominic Holden and Chris Geidner first reported.

Citing the 14th Amendment and Title IX of the Education Act of 1972, the suit names Gov. Pat McCrory, Attorney General Roy Cooper, the University of North Carolina, its Board of Governors, and several UNC officials as defendants.

“By singling out LGBT people for disfavored treatment and explicitly writing discrimination against transgender people into state law, H.B. 2 violates the most basic guarantees of equal treatment and the U.S. Constitution,” the 45-page lawsuit charges.

The suit clearly notes the anti-LGBT animus that lawmakers displayed when they "rushed to convene a special session with the express purpose of passing a statewide law that would preempt Charlotte’s 'radical' move to protect its residents from discrimination."

"In a process rife with procedural irregularities, the legislature introduced and passed H.B. 2 in a matter of hours, and the governor signed the bill into law that same day," the lawsuit states. "Lawmakers made no attempt to cloak their actions in a veneer of neutrality, instead openly and virulently attacking transgender people, who were falsely portrayed as predatory and dangerous to others. While the discriminatory, stated focus of the legislature in passing H.B. 2—the use of restrooms by transgender people—is on its own illegal and unconstitutional, H.B. 2 in facts wreaks far greater damage by also prohibiting local governments in North Carolina from enacting express anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity."

Holden and Geidner note that in "17 states and 225 cities with laws banning LGBT discrimination, there are no known instances of the rules being used to defend or facilitate predatory behavior in bathrooms or locker rooms." 

North Carolina and Virginia Businesses Oppose Atlantic Offshore Drilling

Outer Banks beach

If one lives in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia or the Outer Banks of North Carolina, after the military and the U.S. government spending, the number one driver of the economy is tourism, especially tourism focused on the regions' beaches and waterways.  As I have noted before on this blog, years ago I was in-house counsel for a Fortune 50 company's oil and gas subsidiary, so I do know a thing or two about oil and gas explorations and offshore drilling (I even negotiated concession agreements with foreign governments).  While no oil company wants a drilling disaster, as the BP nightmare in the Gulf of Mexico made clear, accidents do happen and the economic and environmental consequences are dire.    Here are highlights from Think Progress on opposition to Atlantic offshore drilling:

For coastal companies that depend on a healthy stream of tourists to keep business healthy, the prospect of drilling in the Atlantic Ocean means one thing: spills that will sully beaches and drive visitors away.

More than 300 Atlantic coast businesses sent a letter to President Obama Thursday, urging him to take back his administration’s proposal to allow drilling in the Atlantic Ocean. In January, the Obama administration announced a proposal to sell oil and gas leases in offshore sites from Virginia to Georgia.

In the letter, the businesses outline the economic risk posed by offshore drilling, saying that monetary losses due to lost tourism revenue could be “devastating.” They also note that the Energy Information Administration estimates that the Atlantic Ocean holds only about 209 days’ worth of oil and 13 months’ worth of natural gas.

“Offshore drilling is incompatible with our tourism and fishing industries. When you drill, you spill, and day to day drilling operations result in chronic pollution and the industrialization of the coast for oil facilities,” the letter reads. “Look no further than the devastation the BP Deepwater Horizon catastrophe brought to the Gulf of Mexico’s fishing, tourism and wildlife to recognize the impact drilling would have here on the Atlantic Coast.”

Jeff Downey, owner of the Savannah, Georgia restaurant Circa 1875 and one of the signatories of the letter, said on a press call Thursday that about 85 percent of his business during the summer comes from tourists.
“If they allow offshore drilling, it will ruin our coasts first of all, and people will just stop coming,” he said. Savannah is in a hurricane zone, he said, and though hurricanes there have been rare over the last century, he worries a major storm could damage a drilling rig and cause a spill.

Cola Vaughan, owner of Cola Vaughan Realty on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, was another one of the business owners who signed on to the letter. He said businesses in the Outer Banks depend heavily on pristine beaches to attract visitors, and that even a “perceived threat” of spills would cause potential vacationers to think twice about choosing the Outer Banks.
It makes sense for businesses to be worried about a major spill. The Deepwater Horizon disaster, which killed 11 people and sent millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, took a toll on Gulf businesses. An estimated $22.7 billion in Gulf tourism money was lost from 2010 through 2013 because of the spill.  

The 300 businesses hope adding their names to the opposition will help convince the administration to give up plans for Atlantic drilling. 

“Our coasts are worth too much to risk,” they write in the letter. “Rather than exposing our beaches, families and businesses to the inherent risks of drilling, we need to move this country in the direction of renewable energy.”

In the interest of full disclosure, the husband and I live on a tidal creek, and a major oil spill offshore from Hampton Roads could foul the creek behind our home.

Our backyard and Robinson Creek last fall

Will GOP Gov. Jan Brewer Veto Arizona Gay Segregation Bill?

The degree to which Republicans will prostitute themselves to the ugliest elements of the Christofascists often knows few limits.  Indeed, I often note that a tawdry whore has more integrity than most GOP legislators.  With both houses of the Arizona legislature having passed a special rights for Christians, gay segregation bill that would allow Jim Crow like treatment of gays in Arizona, Gov. Jan Brewer will have to decide if she will join the ranks of the GOP prostitutes or do what is best for Arizona and veto the bill.  Brewer is receiving huge amounts of pressure from the Arizona business community to veto the bill which business interests rightly fear will harm the state economically and prompt a raft of boycotts.  Two stories in the Arizona Republic look at Brewer's dilemma.  Here are highlights from the first piece on the business community blow back:

Economic-development groups and business leaders, perhaps stung by memories of the backlash from a tough anti-immigration law in 2010, expressed concern over the latest controversial bill headed to Gov. Jan Brewer’s desk.

Just as the Arizona economy begins gaining momentum, the new legislation could hurt its recovery — and the state’s reputation as a place to do business — they said. In 2010, boycotts of the state hit the tourism industry especially hard after Senate Bill 1070 was passed.

The Greater Phoenix Economic Council urged a veto of the controversial legislation that would allow discrimination against gays, saying it could affect Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale and have “profound, negative” economic effects for years.

[M]any other business owners — and the Arizonans who buy from them — expressed frustration Friday over a potential law that could make the state and its people appear unwelcoming.

“The state already is known as being discriminatory,” said Howard Fleischmann, majority owner of six Community Tire Pros and Auto Repair outlets in the Valley. “This would muddy the water and give Arizona a more terrible reputation.”

The controversy comes at a time when Arizona’s economy appears to be shifting into higher gear. BMO Capital Markets, in a report this month, said Arizona’s economy is poised to grow faster than the nation both this year and next.  The legislation clouds the economic picture, some business leaders said.

Representatives of Arizona’s tourism industry are especially worried, with hotel occupancy and other measures on an upswing and with the nation’s biggest sporting event scheduled in Glendale on Feb. 1, 2015.   “We’re greatly concerned,” said Kristen Jarnagin, senior vice president of communications for the Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association. “We’ve already received countless phone calls and e-mails from people canceling trips or threatening not to return.”

Many of those raising objections Friday cited the impact of the right-to-refuse-service bill on the state’s reputation, the likelihood of the relatively affluent gay community to spend its dollars elsewhere, and the potential challenges in recruiting workers to a state that might feel less than inclusive.

“With major events approaching in the coming year, including Super Bowl XLIX, Arizona will be the center of the world’s stage,” the letter says. “This legislation has the potential of subjecting the Super Bowl, and major events surrounding it, to the threats of boycotts.

“In addition to the concerns with the growing negative attention already being portrayed across both national and social media, we have already been contacted by four companies we are working on with the Arizona Commerce Authority who will look to locate elsewhere if this legislation is signed.”

The second article looks at Brewer's double speak as she is facing sharp attacks from Christofascists if she vetoes the bill and perhaps even more dangerous attacks from the business community if she doesn't veto it.  Here are excerpts:

As usual, Brewer has been tight-lipped about how she will act — she rarely comments before bills reach her desk. But she told a cable news network she planned to closely review the “controversial piece of legislation” that, among other things, would allow individuals to use religious beliefs as a defense against a lawsuit. Gay rights activists say the law would permit outright discrimination.

The Republican governor plans to meet with advisers in and out of her office, members of the business community, lawmakers and others as she weighs whether to sign the bill into law, her advisers said.

“They’ll go over every aspect of the bill — the pros and the cons, the risks — all of it,” said one insider familiar with the inner workings of the Governor’s Office and how Brewer approaches legislation. “In this instance, you have a bill that had a party-line vote. It puts her in a difficult spot.”

Brewer was in Washington, D.C., attending a conference of governors and wasn’t expected to return until Tuesday. But some factions set to work Friday attempting to influence her decision.
Brewer’s Twitter feed blew up, with people from the business community, gay and lesbian activists and others urging her to veto the bill.

Business leaders, including the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, warned SB 1062 could have “profound, negative” effects on the state’s recovering economy by alienating businesses looking to relocate here and hurting tourism even as the state readies to host next year’s Super Bowl.

If the bill is not vetoed, I for one will make a point to NEVER visit the state (where I had relatives for over 60 years) or buy a product from an Arizona based business. 

 

 

Carnival Cruise Lines Returns to Norfolk in 2015

Carnival Glory on October 18, 2013, in Norfolk when we returned from a cruise to The Bahamas

The boyfriend and I enjoy cruises - as do a lot of our gay friends and some of my fellow LGBT bloggers - and we have sailed on Carnival out of Norfolk twice and had a wonderful time at very reasonable cost since no air travel has been required.  We were most disappointed when Carnival announced it would not have a ship home ported in Norfolk in 2014.  Thankfully, as announced by Gov. McAuliffe today to the General Assembly, Carnival is returning to Norfolk in 2015.  For those who have never cruised before, mark your calendars for 2015 and check it out.  Here are details from the Virginian Pilot:

Carnival Cruise Lines is returning to Norfolk next year, Gov. Terry McAuliffe told the General Assembly on Monday night.  The world’s largest cruise line intends to resume sailing from Norfolk in the spring and fall of 2015, McAuliffe announced.

“This renewed activity in Hampton Roads will not only generate important tourism dollars for the commonwealth, but will also be a catalyst for job growth,” he said in his first address to General Assembly members.

“I am delighted to welcome Carnival back to Virginia next year, but my administration’s goal is to encourage them to bring more ship calls and ultimately, regular homeport service to downtown Norfolk, and to continue to grow our tourism economy across the commonwealth.”

The announcement comes 2½ months after the Carnival Glory pulled out of Norfolk for Miami, leaving the city’s nearly 7-year-old, $37.4 million Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center without a ship that calls it home.

“I can confirm that Carnival Cruise Lines is returning to Norfolk in 2015 to operate a series of cruises in the spring and fall,” Jennifer de la Cruz, a spokeswoman for the Miami-based cruise line, wrote in an email to The Virginian-Pilot on Monday.

“Specific ship, date and itinerary information is still being finalized and more specific details are expected to be announced this spring. We would like to thank the port, and local and state leadership, for their continued partnership and we greatly look forward to returning to Norfolk next year.”

Norfolk officials said they expect Carnival to offer 10 to 12 cruise departures in 2015, with Caribbean ports being the likely destinations.

Fraim said that while the city had not offered any Carnival any incentives to come back, he suggested that the state might.  “We live in a very competitive environment with cruise ships,” he said. “And we know that both Maryland and South Carolina, their states provide marketing dollars to aid the sale of tickets. And we hope that the commonwealth will do the same.”

Fraim said McAuliffe, whom he praised for helping win back Carnival, is committed to doing everything possible to have a ship homeported in Norfolk year-round.

“He gets it; he acts quickly,” Fraim said. “The one thing about Gov. McAuliffe is he knows most captains of industry well. He is able to make phone calls returned  quickly and he has been of great assistance in this regard.”

 I guess we will be cruising from Norfolk again next year!

Virginia Beach Republican Mayor in TV Ad for Democrat McAuliffe

Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms has gone even further in his support for Democrat gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe.  He's now appearing in a TV ad for McAuliffe with two local Democrat Mayors (see above).  His motivations are likely multiple.  First, Sessoms - whom I have known for over 20 years - is not and has never been an extremist on social issues.  In fact, he has spoken at several HRBOR networking event (HRBOR is the local gay and gay friendly chamber of commerce).  Second, with much of the Virginia Beach economy relying on tourism, I suspect that Sessoms understands that the extremist image a Cuccinelli governorship would give Virginia would not be good for business.  Another likely issue is Virginia Beach's need to see the transportation system in Hampton Roads drastically upgraded to ensure that Virginia Beach tourism isn't killed by local gridlock.  Cussinelli opposed the transportation bill passed during the last session of the General Assembly and has basically offered slashing taxes as his cure all for Virginia's economic ills.   Here's a sampling from the Virginian Pilot:

Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms has gone all in for Terry McAuliffe.

The resort city’s Republican mayor endorsed the Democratic gubernatorial candidate last month. Now he’s appearing in a TV ad on McAuliffe’s behalf along with two Democratic mayors, Paul Fraim of Norfolk and McKinley Price of Newport News.

Peppered with scenes from Hampton Roads, the ad was released by the McAuliffe campaign today. It’s part of a Democratic narrative meant to portray McAuliffe as a more mainstream candidate than his Republican opponent, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.

2 Men Arrested on Gay Cruise in Dominica

I have long advocated that LGBT tourists boycott anti-gay destinations (including Virginia) and instead take their tourism dollars to friendlier nations. The arrest of two men aboard an Atlantis gay cruise on the Celebrity Summit cruise ship underscores why such boycotts are a wise move. The men who were arrested weren't even onshore but instead were accused by "someone on the dock." Moreover, some sources suggest that "having sex" might have in fact been merely holding hands or kissing. One can only hope that after this incident Atlantis will seriously rethink the ports of call on its cruises and leave backward, bigoted destinations like Dominica off the itinerary. The homophobic countries need to be hit where it hurt them most most: in the wallet. If enough cruise lines delete places like Dominica from their sailings and make it clear to locals why they are being boycotted perhaps financial needs will override the bigotry fanned from pulpits. Here are highlights from a Washington Post story on this outrageous bullshit:

Two California men on a gay cruise of the Caribbean were arrested Wednesday in Dominica, where sex between two men is illegal.

Police Constable John George said police boarded the cruise ship and arrested the two men on suspicion of indecent exposure and “buggery,” a term equivalent to sodomy on the island. He identified the men as John Robert Hart, 41, and Dennis Jay Mayer, 43, but did not provide their hometowns.

George said the men were seen having sex on the Celebrity Summit cruise ship by someone on the dock. The two were later charged with indecent exposure and are scheduled to appear before a magistrate Thursday morning. If found guilty, they could be fined $370 each and face up to six months in jail.

The ship carrying about 2,000 passengers departed Puerto Rico on Saturday and arrived in Dominica on Wednesday. It departed for St. Barts without the men, who are being held in a cell at police headquarters in the capital of Roseau.

The pastor of Dominica’s Trinity Baptist Church, Randy Rodney, praised the police for their intervention. “I am very pleased that the police were called in and have arrested the people in question. I have warned about gay tourism and its implications for Dominica,” said Rodney, who is a vocal critic of homosexuality and lesbianism.

The presence of gay cruises in the Caribbean has riled several conservative islands including Jamaica and Grenada, where anti-sodomy laws are enforced with strong backing from religious groups.

According to Cruisemates.com, no gay cruise lines sail to Jamaica or Barbados for fear of homophobia and possible violence. It said other places like the U.S. Virgin Islands welcome gay cruises.

Obviously, Dominica needs to join Jamaica and Barbados on the list of ports avoided by cruise lines, especially those hosting gay cruises.

Gay Marriage Is Coming To Cancun

Yet another portion of Mexico is poised to grant to LGBT citizens the rights denied them in much of the United States - which falsely bills itself as "land of the free" and a champion of freedom of religion. That's right, the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, home to popular vacation destinations like Cancun and Cozumel, is allowing same sex couples to legalize their unions thanks to a quirk in the local civil code. And the local tourism industry is expecting a positive uptick as a result. Here are highlights from Hispanically Speaking News:

Cancun and other resort areas on the Mexican Caribbean will have a new attraction for gay and lesbian couples from the United States, Canada and Europe, allowing them to legalize their unions thanks to a quirk in the local civil code, activist Patricia Novelo told Efe.

“This market niche ... is very attractive for European, Canadian and American (homosexual) couples,” said the spokesperson for Colectivo Diversidad. Novelo said that in January the first same-sex group wedding will be held in the resort area as part of local support for the human rights of the gay community.

[S]he said, agreements have begun to be struck with different airlines and hotel chains to hold these marriages all along Mexico’s Caribbean coast. Novelo said that this “is something very positive. Besides the social part there are many economic benefits because the gay community generates between 45 and 60 percent more income on top of conventional tourism.”

She said gay and lesbian marriages are possible in Quintana Roo, “thanks to a legal gap in the Civil Code,” which only makes mention of “people interested in getting married,” without specifying their gender.

In Mexico, same-sex marriages have been expressly authorized in Mexico City, where through Dec. 15 1,246 such unions had been legally finalized, many involving citizens of other countries.

While the Christianists and the Republican Party strive to subvert the Constitution and drag America back into the Dark Ages, other parts of the world continue to step forward and offer the civil rights and equality that America fails to grant to all of its citizens.

Obama to Name Hampton's Fort Monroe a National Monument

In a move that local leaders of all political stripes have sought aggressively, Barack Obama will reportedly name historic Fort Monroe which has guarded the mouth of Hampton Roads' harbor for over 180 years. On its site, fortifications have existed as far back as 1609. Fort Monroe is the largest stone fort ever built in the United States and it has seen an interesting history over the years since construction began in 1819 as part of a plan of coastal defenses after the British burned Washington, D. C. during the War of 1812. This designation will help ensure that Ft. Monroe will exist as a tourist destination and that its history is not lost. For the City of Hampton - whose leadership has shown itself to be among the most LGBT friendly in the region - the national monument designation should be a huge boon. Interestingly, Hampton Roads Business OutReach's ("HRBOR") December business networking event on Thursday, December 8, 2011, will be hosted by the City of Hampton at Ft. Monroe. Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot:

Fort Monroe will take its place among the nation's most revered places on Tuesday, when President Barack Obama is expected to designate much of the former Army base a national park.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said in a phone interview Saturday that Obama would use powers granted to him under the Antiquities Act to preserve the Hampton waterfront fortress and hundreds of acres of open space along the Chesapeake Bay.

More than a dozen presidents, starting with Theodore Roosevelt, have used the 1906 act to protect historic or endangered places that loom large in American lore, including the Grand Canyon and the Statue of Liberty.

The announcement delighted local and state officials and the region's bipartisan congressional delegation, which introduced legislation to create a national park but pressed Obama to use his executive powers to make it happen more quickly.

Salazar said bipartisan backing for a national park, buttressed by broad public support, helped persuade Obama to act. He also cited jobs creation as a motivator for the president, saying that the money spent by tourists who visit the park would create many jobs in coming years.

"It's a huge economic opportunity for southern Virginia," Salazar said, noting that national parks draw tourists and attract businesses that cater to them.

Fort Monroe's most historic chapter came during the Civil War, when it remained a bastion of federal power even after Virginia seceded. Early in the conflict, three escaped slaves reached the fort and asked for the Union Army's protection. The commanding general's decision not to send the men back to their Confederate owners set the stage for a mass migration of slaves to Fort Monroe and helped bring about the Emancipation Proclamation.

Fort Monroe won't be only a national park, though. If the president follows the blueprint of the pending legislation, the park service would manage slightly more than half of the property, including the north beach area and about 90 acres inside and around the moated stone fortress. The Fort Monroe Authority, a state entity, would handle the rest - including limited new development in certain areas.

Brazilian Tourists and American Idiocy.

A new Time magazine article looks at the USA's ass backwards approach to would be tourists from major South American nations - nations like Brazil, Argentina and Chile which are modern by any definition and which are now more progressive in many ways than the USA itself (e.g., equality afforded to LGBT citizens, lower levels of surveillance of their own citizens and a lower wealth disparity than the USA). Tourists from these nations have money to burn in the USA - where, if no one has noticed, the economy is in the toilet and tourism is down except for in the LGBT tourism segment - yet USA visa policies make it a nightmare for these tourists to gain admittance to the USA. It's unfortunate that the USA continues to treat these nations as two bit banana republics when it's the USA itself that id headed to banana republic status in part because of its idiotic and prejudiced policies. Here are some brief story highlights:
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Everyone should love Brazilian tourists. They spend more per capita than any other nationality. Worldwide, Brazilian tourists shell out an average of $43.3 million a day, dropping a gigantesco $1.4 billion last April alone, up 83% from the same period last year, according to the Brazil's Central Bank. In 2010, 1.2 million Brazilians visited the United States, injecting $5.9 billion into the U.S. economy.
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Not that the U.S. has made it particularly easy for os turistas brasileiros to visit. Instead of rolling out the red carpet for the travelers from the increasingly wealthy South American nations, the U.S. makes Brazilians — and every other Latin American nationality — undergo a lengthy and expensive visa-application process that takes months of planning and can cost thousands of dollars in travel, lodging, food and other expenses — all before leaving the country.
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In all of Brazil, a country larger than the continental United States, the U.S. has only four consular offices: in the capital Brasilia, Recife, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. . . . While the State Department claims the average international wait time for a visa interview is 30 days, in Brazil it can be as high as 141 days,
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Tourist industry officials say Brazil should be on the list of countries whose citizens do not need a visa to enter the U.S. There are currently 36 countries on Washington's visa waiver list, but none of them are in Latin America. Some argue it's hampering the U.S.' economic growth and global competitiveness. For example, Chilean tourism to the United States is down more than 30% from 10 years ago, while globally the number of Chileans traveling overseas to other countries is up 50%.
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Indeed, the visa hurdles are at odds with a $200 million PR blitz led by the Corporation for Travel Promotion, a public-private partnership created by congressional law in 2010.
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The most lucrative target is Brazil, Latin America's largest economy. In the past, most Brazilians used to come to the United States looking for work; now they come to spend money and create jobs. The spending would help the U.S. economy tremendously. The American tourism market has recovered slowly since 9-11, but it missed out on a decade of growth,
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By just extending the visa-waiver program to Brazil and Chile, he says, the United States could double visits from those countries in one year and quickly generate $10.3 billion in new tourism revenue while creating 95,100 new American jobs.
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[B]y not doing more to welcome them, it might just be Uncle Sam who is denying more Americans a better shot at living the dream themselves.
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There are many things that could be done to improve the economy. Sadly, Washington insiders from both parties seem to be doing nothing.

Gulf Oil Disaster - Florida Worries About Effect on Tourism

If dire predictions that oil from the British Petroleum oil debacle in the Gulf of Mexico are entering the so-called "loop current" prove accurate, Florida has good reason to be worried about harm to tourism - as do other coastal states in the Southeast, including the North Carolina Outer Banks region which is less than 25 from the Gulf Stream flow. Should the feckless folks at BP fail to stop the oil flow and Barack "Chicken Shit" Obama fail to get government assets more involved in stopping the disaster - no matter the cost to BP, the economic and environmental effects could be disastrous. Especially in states already reeling from the economic recession.

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The reality is that if summer tourism is badly reduced by concerns that oil slicks will cover beaches and/or foul offshore waters, it could mean bankruptcy for many businesses. In nearby Virginia Beach, hotels and many other businesses must make enough money in the summer months to keep them afloat and able to handle debt service and other operational costs the rest of the year. Ditto for the Outer Banks and every other beach resort area down the East Coast. Waiting for BP to fix a disaster it created does not constitute leadership from the White House. The New York Times looks at growing concerns in Florida. Here are some highlights:
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Off Florida’s Gulf Coast, the seas are calm and the king mackerel are running. Capt. Joe Meadows’s telephone should be ringing with bookings for his 42-foot sport-fishing boat for the summer season. Instead, the calls are from reservation holders wondering if they should cancel.
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For now, Florida tourism is living and dying in 72-hour increments. While no oil from the spill — sheen, slick, blobs or balls — has washed ashore on Florida beaches yet, the state’s Department of Environmental Protection is guaranteeing such conditions for only three days at a time.
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[B]ookings to destinations on Florida’s West Coast declined around 15 percent in the three weeks after the spill, compared with the three weeks before the spill, said Katie Deines Fourcin, a spokeswoman for Expedia.com. She said the trend was slightly worse for the Panhandle region.
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Many travelers have already decided to avoid the area for now. Robert Baldari, 60, and his four brothers had chosen Key West for a week of scuba diving and dining for their annual vacation, but they postponed their trip this week.
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Under normal circumstances, most hotels in the Panhandle would be fully booked by now for Memorial Day weekend — the traditional start of the peak summer tourism season. This year, plenty of rooms are still available. “The pace of new reservations is down 70 percent,” said Julian MacQueen, chief executive of Innisfree Hotels, which operates four hotels along the Alabama and Florida Gulf Coast.
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The same situation is playing out hundreds of miles away at Florida’s southern tip. When asked if new reservations were down at her Key West hotel, Carol Wightman, owner of the Marquesa, laughed and said, “Have you heard the phone ringing?”
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[T]he spill could still have a substantial effect on fish populations, Dr. Ortner said. “I am concerned that a lot of species’ larvae — snapper, lobster, blue fin tuna, dolphin, billfish — are out on the edge of the Gulf Stream and loop,” he said, referring to the powerful current that carries warm water in a clockwise motion from the Yucatán Peninsula into the northern Gulf of Mexico, then south of the Florida Keys and out into the Atlantic. “Newborns and larvae are much more sensitive that adults. They are vulnerable.”
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Damage to those populations would be more bad news for Captain Meadows and the $5.2 billion sport fishing industry.
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The boyfriend and I are headed to South Florida Memorial Weekend to visit a couple of his clients - one in Ft. Lauderdale and one in Marathon Key - and then a friend in Key West. Obviously, we are worried as to what we may find. With airline tickets non-refundable, we will be going no matter what, but many other tourists do have the option of cancelling or not booking in the first place.

Virginia's On-Going Publicity Nightmare

While true believing Kool-Aid drinkers like Attorney General Ken "Cooch" Cuccinelli probably could care less, thinking Virginians and business leaders ought to be very concerned about the daily onslaught of news coverage of the anti-gay jihad set into motion by Governor Bob McDonnell who excluded sexual orientation from his executive order applicable to state employees and Attorney General Cuccinelli who has directed all public colleges and universities in Virginia to rescind non-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation. The Internet is literally chock full of news articles on the topic and we are not just talking about LGBT publications and news websites and blogs. In addition to the Washington Post coverage I have previously mentioned is U. S. News & World Reports that is carrying an article entitled "Virginia Republicans Back to Gay Bashing and Bedroom Policing." Then in the gay media world, there is Monday's Michelangelo Signorile Show with the title "Virginia's Alarming Gay Purge." Michelangelo's show is heard through out the USA and Canada. Do "Cooch" and "Taliban Bob" really think no one is watching? The Virginia Tourism Authority should be terrified by such coverage. How many tourists from rationale areas of the country - especially gay tourists who out spend their straight counterparts - will want to visit Virginia? Here are highlights from U.S. News:
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[T]he great state of Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, the Washingtons and Lees and other heroes, where a newly-elected Republican attorney general has decided that what the commonwealth really needs is a good dose of discrimination, harassment and hate crime.
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When the Republicans in Virginia staged a comeback last fall, they did so by persuading independent voters that the GOP had given up its desire to police our bedrooms, and would focus instead on pragmatic solutions for serious issues, like the dearth of jobs, the cost of education and the surplus of traffic. Here was the model for a Republican resurgence in 2010, the wise guys in Washington said.
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But the paint wasn't dry in the office of Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II before he jumped at the chance to indulge in gay-bashing. . . . King Cuccinelli II knows what he is doing, of course. He's thrilling the bedroom cops of the Pat Robertson-Jerry Falwell wing of the Republican Party.
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As for Michelangelo's show, here are highlights from his blog, The Gist:
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In a letter sent out to Virginia colleges and universities Thursday, Virginia's Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is taking an aggressive conservative stance, urging state universities and colleges to reverse anti-discrimination policies they have in place, saying they have no legal authority to do so in Virginia since the state has no policies in place. This comes on the heals of new Republican Gov. McConnell's reversal of anti-discrimination policies in state employment protect gays. Joining us to talk about this horrifically anti-gay push is Claire Gastanaga, legislative council with Equality Virginia.

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For those who would like to share their thoughts with the Virginia Tourism Authority, the contact information is as follows (I urge readers to take the time to blow up the Authority's phone and e-mail with your comments):
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Virginia Tourism Corporation
901 E. Byrd St.
Richmond, VA 23219
Telephone: (800) VISIT VA
(800-847-4882)
Email: VAinfo@helloinc.com

Key West Retrospective

We are traveling back to Virginia today and it will be a shock to leave the warm summer like weather. It will likewise be a shock to return to an area that lacks the accepting and tolerant atmosphere of Key West. While less "gay" than perhaps twenty years ago, the island continues to be a wonderful example of gays and straights live, work and play side by side and no one seems to give a damn who someone loves and sleeps with. The stay at the Oasis has been wonderful and relaxing. We have had the opportunity to get to know a number of couples from as far away as Australia, France and Germany, not to mention from many parts of the USA. The vast array of foreign tourists who flock to Key West ought to send a message to areas like Tidewater Virginia that intolerance and homophobia are not good for business - especially tourism. With the gay travel dollar still strong, Virginia is exceedingly short sighted - particularly when tourism has been otherwise sagging.
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We took tons of pictures throughout the trip and have the e-mail addresses of many folks that stayed at the guest house. I truly hope we can stay in touch with many of them in the future. It goes without saying that I am so grateful to the boyfriend for having brought me along at his sole expense. Anyone gay thinking of a warm weather destination, I really recommend Key West and the Oasis and its affiliated guest houses.