Media Contact:
Kelle Jackson
214.571.1058
kjackson@dallascvb.com
Steven Shelton
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Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau
Launches a New Website for Gay Travelers
DALLAS, TEXAS – January 31, 2006 – The Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is reaching out to minority travelers by launching a new website (www.glbtdallas.com). The website stands to be one of the most comprehensive CVB sites focused solely on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) travelers.
The website features pages of content tailored for gay travelers, including GLBT resources, event calendars, photo posts and plenty of nightlife features. It also lists Dallas’ growing number of GLBT TAG Approved® hotels, now standing at 16 properties, along with other gay-friendly accommodations, restaurants, art museums and cultural venues.
“The Dallas CVB has created this site to speak directly to the interests of GLBT travelers,” said Phillip Jones, president & CEO, Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau. “It’s an approach that underscores our city’s accepting, gay-friendly environment. We understand that the GLBT traveler wants to know if they are going to a place that welcomes them unconditionally, and this website is our city’s answer. Yes.”
“Oak Lawn, our GLBT neighborhood, is out, proud, always bustling and full of things to do. Our city has the sixth largest gay population in the United States, and we score the highest among the nation’s 10 largest cities based on the gay index,” said Ross Crusemann, senior vice president of marketing, Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau. The gay index is a study published by Gary Gates, a demographer at the Urban Institute.
Dallas offers a multitude of attractions and activities that appeal to many different tastes. The city’s cultural offerings include the Nasher Sculpture Center, the Dallas Museum of Art, The Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art, the Dallas Symphony, the Dallas Opera and a world-renowned gay men’s chorus, the Turtle Creek Chorale.
In addition, 25,000 people gather each year to celebrate the Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade. The parade is part of a weekend celebration in mid-September that includes Gay Day at Six Flags. Dallas is also home to the annual Dallas-Fort Worth Black Tie Dinner, the largest formal sit-down dinner of its kind in the country both in attendance and charitable contributions. The dinner was recently honored by The Human Rights Campaign as the nation’s premier fundraising event. Other notable events include the State Fair of Texas Gay Day, the annual Out Takes Dallas Film Festival and the AIDS Arms Life Walk – 5K Walk and Run.
Shopping choices in Dallas are expansive, ranging from downtown’s historic, upscale Neiman Marcus department store to the newly expanded NorthPark Center to the independent shops along Cedar Springs at the heart of the city’s gay neighborhood. The city’s culinary scene reflects its diversity with choices to suit any palate, from classic Tex-Mex to Asian fusion.
The mission of the Dallas CVB is to promote Dallas as a leading destination for business, convention and leisure travelers. Dallas benefits from its central location – an asset that has spurred its growth into a major transportation hub. Visitors can fly to Dallas from any city in the continental United States within four hours.
Dallas is a destination that inspires big ideas and promises many memorable experiences. This richly diverse city is home to some of the best shopping in America, one of the largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender populations, over 6,500 dining options - more per capita than New York City, and outstanding performing and visual arts in the largest urban arts district in the nation. Dallas is an authentic, sophisticated and distinctive getaway. For additional GLBT visitor information, please visit www.glbtdallas.com. Live Large. Think Big.
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