Key West, Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors, and St. Petersburg have long been renowned as top U.S. destinations for LGBTQ+ tourists. However, recent developments have taken the community by surprise. Florida’s tourism marketing agency quietly removed the “LGBTQ Travel” section from its website, a change that seemingly occurred over the past few months.
Business owners who rely on Florida’s LGBTQ+ tourism expressed concern, stating this action is part of a broader effort to marginalize the LGBTQ+ community. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has previously supported legislation to restrict classroom discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity, banned gender-affirming care for minors, and backed a law to exclude children from drag shows.
“It’s just disgusting to see this,” commented Keith Blackburn, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale LGBT Chamber of Commerce. “They seem to want to erase us.”
NBC News first reported the alteration to Visit Florida’s website. Despite the removal of the dedicated section, search queries still return some LGBTQ+-friendly listings.
John Lai, the chair of Visit Florida’s board, did not respond to an email inquiry sent on Tuesday. Similarly, Dana Young, the CEO and president of Visit Florida, and the agency’s public relations director did not respond to voicemail messages on Wednesday.
Visit Florida operates as a public-private partnership between the state and its tourism industry, receiving around $50 million annually from two tourism and economic development funds. Tourism is a substantial part of Florida’s economy, with nearly 141 million visitors contributing over $102 billion in 2023 alone.
Before its removal, the LGBTQ+ section on Visit Florida’s website highlighted the state’s inviting atmosphere: “There’s a sense of freedom to Florida’s beaches, the warm weather, and the myriad of activities — a draw for people of all orientations, but especially appealing to a gay community looking for a sense of belonging and acceptance.”
Blackburn noted that this latest move, combined with other anti-LGBTQ+ policies from Tallahassee, complicates his efforts to promote South Florida tourism. He frequently encounters potential travelers or promoters wary of engaging with the state.
Illustrative of broader concerns, several civil rights organizations issued a travel advisory last year, warning that policies advocated by DeSantis and Florida lawmakers are “openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals.”
Despite these state-level policies, Blackburn emphasized that many cities in Florida, featuring gay elected officials and LGBTQ+-owned businesses, remain highly inclusive. “It’s difficult when these kinds of stories come out, and the state does these things,” Blackburn said. “On one level, it’s embarrassing to have to explain why people should come to South Florida and our destination when the state is doing these things.”
