By Sorrel Moseley-Williams

Herald staff

The gay marriage bill which President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner is due to sign into law today coincidentally takes place as a marketing and travel conference aimed at the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community is opened by Argentina’s new tourism minister.

While guest panellists at the three-day GNetwork360 conference include Justin Nelson, co-founder of the US National Gay/Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), North American journalist Michael Luongo, editor of the Frommers Buenos Aires guide book, and Ian Johnson, managing director of Out Now Consulting, today’s headline speaker is the newly appointed Tourism Minister Enrique Meyer, who is also set to receive an award this evening. (Meyer was tourism secretary and his portfolio was upgraded to a ministry by the President recently.)

Conference organisers Pablo De Luca and Gustavo Noguera, who co-founded CCGLAR, Argentina’s gay and lesbian business chamber and also edit GMaps360 magazine, will speak alongside the minister about the challenges of regional LBGT leadership. Other discussions over the three days will look at the use of social networks, effective marketing campaigns and Latin America as a new LGBT market among others.
Although Hernán Lombardi, culture minister for Buenos Aires city, will give a talk on Friday afternoon called

“Buenos Aires LGBT: projects and strategies” alongside Juan Julia from Spain’s Axel hotel group, the forum’s guest speakers are predominantly North American.

Talking to the Herald, forum organiser Pablo De Luca said Argentina and especially Buenos Aires are attractive destinations for gay travellers, not least due to the value of the pink peso next to the dollar.
He said: “Brazil, and Rio de Janeiro in particular due to its beaches, always used to be popular for gay travellers, but the increase in violence there has put people off and so they started to look for an alternative. That, combined with a strong dollar following Argentina’s 2001 economic crisis, meant many tourists stumbled across Argentina and Buenos Aires, and they keep on coming back as they like our men and women.”

Of the 2.7 million travellers who visited Argentina in 2008, 17.8 percent or 459,000 of those were LGBT, he added. “Gay tourism is five-star and all about high-end hotels. In 2008, gay tourists spent a total of US$1.1 billion, with US$850 million of that spent in Buenos Aires although not all that spending goes on gay-only accommodation.

“Visitors stay in Buenos Aires for on average of 12 days and shell out around US$200 a day which also goes on other services such as eating out and shopping.”

Although Minister Meyer has spoken at the last two forums, it was in his capacity as tourism secretary. “He has always supported this conference,” added De Luca.

The GNetwork360 conference, which was declared a noteworthy event from a tourism and economic perspective by Buenos Aires city government in 2009, is being supported by the NGLCC. Besides its two speakers, the North American business chamber will present a certificate of appreciation to Minister Meyer for his contribution to the tourism industry at a reception in Palermo this evening. However, he wasn’t available to comment.

Also this week, Buenos Aires is hosting the Queer Tango Winter Festival which starts on July 23.