Argentina Launches Pink Point Buenos Aires for LGBT Travelers
Argentina: Home to sexy people, sleek fashions and sultry tango music. I could move there and be a happy boy. But I kind of like Canada. Sometimes.At the very least, I could now visit Argentina and be a happy patron (someone find me some money, stat!). This month, the Argentine Ministry of Tourism opened South America's first Pink Point LGBT Information Center in Buenos Aires. Pink Point service stops started in Amsterdam in 1998 (for the Gay Games) and have since expanded to London and Barcelona. It only makes sense for Argentina to cater to the LGBT foreigner, because the country has seen a 30 percent rise in gay and lesbian tourism over this time last year.
Since Argentina legalized same-sex marriage earlier this year, it has become the "Gay Mecca" of South America. It is the first country on the continent to take the leap and support same-sex marriage, and the economic benefits have been huge. Gay and gay-friendly tourists have been flocking to Buenos Aires and the new Pink Point stop staffs English-speaking employees to cater to foreign travelers.
“We wanted to bring together all the gay and gay-friendly businesses in Buenos Aires under one roof and provide a venue with information about the city's LGBT social life,” says Erik Hovenga Diaz, director of The Royal Family and main instigator of the Pink Point Buenos Aires. “Visitors will be able to pick up brochures, gay maps, ask questions, and learn about the vibrant Buenos Aires gay community."
Other perks include gay city tours hosted by actual LGBT community members, Pink Point excursions and attractions, and gay souvenirs. What that means, exactly, is beyond my level of comprehension. Maybe they send you home with a mini Argentinean queen? Who knows! A member of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association, Pink Point Buenos Aires plans to expand in the near future to include an art gallery featuring the works of local gay artists.
For more information, visit Pink Point Buenos Aires.
I was sold at "Buenos Aires." The Pink aspect doesn't hurt, either.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
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