A Wedding Alliance Might Make Central FL the Gay Wedding Destination in the State

                                                                     

  

The Wedding Alliance — an Orlando organization that raises awareness on marriage equality — is partnering with MBA Orlando to better notify local businesses about the $150 million economic impact waiting to hit Central Florida if same-sex marriage is approved.

The two organizations' efforts could lead to Central Florida becoming the top gay wedding destination, which could mean big business for Central Florida's tourism and hospitality industries.

Mikael Frank Audebert, president of MBA Orlando, said based on a recent survey conducted by MBA Orlando and Converge Orlando Inc. — Central Florida’s LGBT visitors bureau — the region is losing an estimated $150 million over a three-year span (about 6.5 percent of that would be sales tax for our local governments) to other states that offer marriage equality. Statewide, that is $1.1 billion.

As previously reported by the Orlando Business Journal , Orlando is among thetop 10 destinations for the gay travel market and that the LGBT community is responsible for nearly $3 billion impact.

Converge Orlando launched a campaign in December to attract more same-sex married couples to honeymoon in Orlando, but Audebert said that may prove to be a hard task if marriage equality is not welcomed in Central Florida.

“A positive unintended consequence to bringing marriage equality to Florida would mean more LGBT honeymoons as well. Couples married in other states are very sensitive to the laws that affect their rights when traveling to other states,” Audebert said via email. “Right now, Hawaii is a much more desirable honeymoon destination than Florida simply because of [Florida's] anti-gay marriage laws. So marriage equality goes beyond what the wedding industry can benefit from. It is at the core of major economic impact that would positively affect our primary source of revenue in Florida: tourism.”

The partnership between the Wedding Alliance and MBA is looking to prepare businesses now for if and when marriage equality is accepted in Florida.

From the partnership, Audebert will become the alliance’s president, effective April 30, and founders and chairperson of the organization Andrew Springer and Jamie O’Donnell will transition into an advisory board.

Richardson is a general assignment reporter for online and print.