McAuliffe Annonces Virginia Tourism Task Force for LGBT Community

Gov. McAuliffe announced the formation of Virginia’s first Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Tourism Task Force during the Virginia-1 Tourism Summit in Reston Monday.

The task force, the second of its kind in the nation and the first in the South, will focus on showcasing Virginia as an LGBT-friendly destination and maximizing the opportunity for growth in this new tourism sector.

McAuliffe made the announcement during a 20-minute address to a crowd of 400 tourism industry professionals at the annual summit.

Tourism is responsible for $21.5 billion in annual revenue and more than 213,000 jobs in Virginia. The LGBT community spends upward of $100 billion on travel each year in the United States alone, McAuliffe said.

“We have an opportunity to build upon the progress Virginia made this year in achieving marriage equality and ensure that visitors across the globe know that the Commonwealth is open and welcoming to all,” McAuliffe said in a statement. “Not only will this task force focus on showcasing Virginia as an LGBT friendly destination, it will also work to maximize tourism growth in Virginia with all communities, nationally and internationally.”

Led by Secretary of Commerce and Trade Maurice Jones, the task force will be comprised of industry stakeholders, LGBT community members and business leaders who will provide recommendations on how to make the state even more welcoming to members of the LGBT community.

On Oct. 7, McAuliffe signed an executive order requiring “all entities in the executive branch, including agencies, authorities, commissions, departments, and all institutions of higher education further evaluate all policies and take all necessary and appropriate legal measures to comply with [the legalization of same-sex marriage in Virginia].”