The state is investing in tourism geared towards the LGBT community.

Raphael Coutinho _PE247 – Pernambuco is the target of a campaign by the Recife Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Recife Tourism Secretariat, and Empetur at the 29th Annual Global Convention of IGLTA (International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association), the world's leading international LGBT tourism association. The goal is to highlight Pernambuco as an emerging tourist destination for the gay community to tour operators and travel agents, the press, and international investors working with the LGBT segment.

This year's event is taking place in Florianópolis (SC), the first time in South America, and continues until this Saturday (14). The intention of the Recife Tourism Secretariat at this meeting is to reinforce the vocation of the Pernambuco capital for LGBT tourism.

“Recife is a very welcoming city and receives LGBT tourists very well, offering an immense variety of cultural, ecological, historical, and nightlife itineraries, in addition to sun and sea with Boa Viagem beach, one of the most charming urban beaches in Brazil. The hospitable people are yet another attraction for those seeking a metropolis of many charms like Recife,” stated the Secretary of Tourism of Recife, André Campos.

The president of Empetur, André Correia, considers participation in the event as a reinforcement of Pernambuco's position as a gay-friendly destination. “Pernambuco is a state open to diversity. The capital of Pernambuco is one of the five tourist destinations in the country considered gay-friendly by the Ministry of Tourism. The holding of the IGLTA event in Brazil is a demonstration of the country's potential for this segment, and Pernambuco could not be left out,” he says.

Alongside São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Florianópolis, Recife is emerging as one of the most sought-after destinations for gay tourists in Brazil.