by Paul Heney
Last updated: 7:45 AM ET, Sun February 4, 2018
Ask any LGBTQ traveler in the U.S. to name some popular queer destinations, and chances are that Winnipeg won't immediately roll off their tongue.
But this Canadian prairie capital, which elected an openly gay mayor way back in 1998, has an intriguing amount of history and attractions relating to the queer community-not to mention a welcoming attitude that seems to be infectious.
We spoke recently with Matt Schaubroeck, Corporate Communications Specialist for Tourism Winnipeg, about what there is to love about this great gay destination.
TP: Winnipeg has a large, vibrant LGBTQ community, and a fascinating queer history-yet it isn't yet on the radar of many travelers in the U.S. How are you marketing toward the queer community and where are you choosing to do it?
MS: Tourism Winnipeg has been working with partners and stakeholders from across the city for years to ensure that the LGBTQ community is fully welcomed when they come to stay here.
From an internal perspective, that includes a frontline training program through the Manitoba Tourism Education Council for front-line staff at Winnipeg hotels, specifically on how to offer a welcoming LGBTQ environment. We worked with the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) on our TAG accreditation efforts.
From an external focus, Tourism Winnipeg's marketing efforts are focused on reaching out to LGBTQ families, with a focus on being welcoming and accessible to all. One thing you won't find in Winnipeg is a specific "gaybourhood"-our LGBTQ community is integrated throughout the city, which means that LGBTQ tourists can experience all sections of the city.
We're focusing the majority of our outreach the same way we identify our overall leisure market-a roughly 800-kilometer (500-mile) radius from Winnipeg, about a leisurely day's drive away. Of course, we also specifically promote LGBTQ-specific events, including Winnipeg Pride and the Reel Pride Film Festival, as well as LGBTQ-owned restaurants and shops (you can read about all these in detail on our website).
TP: How have you worked with local LGBTQ groups to help better promote Winnipeg?
MS: There is an incredible and vocal LGBTQ community in Winnipeg, which includes groups such as Pride Winnipeg, the Rainbow Resource Centre, Winnipeg's LGBT Chamber of Commerce, and beyond. Tourism Winnipeg actively works with these local communities and partners, often being a catalyst to connect these groups and pool resources and energy together.
We've also played a leading role in driving home the importance of LGBTQ-specific work. For example, we've encouraged local hotels to become TAG-approved; We reached out directly to these organizations to ask them to lead the way. Our internal goal is to have 70 percent of Winnipeg hotels be TAG certified by the end of 2019.
One new program we are looking at offering is an on-demand, self-guided tour of Winnipeg with an LGBTQ spin, which will showcase Winnipeg's unique history and acceptance of other cultures and rights, as well as historical facts of Winnipeg's LGBT journey and other points of interest.
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