Philadelphia officials cut the ribbon on a brand new facility dedicated to local LGBTQ+ businesses, cultural connections and more.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, the Philadelphia Visitor Center<\/a> and Visit Philadelphia<\/a>, in partnership with Visit PA<\/a> and the Philadelphia Gay News<\/a>, hosted a grand opening for the Philly Pride Visitor Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n The center opened at the corner of 12th & Locust, right in the heart of the city\u2019s Gayborhood. <\/p>\n \u201cIt has something for everyone, and most importantly, we wanna make sure everyone who comes to Philly feels like they belong here,” said\u00a0President and CEO of the Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation\u00a0Kathryn Ott. <\/p>\n Tourism leaders strategically opened the Philly Pride Visitor Center ahead of what’s shaping up to be a record-breaking tourism year.<\/p>\n Officials said LGBTQ+ travelers contribute around $65 billion in travel spending nationwide every year. By making people feel safe and supported, they hope more of those dollars are spent in Philadelphia. <\/p>\n Lifestyle and tourism creator Ciara Strickland tells NBC10 that safety is key when she plans trips.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s one of those things where it\u2019s like, am I welcome as a Black gay woman? As a veteran? I wanna make sure I\u2019m safe as well as my fianc\u00e9,” said Strickland.<\/p>\n On top of highlighting LGBTQ+ owned or allied businesses, queer-friendly cities, and selling community-made merch, the center also calls attention to Philadelphia’s key role in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.<\/p>\n