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IS HOPING TO TAP INTO A NEW MARKET OF TOURISTS- THE L-G-B-T COMMUNITY. IT IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING SECTORS IN INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL. ACTION NEWS REPORTER PHIL GOMEZ SHOWS US HOW TWO SANTA CRUZ COUNTY AGENCIES ARE TEAMING UP TO CREATE SAFER AND MORE WELCOMING ENVIRONMENTS FOR GAY TRAVELERS. # VISITORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD COME TO SANTA CRUZ . TOURISM IS A ONE BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY FOR THE COUNTY. AND TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE FEELS WELCOME, VISIT SANTA CRUZ COUNTY IS REACHING OUT TO THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY FOR SOME FEEDBACK. " THERE'S A LOT WORK WE CAN DO TO ATTRACT THAT NEW COMMUNITY. MAKE THEM FEEL WELCOME. MAKE THEM FEEL APPRECIATED ." DATA SHOWS LOS ANGELES RESIDENTS ARE AN UNTAPPED MARKET FOR SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, AND 81 PERCENT OF THOSE SURVEYED CONSIDER SANTA CRUZ COUNTY AS LGBTQ FRIENDLY "SANTA CRUZ IS KNOWN AS A COUNTY THAT IS MORE WELCOMING THAN OTHER PLACES AND THERE IS A WAY FOR US TO LEVERAGE THAT REPUTATION TO BRING IN RESOURCES AND BUSINESSES TO SUPPORT OUR LOCAL ECONOMY" THE SURVEY REVEAKLED THE TOP 3 REASONS LGBTQ VISITORS TRAVEL FROM THE BAY AREA TO SANTA CRUZ COUNTY WERE THE BOARDWALK, THE BEACH AND TO SIMPLY RELAX. "I THINK WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS INFORMING PEOPLE IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY OF HOW TO BE MORE WELCOMING AND INCLUSIVE OF THE GAY AND LESBIAN POPULATION." A TRAINING SESSION WAS ALSO HELD ON THE DO'S AND DON'TS OF HOW TO MAKE LGBTQ VISITORS FEEL COMFORTABLE. FOR INSTANCE USING THE PROPER PRONOUNS AND PROVIDING GENDER NEUTRAL BATHROOMS IN SANTA CRUZ, PHIL GOMEZ, KSBW ACTION NEWS EIGHT

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Santa Cruz County is hoping to bring in more LGBTQ travelers to enjoy all that Santa Cruz has to offer.Visit Santa Cruz County is partnering with The Diversity Center of Santa Cruz County to learn how the county can be more welcoming.Currently, visitors from around the world come to Santa Cruz and tourism is a $1 Billion industry for the County. To make sure everyone feels welcome, Visit Santa Cruz County is reaching out to the LGBTQ community for some feedback."In fact, the LBGTQ community, it represents 10 percent of the travel market. There's a lot of work we can do to attract that new community," said Christina Glynn, Communications Director with Visit Santa Cruz County.An LGBTQ research and marketing firm based in San Francisco polled 1,300 people who identified as LGBTQ. Data showed Los Angeles residents are an untapped market for Santa Cruz County and 81 percent of those surveyed consider Santa Cruz County as LGBTQ friendly."Santa Cruz is known as a county that is more welcoming than other places and there is a way for us to leverage that reputation to bring in resources and businesses to support our local economy," said Sharon Papo, Diversity Center of Santa Cruz County Executive Director.The survey also revealed the top three reasons LGBTQ visitors travel from the Bay Area to Santa Cruz County were the Boardwalk, the beach and simply to relax."I think what they're doing is informing people in the travel industry of how to be more welcoming and inclusive of the gay and lesbian population and to attract more business here to Santa Cruz," said John Pestaner of Santa Cruz County.A training session was also held on the dos and don’ts of how to make LGBTQ visitors feel comfortable.For instance, using the proper pronouns, providing gender neutral bathrooms and small details like displaying rainbow stickers to let travelers across the spectrum feel they are in an inclusive environment.