Black tourism yield strong economic impact for Greater Fort Lauderdale
New initiatives attract African-American leaders and associations
Submitted by Francine Mason/Jessica Savage
GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — Greater Fort Lauderdale has become the destination of choice for the country’s largest and most influential Black professional organizations. And, thanks to an innovative new tourism initiative launched by the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau (GFLCVB), these groups are making a major economic and social impact on the community.
The National Urban League (NUL) is expected to bring its annual conference to the Broward County Convention Center for the first time in 2015. The National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), which first visited in 2006, has booked its annual conference again for 2016 and more than 5,000 rooms are already contracted. In addition, the 100 Black Men of America and the NUL Senior Team are hosting meetings in the area again this year.
The GFLCVB assists Black professional organizations in planning community service projects in Fort Lauderdale’s historic Black Sistrunk Boulevard community and business corridor when they convene. This initiative incorporates minority economic development and minority group travel marketing to support local efforts to revitalize communities, increase the appeal of the destination, attract more visitors, and boost the area’s overall economy.
Broward County’s people of color – African American, Caribbean and Hispanic – are integral to the area’s tourism. They make up more than 60 percent of the 131,000 Broward residents directly employed in the hospitality industry.
Albert Tucker, vice president for Multicultural Marketing for the CVB is leading the charge to attract more Black tourism to Greater Fort Lauderdale. Black business owners and local Greek and faith-based organizations are collaborating to form a coordinated approach that will benefit cultural tourism. ”The Sistrunk Boulevard and new Urban League Community Empowerment Center corridors benefit directly as players in the tourism efforts of our CVB,” Tucker said.
The American Tennis Association held its 95th national championships and conference in Broward this past summer and is considering making Greater Fort Lauderdale its permanent home and head-quarters for a Black Tennis Hall of Fame. Some of the ATA events were held in the emerging Midtown Business and Arts District along Sistrunk Boulevard, including a history and art exhibit on tennis and a music and arts Midtown Summerfest.
“Our economy depends on the decision of potential travelers to visit the state and Broward County and the billions of dollars they leave behind each year,” said Tucker. “The Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB is one of a few agencies around the country that uses the tourism industry to develop economic empowerment for our minority-owned businesses. Our tourism product brings advantage to all businesses in Broward County. Most bureaus look to fill hotels. The CVB looks at economic and cultural impact on the community.”
For more information on the destination-wide multicultural experiences, please visit www.sunny.org/multicultural.
