Aug 08, 2007Quickie Link: Pride Weekend an Economic Bonanza
By vanrozenheim
(Canada) - After more people than ever attended this year's Vancouver Pride Parade, organizer John Boychuk fed the estimated number into a rough formula to get a back-of-envelope figure of almost $66 million in economic impact. A study done in 2001 found that the 140,000 people at the parade that year generated some $24 million in spending. Since then, the same ratio has been used to extrapolate the economic impact every year. But now, with Vancouver's profile growing around the world as a top gay tourism destination, there may be a need for a more accurate assessment; and, next year, the Vancouver Pride Society will launch a six-month study of the city's gay and lesbian consumer and tourism market, said Boychuk.
