Greece is welcoming queer tourists with open arms, marketing itself as a summer hotspot and wedding destination. The government even signed a contract with a specialized travel provider to establish itself in the market.
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00:00They're arriving in droves on Mykonos and crowds could get even larger as the Greek
00:05island makes a play for queer tourists.
00:08At least in Mykonos it's been very safe and very welcoming.
00:12There are countries where you can't be yourself, being gay is a crime.
00:18So here everyone is friendly and we feel safe all the time.
00:24The island has always been popular in the LGBTQ plus community, known to be open-minded
00:30and not judgmental.
00:32But tourists here better bring some cash, not last to spend in some of the luxury brand
00:37stores along their promenade.
00:39It's super overcrowded and super expensive.
00:46The prices are insane.
00:47Gay people have a lot of money.
00:53The queer community contributes around 177 billion euros to the global tourism business,
00:59says specialized travel agent Queer Destinations.
01:02The Greek government would like to grow its market share in the segment, they've just
01:06signed a contract with the provider.
01:10Domenikos Koukas is renting out suites, almost half of his customers are queer.
01:15He'd be happy to welcome even more guests, but he also fears the downside of over-tourism.
01:21Over-tourism is very delicate, doesn't need to have super, super tourism, because it destroys
01:34everything, destroys the nature, destroys the atmosphere.
01:39And the gay community is very sensitive on the changes, could realize how is changing
01:46and why.
01:47Gabriela Fati is a wedding planner on the island of Lesbos, particularly popular with
01:52lesbian couples.
01:54She's currently working with a Turkish bride and sees a lot of demand since Greece has
01:59officially started recognizing gay marriage.
02:03I have had requests from Turkey and from America, from the U.S., and I am now in the process
02:09of telling them what papers they need.
02:13And then of course we will go into the details, which is the most fun thing to do, where they're
02:19getting married, what photographer they will choose, which DJ, what music.
02:27Gabriela Fati has found a lucrative niche market.
02:30Conservative Greeks and the church might still have reservations, but she's optimistic that
02:35ever more queer tourists will make their way to Greece, and not just to Lesbos and Mykonos.
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