Discover the Palm Beaches is getting hyper-focused on who it targets, with hopes of bringing certain demographics to Palm Beach County.
The agency had its first meeting Wednesday for a subcommittee targeting the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender community.
The subcommittee features local businesses and hoteliers who cater to this community.
Ashley Svarney is the director of public relations and communications at Discover the Palm Beaches. She said, "Who best to get our information from than those who are here with their feet on the ground everyday?"
According to a recent study, the LGBT community brings the country's tourism industry more than $830 million annually.
Palm Beach County is competing with some other popular destinations in the state like Orlando, Miami and Key West.
"They all have different personalities and different experiences that they deliver," Ashley said.
But she added that Palm Beach County's strength is its spas and other places people go to relax. The local landscape also draws the outdoor enthusiasts, she said.
Sabrine Pearson is a local transgender woman, and is part of the subcommittee.
She offers ideas for what the LGBT community wants in a travel destination.
"We definitely want fun, we want culture, we want the arts, we want to experience something new. But we also want to be safe," she said.
Sabrine said the LGBT community wants to be somewhere that they feel safe from harassment or hate crimes.
"We're on vacation. We just want to be able to let our hair down, real or fake, and just feel relaxed like we all want to feel on vacation," she added.
The marketing agency is targeting the LGBT community right now in cities like New York City, Chicago and Atlanta.
But Discover the Palm Beaches is also targeting families.
Ashley said that multi-generational families are traveling together quite often recently.
She added that the Palm Beaches has something to offer for every age group.
"Some things have not changed. But there is a lot that is always evolving. It's bringing the family together to enjoy those experiences together."
The marketing agency offers vacation travel packages to entice everyone in the family to travel to Palm Beach County.
