With same-sex marriage legal for more than a decade now and Madrid, Barcelona, and Ibiza tempting gay tourists with a thriving nightlife and vibrant gay scene, Spain has become the top country in Europe for the LGB tourist dollar.
Beating out the U.K. and France, LGB tourists drop more than $6.8 billion annually in Spain. Known for embracing gay culture, the country may be run by the conservative party, but that doesn’t prevent them from flying gay pride flags high above government buildings and embracing gay tourism.
"This influx of visitors trickles down to local bars, gyms, even taxi drivers want to be involved," Barcelona Pride organizer Tes Cuadreny told Bloomberg. "They know this benefits everyone."
Spain may be tops in Europe, but one country still has it beat — the United States. Every year, the U.S. rakes in more than $21 billion in foreign LGB tourist dollars.
If you want to see what all the fuss is about in Spain, enter our Barcelona vacation giveaway, which we’re offering in conjunction with Two Bad Tourists.
