The Next Big Thing ... Florianopolis, Brazil

As more and more national and regional tourist boards go after the pink money of LGBT travelers, the American journalist Matthew Link checks the facts behind the hype on some of the new "hot" LGBT destinations.

In a very interesting article in The Guide - an online gay travel magazine, he warns of the "gay-washing" danger and rates some of these new destinations.

I am so proud to say that our Floripa has the highest ranking- a 9 out of 10- of all places he investigated. He might have exaggerated a bit - we do NOT have 12 gay bars, but for a city of 400k, we are doing very gaily well...

Matthew says:

Florianopolis, Brazil
Gay atmosphere: 9 out of 10

Claims: The tourism board says this city on an island in southeastern Brazil is 'an all-time favorite holiday destination for Brazilian and South American LGBT' and boasts a 'laid- back and safe atmosphere.'
�Reality: For a city of about 400,000, Florianopolis packs a wallop. Its downtown is home to a dozen gay bars (in addition to a classic gay beach bar), two gay saunas, a pumping gay pride week in May, and the best Carnival in southern Brazil, complete with an old tradition of cross-dressing men called bloco dos sujos. It is estimated that 50,000 people show up for the drag beauty contest. But the best bronzed eye-candy is at the main gay beach Praia Mole, where the first Brazilian-operated gay cruise moored in 2008. (You'll also find gays floating around the clothing-optional Praia da Galheta next door.) Floripa, as the locals call the city, has become a getaway for Sao Paulo's sizeable gay population, and there's an influx of gay visitors from Argentine as well. No wonder Florianopolis is now considered a major gay destination in Brazil, along with Rio and Sao Paulo.

For checking the whole article click here.