The pink dollar is becoming a force to be reckoned with, and it’s not just local boutiques and nightspots that are trying to benefit from its potential. International tourism agents are recognizing the need to provide gay-friendly travelling facilities, and none more than Buenos Aires, a South American city seeking to expand its tourist appeal.European on the outside and uniquely Latin on the inside, the Argentine capital is now making a name for itself as the gay capital of South America. The live-and-kicking scene in Buenos Aires was ramped up a notch in Dec 2002, when Argentina became Latin America’s first country to accept civil unions between same sex couples.

This tolerance means good news for tourism. Homosexuals account for around 20 percent of the foreign tourists who visit Buenos Aires. As well as an increase in well-heeled gay tourists, the number of entrepreneurs and foreign businesses now investing in the city is increasing. “Everyone wants a piece of the ‘pink money’ and that makes everyone more open and friendly to the gay community,” says Carlos Melia, an executive with Pride Travel.Positioning itself as a gay and hetero-friendly tour company, Pride Travel offers its clients gay travel guides and gay-specific maps of the city, as well as personalised tours. It’s just one of the 200 or more businesses catering to the homosexual market—from hotels, bars, restaurants and clothing stores to tour operators. “Culturally Buenos Aires is amazing, it’s very cosmopolitan and it’s the most modern city in South America. That’s why many gay travellers feel comfortable here, but at the same time, they are looking to discover something new,” said Melia’s partner Abel Arana, director of marketing for the Pride Media Group.Buenos Aires is benefiting from having out-stripped Rio as South America’s number one gay-friendly city. While Rio might have a slightly sleazier image, anecdotal evidence shows that gay travelers to Buenos Aires are generally more interested in getting to know the city and its culture. “We don’t do ‘sex tourism’…sure there are these kinds of saunas and bars, but we prefer to show the city, the shops, the restaurants, the discos…we offer more culture and lifestyle, we are much more elegant than that,” says Arana.

The government is keen to promote Buenos Aires’s gay credentials. It is seen as a lucrative market, pivotal in helping the city regain its feet after a debilitating economic crisis in 2001. “[Gay travellers

] are generally young between 34-45 years-old, who have strong purchasing power…and are usually big spenders,” says Daniel Aguilera, Argentina’s Under-Secretary for Tourism.The city’s official website even has a section for the gay traveller, providing information on where to visit. Plus, of course, a tri

p to Argentina would not be complete without taking in a tango show. There is even a gay-friendly milonga (the word for any place that tango is danced) on Wed nights at La Marshall. This night was founded by Augusto Balinzano, one-half of the world’s only professional gay tango couple. Interestingly, when the tango was born in the brothels and on the streets of the late 19th-century Buenos Aires, it was not uncommon for macho men to dance the tango together.

Most notably, Buenos Aires will soon be home to the world’s first five-star hotel designed to attract homosexual guests. Construction is already well underway for the Axel Buenos Aires hotel, in the gay-friendly, downtown neighbourhood of San Telmo. Billed as a designer gay hotel, there’ll be 48 rooms, as well as a spa, cocktail bar, chillout area, two swimming pools and a solarium. It’s funded by Argentina’s former Tourism Secretary Hernan Lombardi and the Spanish based Axel group, also behind a similar hotel in Barcelona. Axel Group Owner Juan Julia says his hotel will be a cosmopolitan boutique hotel to host the gay community. “The hotel will have an atmosphere of quality and tolerance,” he said. Despite the worries of investing in a country with risky economic cycles, Julia knows that Buenos Aires is ripe for this kind of development. He’s confident he’ll have a full house in this European city with a sexy South American twist. Only time will tell.

Carmen Roberts is a journalist for BBC World’s FASTTRACK series.

EVENTS

Every year in November Buenos Aires plays hosts to its own gay pride parade Marcha del Orgullo—www.marchadelorgullo.org.ar.

For the first time, Buenos Aires will host the International Gay and Lesbian Football Association World Cup in September 2007.

Gay-Friendly Establishments

GAY RESTAURANTS

When we say a “gay restaurant,” we mean there are gay patrons, and although they may be fun, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll find good food, good service or reasonable prices. Here are the better establishments in the city:

Chueca Resto & Bar

Soler 3283, Palermo,+54 (0)11-4963-3430This lively bar and restaurant is situated in a remodelled house in the trendy Palermo district. It has a good atmosphere and stylish décor. There are also shows on the weekends.

Pride Cafe Resto & Café

Balcarce 869, San Telmo,+54 (0)11-4300-6435This cute corner café is one of the few gay-friendly places open during the day. It attracts gay men sipping coffee on Sundays during San Telmo’s antiques fair. Pride Café specializes in queer coffee, homemade pies and chocolate brownies that are to die for.

GAY BARS & DISCOS

Bulnes Class

Bulnes 1250, Palermo.Open from midnight. Decorated with bright red walls, white leather sofas and chandeliers, this is a popular spot for young gay men searching for something a little more relaxed before hitting the nightclubs.

Alsina

Alsina 940, San Telmo. Open from 2:30am.Set in an enormous galleried cathedral-like space, this is a sumptuous disco in the Alsina Palace. It boasts some of the best electronic music in the city, as well as live shows.

HOTELS

Buenos Aires CE Marcelo T. de Alvear 1695, Recoleta, +54 (0)11-5237-3100The Buenos Aires CE Design Hotel is minimalist chic at its best. Situated in the heart of Recoleta, the hotel is just meters away from gay friendly bars and restaurants such as Titanic Club, Chueca Restaurant, and 788 food bar. Standard rooms from US$106.

FAENA Hotel

Martha Salotti 445, Puerto Madero, +54 (0)11-4010-9000 Situated in the historic El Porteño Building in the Puerto Madero business district, FAENA Hotel is just a stone’s throw from the river and city centre. There are 105 rooms, designed by Philippe Starck, combining decadence, romance and modern living. Premium rooms from US$295.

SOHO All Suites

Honduras 4762, Palermo Soho, +54 (0)11-4832-3000Soho All Suites is located in the heart of Palermo Soho, surrounded by restaurants, bars, design and decoration stores. There are 20 Suites and a Penthouse with private terrace. Superior rooms from US$114.

TANGO

La MarshallMaipu 444, Plaza Bohemia, +54 (0)11-4300-3487 Every Wednesday starting at 10:40pm, dance classes start earlier. Cover charge including one class is US$8, cover charge alone is US$6.“Tango entre Muchahos” At Lugar Gay Defensa 1120, +54 (0)11-4300-4747 Every Sun, classes starting at 5pm. A good choice if you are exploring San Telmo flea market on a Sunday afternoon.

ESSENTIAL INFO

Visa requirements—Singaporeans do not need a tourist visa for stays of up to 90 days.

Currency exchange—Before Argentina’s economic crisis struck in 2001, Buenos Aires was the most expensive city in South America: US$1 bought you one peso. Now it gets you three, allowing visitors to experience a first-world city at third-world prices. 1 SGD = 1.96089 ARS

Singaporean embassy—The nearest Singaporean embassy is in Sao Paulo, Brazil.Tour Operators—Pride Travel (Paraguay 523, 2nd E., Buenos Aires, Capital Federal, Argentina, +54 5218-6556, www.pride-travel.com).