Gay marriage may boost Calif. tourism revenue

The California Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage in the state came as both a personal vindication and a business opportunity for Douglas Shaw.As a gay man, "I've been waiting for this ruling most of my life," he said.And as co-owner of the Yosemite Bug Rustic Mountain Resort, a hotel and spa near the California national park, he's ready."As soon as the ruling went through, I opened my doors" to gay and lesbian couples seeking a beautiful setting for celebrating their love, he said.Shaw isn't the only hospitality business owner looking at the potential that came with the official beginning of legal same-sex marriages in California this week.A study by the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles indicated that the state's wedding industry could see a $684 million boost in direct spending by same-sex couples over the next three years, with 51,000 in-state couples and an additional 68,000 out-of-state couples likely to tie the knot over that time.At Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park, two same-sex couples -- one from San Francisco and another from Laguna Beach -- have already booked weddings, said Kenny Karst, public relations manager for DNC Parks and Resorts, which operates the hotel and stores in the park.Yosemite is a natural draw for same-sex couples, he said. The online media company PlanetOut recently honored the park's stores and lodgings for "great gay marketing," noting that the national park is one of a few to consistently reach out to the gay and lesbian community."For many years, we've already been a site for gay and lesbian marriages," he said. "But until now, the state of California hasn't recognized them. That's what makes this so exciting."Both the Ahwahnee and the Yosemite Bug are on a new California Travel and Tourism Commission Web site listing gay-friendly wedding venues throughout the state.Back in Fresno, the windfall from same-sex marriages remains in the realm of possibility, said Laura Whitehouse, president and chief executive of the Fresno City & County Convention and Visitors Bureau."It's not anything that we're seeing right now in Fresno County," she said. While tourism companies are seeking to get the bureau interested in travel packages for gay and lesbian couples, Whitehouse has not yet seen a boost in specific interest in the central San Joaquin Valley."We haven't yet had anyone local come to us and say, 'Hey, make sure your tourists or conventioneers know to come to us,' " she said. Still, "This is something we might get involved in."Up at the Yosemite Bug, Shaw isn't sure what kind of economic impact the same-sex marriage boom might have on his business. The Yosemite Bug is already quite booked up with weddings and other events, and he hasn't yet gotten a call from a same-sex couple looking for a wedding venue.But, he said, "even if I only get one a year, I'd be happy."(E-mail Jeff St. John at jeffstjohn(at)fresnobee.com)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)