TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Key West, Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors and St. Petersburg are among a number of Florida cities that have long prime US locations for LGBTQ+ travelers, so it came as a surprise this week when travelers learned that Florida’s tourism marketing agency has been quietly removing the “LGBTQ Travel” section from its website over the past few months.

Business owners who cater to LGBTQ+ tourists in Florida said Wednesday that this is the latest attempt by the state authorities to erase the LGBTQ+ community. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis had previously championed a bill banning classes on sexual orientation and gender identity and supported a ban on gender reassignment care for minors and a law is intended to keep young people away from drag shows.

“It’s just disgusting to see this,” said Keith Blackburn, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale LGBT Chamber of Commerce. “They seem to want to erase us.”

The change to Visit to Florida was first reported by NBC News, which found that despite the removal of the section, a search still shows some listings for LGBTQ+-friendly places.

John Lai, who chairs Go to Florida’s board of directors, did not respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday. Dana Younger, CEO and president of Go to Florida, did not respond to a voicemail message Wednesday, and the company’s public relations director also did not respond.

Go to Florida is a public-private partnership between the State of Florida and the state’s tourism industry. The state pays the quasi-public enterprise approximately $50 million annually from two tourism and financial development funds.

Florida is one of the most popular U.S. states for tourists, and tourism is one of its largest industries. In 2023, nearly 141 million tourists visited Florida, with out-of-state visitors contributing more than $102 billion to Florida’s economy.

Before the change, the LGBTQ+ section of Go to Florida’s website stated: “Florida’s beaches, pleasant weather and myriad activities convey a sense of freedom – attracting people of all orientations, but are especially attractive to a gay community looking for a sense of belonging and acceptance.”

Blackburn said the change and other anti-LGBTQ+ policies from Tallahassee make it harder for him to promote tourism in South Florida because he encounters potential tourists or tour operators who say they don’t want to do business in the state.

Last year, for example, several civil rights groups published a Travel advice for Florida, and stated that the policies advocated by DeSantis and Florida lawmakers were “openly hostile to African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ people.”

But visitors also need to understand that many Florida cities, with their gay elected officials and LGBTQ+ businesses, are extremely inclusive and do not reflect state government policies, Blackburn added.

“It’s hard when stories like this come out and the state does these things and we hear people calling for a boycott,” Blackburn said. “On one hand, it’s embarrassing to have to explain why people should come to South Florida and our destination when the state does these things.”