Perfect weather, a liberal nightlife and huge government investment have lead to Tel Aviv becoming the 2012 gay vacation spot of choice.

Tel Aviv officials have devoted $100,000 in international marketing to attracting gay visitors, well over a third of the country’s international marketing budget.

Pini Shani, an official in the Tourism Ministry told the Associated Press, ‘We’ve long recognized the economic potential of the gay community. The gay tourist is a quality tourist, who spends money and sets trends.’

Beyond government spending, Tel Aviv has successfully lured gay travelers with a recently-opened gay hotel.

Acclaimed by readers of GayCities and American Airlines passengers as the ‘Best Gay City of 2011,’ Tel Aviv raced ahead of New York, London and Toronto as a welcoming haven for the LGBT community.

Flights to Tel Aviv have also become more available with the addition of Easyjet flights from London and Switzerland, so why not let CheapOair find you cheap flights and hotel deals?

Tel Aviv welcomed 2.7 million tourists last year and was placed on the top ten ‘beach cities’ list collated by National Georgraphic. Clearly, this exciting city is not exclusive to the gay community, as many straight travelers have begun to enjoy the more liberal Tel Aviv atmosphere that remains unmatched in the Middle East. Tel Aviv is a buzzing city and one well-worth a visit.

Source: Yahoo/Associated Press

Photo: upyernoz