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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Reuters) - Gay tango classes and same-sex unions may not be mentioned in every guidebook, but such attractions are turning Buenos Aires into a new South American mecca for gay travelers.

A port city of 3 million people, Buenos Aires has never had trouble luring tourists with its European-style elegance, historic neighborhoods and reputation for beautiful people.

But more and more of its visitors are gay, mostly men, who through word of mouth or advertising hear about the city's vibrant circuit where "out" men and women are an accepted part of urban life.

Martin Oortwyn, a 50 year old in the software business, landed in the city in mid-February from the Netherlands.

"I went to some gay bars yesterday. It is like wherever in Europe. It could be Amsterdam, London, it could be Madrid. Very fashionable," he said.

As Argentina recovers from an economic crisis and the leisure industry revives, Buenos Aires is cultivating its image as a Latin American rebel that embraces the social values of Europe more than macho culture and Roman Catholic doctrine.

Last year, the number of tourists in Buenos Aires surged 38 percent as Europeans and North Americans took advantage of a favorable exchange rate that makes everything from barbecues to operas at the grandiose Teatro Colon dirt cheap.

Morals aside, gay and lesbian tourism is also very lucrative. Argentina wants to grab a bigger slice of the estimated $94 billion in annual revenue the niche market generates worldwide, according to the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association, IGLTA.

That's why the group chose Buenos Aires as the site for its annual symposium in late February where it coached 109 tour operators from 10 countries on how to get in on this booming new business.

"It's an extremely large and profitable niche market that brings in travel receipts in excess of $55 billion out of America only, with research producing a figure of around $94 billion worldwide," said Robert Wilson, executive director of IGLTA.

There are no official statistics on gay and lesbian travelers to Buenos Aires, but tourism officials estimate that one in five of the 5.25 million visitors last year was gay.    Continued ...

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