Marriott International is to increase its spending among gay suppliers by 15% over the next two years, a move which will see the company spend more than $1b (£502m) annually.

After becoming a corporate member of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce in America in April the hotel operator has revealed plans to increase its spending power with gay suppliers primarily in the UK and Brazil.

Marriott said it spent approximately $400m (£201m) with diverse suppliers last year building on a diversity strategy it established in 2005.

Mike Tobolski, senior director of diversity initiatives at Marriott, said: “We plan to build on our company’s success in the USA and expand our programme to nurture relationships internationally and within the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) community.”

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By Christopher Walton

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