LGBT Destinations

I didn’t expect that spending a week with a couple thousand lesbians on a cruise ship would push me to radically reconsider the future I’d planned for myself.

The travel industry has capitalized on the interests of the LGBT community with expanded vacation options like cruises, all-inclusive resorts and campsites.

...today’s Sarasota is expanding, evolving and enticing LGBTQ travelers of all ages to visit its powdery-sand beaches, world-class art institutions and growing gay (and gay-friendly) social scene.

This only gay group trip in Gran Canaria offers some of the best scenery you’ll ever see. You’ll get to explore the great gay bars in Maspalomas and visits to some of the most beautiful beaches.

Almost fifty years after the start of the gay rights movement, cities across the country are gearing up for Pride festivities to both commemorate the civil rights battles that have been won and push for more inclusiveness.

The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association’s signature event attracted its largest and most globally diverse delegation in its 36-year history - Nearly 700 delegates representing 49 countries and territories gathered at the New York Hilton Midtown 24-27 April for IGLTA’s most successful convention to date. The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association’s premier event united global thought leaders to discuss tourism trends, technology developments, workplace inclusion and human rights—wide-ranging topics connected through the lens of LGBTQ+ travel.

Spain is the second main tourist destination in the world, welcoming 83 million visitors last year - In Spain you’ll find internationally famous LGBTQ destinations such as Ibiza, Sitges and Maspalomas, where there is an abundance of gay-friendly leisure activities, parties and accommodation.

As the LGBTQIA community has evolved, so has the spectrum of Pride offerings -- well beyond parades. Find out about lower-key Pride events for 2019 across the United States.

VACAYA is the first large-scale LGBT+ vacation company for adults to launch in decades and is travelers’ hot new choice in LGBT experiences. VACAYA charters entire ships and resorts, so LGBT+ travelers have the freedom to express their individuality, make personal connections, celebrate life, rev up, or simply relax… together.

There are more than 150 cities across America that celebrate Gay Pride, with events like concerts (like New York City's famous Dance on the Pier with past singers like Cher), marches (like the annual Trans March in Atlanta), parades (like Capital Pride in Washington D.C.) and all-night parties (like Overboard LBC on the Queen Mary cruise ship in Long Beach, California).

VACAYA is the first large-scale LGBTQ vacation company to launch in decades, and their all-inclusive trips are setting the bar high for competitors. 

July 28 - August 3, 2019: Journey to the other end of the rainbow and discover a new, exciting way to play! Join us this July 2019, for an extraordinary week of fun & adventure. This wild pride celebration offers an uninhibited environment where diverse groups come together to be free. Pride week will be jam-packed with exciting sports & activities, outrageous theme parties, and of course non-stop fun in the sun.

More people are venturing to non-traditional destinations in pursuit of unique experiences, a trend that presents particular risks for LGBTQ travelers, as Travel advisors serving the LGBTQ community need to be familiar with norms and laws affecting their clients in destinations around the globe. That doesn't mean banning every unfriendly destination, but does require knowing how to deal with them.

Five LGBTQ-friendly summer vacation options that don't require a passport

The Pacific Northwest is and has always been one of my favorite places in the country to visit. Natural beauty is around every corner and Spokane is no different. The city, historically overshadowed by Seattle, is going through a bit of a renaissance as of late and creating a vibe and culture that sets itself apart from its larger neighbor to the west.

This summer marks 50 years since the Stonewall Uprising, and a half century of LGBTQ+ progress. In honor of this milestone, we’ve partnered with the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA) to present 50 guides for LGBTQ+ welcoming destinations around the world – all created by LGBTQ+ influencers and travel experts with picks for amazing hotels, restaurants and things to do. Ready to start exploring?

In August, we’ll get the first glimpse into this new social experiment when VACAYA’s inaugural cruise sails from New York, with stops up the northeast coast and an overnight in Provincetown, Mass., coinciding with the Carnival kick-off party.

As World Pride heads to New York City this June, hotels are nearly sold out city-wide, but don't forget about the rest of the nation's pride festivities. Use this guide to book the best hotels for pride in the other cities this year.

The first Pride celebration in southern San Luis Obispo County, California, will take place in Arroyo Grande in June, but nonprofit 5 Cities Hope says it needs community help to make the LGBT event a success.

It’s that time again – get out the glitter, stop eating carbs, get those brows done and break out the rainbows – it’s PRIDE 2019! I don’t want to see any of you rolling your eyes and yawning, “Oh that again?” If as a frequent traveler from Pride to Pride – Miami, LA, San Diego, New York, San Francisco, Long Beach – the shine has somewhat dulled over the years; the crowds have blended into a blur, the headliners all seem the same, and the drinks get smaller but more expensive. Sigh. What’s a girl, or guy, or inbetweener to do?

Our team descended upon Miami Beach this past week to celebrate Miami Beach Pride in all of its forms, from flag raising to light ceremonies to business mixers and then, of course, Pride!

MGM Resorts International is proud to announce that it received a perfect score of 100 on the 2019 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation’s premier bench-marking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation.  MGM Resorts joins the ranks of over 560 major U.S. businesses that also earned top marks this year.

Introducing an incredible new opportunity for LGBTQ Travel Influencers to join VACAYA as Social Media Ambassadors on their inaugural cruise to Provincetown August 11-18, 2019, with stops in Bar Harbor, Maine and St. John, New Brunswick in Canada.