LGBT Destinations

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.

Did last year's Pride celebrations give you FOMO? With April acting as the unofficial kick off to Pride season, recognized annually and internationally throughout June, now is the perfect time to start planning a trip around the upcoming 2019 Pride festivities. Travelers planning a trip to celebrated Pride destinations including Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., San Francisco and New York City can browse hotels, booking tips and itineraries using the new Orbitz Pride Travel Guide launching April 1 at Orbitz.com/Pride.

Passengers who choose to will soon be able to pick a gender option other than male or female when booking their plane tickets. On Friday, United Airlines United Airlines passengers who choose to will soon be able to pick a gender option other than male or female when booking tickets.

Just how diverse is your business? Abigail Healy speaks to companies that are driving change and offering inspiration to others keen to make a difference when it comes to promoting diversity.

By now, most of you know I march to the beat of my own drummer, so when I decided to visit a summer time destination in the winter, people weren’t surprised. Cape Cod is known for attracting throngs of LGBTQ beach and party goers to its northernmost tip, Provincetown. Having never been to P-Town, the locals found it surprising that I would visit during the winter, when the towns population is a fraction of what it is during the summer.

Gayborhoods aren't dying but have shifted into cultural archipelagos: a series of queer islands, connected by sexuality and gender.

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.

Because many countries and states lack protections against LGBTQ travelers, finding a destination your family will feel safe in can sometimes be tricky.

What started as a trip down to Baltimore to both present on LGBTQ social media marketing, and attend one of their Maryland Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (MDGLCC) mixers, turned into a wonderful weekend exploring Baltimore, from downtown to Hampden to Midtown, and points in between, including Mt Vernon, Inner Harbor and Fells Point.

Great gay-friendly seashores for fun in the sun this summer.

Connect Travel is pleased to announce The Connect Thrive Summit, a global conference focused on community development through LGBTQ travel, sports and entertainment. The Connect Thrive Summit will take place Oct. 3-5, 2019, at the Parc 55 in San Francisco.

LGBT Group Takes Travelers on 5-star Adventure with International Drag Sensation - Travelers can visit one of the most stunning historical wonders of the world alongside drag legend Sherry Vine this…