Where’s that, you say? Florianopolis is the capital of the state of Santa Catarina in Brazil, an island off the coast south of Rio de Janeiro. I’m heading there for a Board meeting of the IGLTA (International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association; IGLTA.org). I’ve never been and am looking forward to it.
One of the other attendees is Marta Della Chiesa, also a Board member and co-oener of Brazil EcoJourneys, an LGBT-friendly tour operator that can really show you this lovely region. The picture above is from Praia Mole, the gay heart of “Floripa” and it comes courtesy of Brazil EcoJourneys.
I arrive tomorrow via the fabulous and also gay-friendly TAM Airlines. Stay tuned for more updates.
Many travelers think of Provincetown as a summer destination with the town closed up after Labor Day. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. In fact, many travelers love visiting in September and October with warm days and cool nights and those oh-so-cozy fireplaces in many of the guesthouses.
One of the most fun weekends is Halloween. Everyone wears costumes and you’ll find groups of people wearing matching ensembles. There are house parties and general happy mayhem throughout town with spontaneous outbreaks of synchronized dancing and silliness up and down Commercial.
This year after an absence of many decades the Masquerade Ball (formerly the Beaux Arts Ball) is back, Saturday, October 29 from 8pm till 11pm. It’s sold out but you can check out the comings and goings of the lucky folks who scarfed up tickets for the first major event at the lovingly restored Town Hall — a true marvel of the Victorian era spruced up with $6 million in renovations. The ball is sponsored by Marc Jacobs.
With a few noteworthy exceptions, the Caribbean is not known for being super gay friendly. The former Dutch colony and currently among the world’s youngest nations, the sun-drenched island of Curaçao has been reaching out to the LGBT travel segment for several years.
One of their signature events is the Get Wet Weekend (now a full week). We are smack in the middle of it now (it kicked off October 2) but if you feel like a quick weekend jaunt there is still a major event this coming Saturday, October 8 (the Drag Queen Competition).
Curaçao became an independent nation on October 20, 2010 (10/10/10).
For more information on Curaçao’s GLBT offerings, please visit www.gaycuracao.com. For more information on the island of Curaçao, or to request a FREE Curaçao information package, please visit www.curacao.com.
In 2009 when the New Delhi High Court decriminalized gay sex (by repealing section 377 of India’s Penal Code) it opened the doors to the growth of the LGBT community, including a nascent gay travel segment (both outbound for LGBT Indians and inbound for lesbian and gay travelers intrigued by this culturally rich country).
Just two years later India was selected to host the first Asian Symposium on Gay & Lesbian Tourism organized by Community Marketing, Inc. (CMI), leaders in gay travel market research since 1992. In conjunction with the symposium, there will be the first-ever LGBT media tour of the country. According to their website:
Tourism and hospitality professionals from across India and throughout Asia will convene in New Delhi on 28 November, for Community Marketing’s 1st Asian Symposium on Gay & Lesbian Tourism, in partnership with American Airlines, IGLTA, Traveltechie.com, Out Journeys, and Pink Banana Media.
The Symposium features educational presentations and networking opportunities for government tourism offices, visitor bureaus, destination management companies, meeting planners, and travel suppliers including airlines, hotels, tour operators, etc. Topics include market research, sales, marketing, advertising, web 2.0, public relations, meetings and events; many illustrated by case studies. To learn more about speakers and topics, and to register, please visit the Symposium website
CMI founder and president Tom Roth says “The Symposium and the LGBT Journalist Tour are dreams come true for me. I have visited India about 15 times since 1980. With the elimination of Section 377 and the new emergence of the LGBT communities of India, I can now bring my LGBT tourism marketing skills together with my passion for India.”
Just a few of the fun Orgullo events in store for October 1, 2011
Tomorrow, October 1, 2011, marks the first-ever gay Hispanic heritage celebration in Miami Beach.
We just heard about it. If you’re near Miami, consider checking it out.
Free to the public, Celebrate Orgullo showcases the cultural contributions of the Latino LGBT community and provides a good reason for having some fun on the beach with other queer folks.
Head to 12th and Ocean Drive from noon to 6pm. For more information visit CelebrateOrgullo.com.
Be sure to click on the video with its colorful montage and catchy background music.
The 2011 NewNowNext Travel Awards (formerly known as the TripOut Travel Awards, a division of Logo, part of the Viacom family of companies) recognizes the best of the best in the world of gay and gay-friendly travel.
The Third Annual Fort Lauderdale Gay and Lesbian Film Festival kicks off Wednesday October 5 with a party open to the community. Nosh on free nibblies and enjoy one free cocktail.
Festivities kick off at 6:30pm (till 10pm) at The Atlantic Hotel and Spa Ocean Terrace located at 601 North Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd in Fort Lauderdale. The Film Festival kicks off Thursday October 13. Click here for more information about the film festival.
To RSVP for the kick-off event on October 5, free and open to the public, send an email to AlexMGLFF@gmail.com.
I’m scheduled for a live in-studio interview with Derek and Romaine of Sirius XM Satellite Radio tonight — Tuesday September 27th at 7PM EST.
The interview will last about 15-20 minutes. This will be broadcast live on Sirius XM OutQ 108. Listeners and fans are welcome to participate by calling 866-305-6887. For those who don’t subscribe to Sirius, a free online trial is available at www.siriusxm.com.
New York-based Sebastian White is Corporate Communications Manager for JetBlue and a frequent traveler. We caught up with White before he dashed off to Vancouver, his favorite city in North America .
— Editor
By Sebastian White
Like most visitors to Vancouver, my love affair with the city began the instant I laid eyes on the place. After one visit, I was hooked. I spend so much time in Vancouver my friends joke I’m a “Vanyorker.”
So what is it about Vancouver that’s so appealing? I could rattle off a list of Tourism Vancouver talking points as long as your arm: the diversity, the food, the laidback vibe, the coffee, the small town feel, the architecture.
To many, Vancouver’s most distinctive features are its glassy skyline and its unmatched setting – a rainforest city hemmed in by mountains and the sea – but what constantly draws me back is something less tangible. If it’s possible for a place to move you, to change how you see the world and your place in it, Vancouver is it. Isn’t that why so many of us have a lust for exploration?
To me, Vancouver can’t be described. It must be experienced. Just be warned: arriving in Vancouver is always magical; leaving is just plain depressing.
Last month, I had the privilege of speaking to Vermont’s Commissioner of Tourism and Travel and Recreation Council about gay travel. I also had a whirlwind tour of this beautiful, progressive state.
It’s known for its maple syrup, covered bridges and extraordinary leaf-peeping opportunities. But that’s not that half of it. Pioneers in gay equality Vermont was the first state to introduce civil unions in 2000 and has been offering marriage for same-sex couples for the past two years — the first state to do so via statute and not after being forced by the courts.
There’s not a single gay bar in the entire state, but LGBT visitors will find a warm welcome throughout the land as well as gay-owned and gay-popular guesthouses and restaurants.
Here’s my report of a short but sweet stay on Toronto’s Proud FM with Mike Chalut and Acey Rowe.
The LGBTQ Travel Expert. Educator. Speaker. Author. 
