t may be months away from (These estimates include travel
spring and summer but now within and outside their
is the time to plan the respective countries, what part
adventure of a lifetime with your of the UK’s $$ are coming to
partner. First, did you know that America or vice-versa is not
there are tours, cruises and reported.)
adventures all over the world
that are tailored for the LGBT? All over the world travel
Second, planning strategies are industry specialists have
suggested that can make your developed great cruises and
vacation stress free and give you travel packages specifically
the peace of mind you need. designed for the LGBT traveler
Lastly, a variety of travel and their partner. These travel
destinations, events and research accommodations/packages include,
strategies are mentioned to help but are not limited to, gay
you plan that perfect vacation friendly cruises that include
with your partner. By the way, travel with others that are gay
some of what I offer here is and vacations packaged for gay
sound advice for preparation in pride festivals.
business travel too.
There is a wide variety of cruise
-FACTOIDS- destinations available to the
LGBT traveler. The new 2006
American LGBT persons spent 54 itinerary and offerings for gay
billion dollars in travel in 2004 cruises are available throughout
the internet. Destinations
UK LGBT persons spent nearly 44.8 include Costa Rica, Ireland,
billion dollars on travel in 2004 Alaska and the Mediterranean to
name a few. Cruise
liners/companies such as Atlantis
and Windjammer West specialize in take advantage of the multitude
accommodating you and your of travel offers available.
partner a cruise you will never
forget. Consulting the many gay On that note of affordability,
magazines online will also be a much of the vast information I
great resource to find your garnered from several research
perfect vacation. sources suggests that a huge
percentage of LGBT persons are
Gay pride festivals provide a wealthy. Many so-called experts
vacation that is not only fun and have perpetuated the myth and
inspiring, they also offer a time refer to the community as being
of mutual exchanges in social “DINK” (dual income no kids). I
solidarity. Worldwide from the don’t know about you, but I am
United States to the UK and other acquainted with several LGBT
localities, gay pride festivals persons who aren’t DINK.
are being organized. For example, Thankfully, the travel industry
one of the largest and most doesn’t play into this myth (well
popular gay pride festivals (GPF) not most of them) and many offer
is being held this summer in “travel packages” that are
Paris, France. Contacting the affordable and inexpensive. So
Paris office of Tourism will check out the internet, talk to
enable you to locate the best gay friends who have traveled and can
friendly accommodations. Through suggest a good travel package or
research on the internet, you can destination (word of mouth is the
find websites specific to booking best), watch for websites that
flights and travel packages to are tailored to the LGBT
this and other GPF events. community. Many states in the US
and other countries have LGBT
The best news I found was that specific websites about travel
you don’t have to be wealthy to and don’t forget public and
university libraries that have href="http://www.csatravelprotect
travel sections full of reference ion.com/"
materials. After you have chosen title="http://www.csatravelprotec
your destination, its time to tion.com/" target="_blank">plan that vacation. color="#001000"
size="-2">http://www.csatravelpro
Aside from researching your trip tection.com/ are one
for a destination and a price place to get useful information
comparable to what you can on the above mentioned insurance
afford, start planning your trip protections for travelers.
early. You will want to include
in your plans arranging When planning your vacation find
appropriate passports, hotel or out if your hotel or B&B is gay
rental car reservations, tickets, friendly. Sometimes just asking
visa’s and travel insurance. Make the staff (or here’s where that
sure the travel insurance you word of mouth from a friend comes
purchase covers emergency in handy) will get you the
assistance, job loss or information you need. Does your
transfers, uninhabitable choice of vacation location have
accommodations, travel accidents, a variety of dining out options,
delays, lost or delayed luggage, exciting activities, local
weather-affected cancellation, culture that you would love to
medical and dental expenses, explore? By doing some research
terrorism, and identity theft. you can choose a location that
For the LGBT community one more will be fun and affordable.
consideration needs to be taken
into account. Be sure your travel We have talked about research and
insurance covers domestic choosing your vacation
partners. Travel specialists such destination, strategies and
as
personal piece of advice. Don’t my point. Have you ever been on a
forget to take the camcorder and trip, came home and there’s
two cameras. You two can decide pictures of everything but what
who takes which camera but here’s you wanted pictures of?
About the Author:
This article was written by Rita R. Powers with support from http://www.csatravelprotection.com, providers of Travel Insurance and travel assistance services. CSA offers travel protection for you and your domestic partner. Reproductions of this article must provide a link pointing to http://www.csatravelprotection.com
