Unconventional Convention Gay lessons from the world’s largest travel show
For all the apparent similarities, gay travel is just, well, a little different than straight travel.
When gay travel awards get doled out, for instance, a bit of tongue-in-cheek is usually involved. And so it was when German airline Lufthansa received the Mate Travel Award last week at ITB (International Tourism Exchange), the world’s biggest annual travel trade show, which ran from March 7 to March 11 in Berlin. Raunchy flight attendant Pam Ann presented the prize, and schooled the audience on the virtues of the German airline: “In first class, they have slings,” joked the saucy stewardess. “And they f*ck you.” The shenanigans were all part of a swanky soiree co-hosted by hip German mag Mate and gay travel portal TomOnTour at Berlin’s PanAm Lounge (named for the erstwhile airline, not the comedian), just one of many lively LGBT parties thrown during this year’s ITB. This year’s show, held as always within Berlin’s massive Messe convention center, saw its largest-ever gay presence, with return exhibitors joined by a host of new companies from across the world. IGLTA (the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association) once again anchored what’s become known as ITB’s gay pavilion, with members representing the U.S., Greece, Portugal, Chile, Poland, France, and India. ITB veterans like TomOnTour, Spartacus, Jackwerth Verlag, and Argentina’s GMaps360 were here, too, alongside new gay presences like Brazil’s Embratur. The city of Vienna hosted a “Gay Café,” which launched with an opening-day reception attended by openly gay Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereit (in photo, at far right). Other gay-geared ITB happenings included a packed panel discussion on gay travel and its influence on the mainstream market. In all, more than 170,000 trade and consumer visitors streamed through Berlin Messe for ITB this year to wander the 10,000+ booths from 187 countries. Next year’s show will take place from March 6 to 10. Photo by IGLTAThe South Rises
Chile’s LAN Airlines launches LGBT microsite
Quick, what was the first South American airline to advertise specifically to the gay and lesbian market? Or the only South American airline to have been nominated as best in the world by both Edge and Logo’s TripOutGayTravel? And now, the first South American carrier to offer a dedicated LGBT travel microsite?
The answer on all counts is LAN, the fab Chilean airline that’s grown and upgraded by leaps and bounds over the last few years to become the preferred carrier across the entire southern continent.
Offering up gobs of news, info, and resources for gay travelers to South America, LAN’s new LGBT site, LANdiversity.com, also features travel packages from top gay tour operators to the myriad exciting destinations served by the airline, including not only hotspots like Buenos Aires, Santiago, Lima, Bogota, Sao Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro, but also magical outposts like Easter Island, the Galapagos Islands, and Machu Picchu.
“If you’re traveling to Buenos Aires, not only can you purchase your ticket from the online booking engine, but you can read current news relating to LGBT topics in that region,” says Katitiza Mandakovic, LAN’s leisure director for North America, of the microsite. “We pride ourselves on being South America’s premier airline, and our new LGBT travel site is a way to create an even better travel experience for gay and lesbian travelers.”
Watch LANdiversity in the coming months for unique sweepstakes and specials on travel to South America via LAN and its affiliates.
Photo by John Steven Fernandez
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Stupid
Darling, I am from Moorhead and go back to damn Fargo at least once a damn year, and if anyone thinks there is any reason for a gay tourist — or any tourist — to visit that pimple on the ass of the Midwest, then they are sadly mistaken. Just my opinion, but bitch please.
randy
@Stupid: That may very well be true. But if I’m ever in ND (and sadly, I never am), I will make a point of stopping through Fargo and tell them the ONLY reason I am here is because they asked me to come. Hell, if they are nice enough to try to court us, we might as well thank them in the way that makes sense — with tourist dollars.
That will help them to justify spending money on us, and that in turns helps fight homophobia. One small step in the march towards equality!