#ILoveGayTravel

Starting years ago with the first LGBT Travel Expos put on by the team at Community Marketing, this successful tradition continues, with new expos being held in New York and Chicago in 2014. Now owned and managed by Steven Levenberg Productions, recent shows from 2013 included Fort Lauderdale as well as New York and Chicago. For 2014, the NYC show will continue to be held at Kimmel Center at New York University. Approximately 1,000 people will be in attendance, with a new emphasis this year on younger LGBT travelers. These new mobile and social media savvy travelers are a prime target group for those interested in developing new travel patterns for our community. Airlines, hotels, new destinations and other members of the hospitality industry will comprise the almost 60 exhibitors. Attendees will find special travel deals, find companies that are reaching out to our community and learn about new destinations. This will be the third year for our Chicago show. Its venue, Cente

By Michael Sanchez Competition for Gay travelers has been really heating up in the past few years, with cities large and small vying for what is perceived to be a bonanza in pink dollars. It’s true that Gay folks travel more than their Straight counterparts…and often spend more when they travel. But not every place that’s competing for your vacation dollars has the infrastructure in place to truly welcome LGBT visitors. And, while true that we are as diverse as society itself, and we all have our own expectations and interests in what we want out of our vacation, the “Gay Destination” still seems to be very much in the vernacular of Gay travel. We see the evidence for this in multiple surveys that ask LGBT respondents what cities are “most-visited” or “most-wanted-to-visit.” Building up the infrastructure to become a truly world-class “Gay destination” requires time, capital investment, and a willing partnership between city governments and private entrepreneurs. It’s more than a

Five years ago Leatherpride started as an experiment, today it is a hobby that has run out of control. In recent years we have invested heavily in the quality of this event. Visitors who come to Antwerp should simply have a wonderful weekend. We do not intend to be the biggest – but we do want to be the best. We are will continue to work on the quality of the event and deliver an even better customer experience. Fetish Express This year our tour buses will travel to LeatherPride from Berlin, Paris and Lille at a very low cost. Return fares are just €95 from Berlin, €65 from Paris and €25 from Lille. Lille is an ideal connection point for visitors coming via the Eurostar from London. The Fetish Express coaches are very comfortable and there is no maximum baggage allowance. That’s handy if you want to bring your leather, rubber and other fetish gear. There is free coffee onboard and can also purchase snacks. Host Hotels Include the Hilton Fo