Lesbian and gay hotel brand launched
A new concept in travel for lesbian, gay and bisexual people has been launched at the International Tourism Fair in Berlin.
Attitude Hotels claims to be a unique selection of hotels, Inns and BBs "created, designed and developed to satisfy, in particular, gay and lesbian travellers."
Community Marketing, a company that specialises in gay and lesbian marketing, estimates the value of American market alone was $65 billion (£32.4bn) in 2007.
Straight-friendly destinations - the new trend in gay travel
Travel experts at the Gay Lesbian Travel Pavilion at the world's largest tourism fair have said the a new niche market for heterosexuals has emerged.
"Apart from gay and lesbian cruises, we have noticed a clear rise in hotels and resorts that are not only gay-friendly but targeted mainly towards gay men.
"Straight people are, in most cases, allowed to stay, too. The magic word is straight-friendly," said Robert Kastl, Managing Director of Publicom GmbH, the organisers of the Pavilion.
New gay travel portal launched
A new online travel information and social networking portal launches this week with the aim of becoming the largest database of destinations, venues and events specifically designed for the gay and lesbian community.
gaypedia.com provides top five destinations, venues and events; review, rating and blogging capabilities alongside member profiling and social networking tools.
It is a user-generated and editorially produced travel information website that allows gays and lesbians to search for venues.
A weekend break in Barcelona that helps Stonewall
Gay rights organisation Stonewall is inviting gay people and their friends to an event that is certain to put the fun back into fundraising.
The Barcelona Equality Walk, from 11th to 13th July is a weekend full of sightseeing, meeting new people and raising money for Stonewall's work fighting homophobia in schools.
Last year's walk in Barcelona raised more than £50,000 and Stonewall hope that this year's event will be as popular.
No ban on gay cruises to Grenada
Authorities on Grenada will not ban cruises for gay people from their shores.
Tourism Minister Clarice Modeste-Curwen yesterday complained that some hotel bookings on the island have been cancelled because of news reports that such a ban was being considered.
The tiny island nation, which has a population of 103,000, gained independence from the UK in 1974. Male homosexual acts are illegal and punishable with up to ten years in jail.
Report reveals regulations for HIV+ travellers
The European AIDS Treatment Group has published the 2007 Quick reference: travel and residence regulations for people living with HIV and AIDS.
The publication, at its sixth edition, updates the information about all the requirements and regulations in every country for travellers living with AIDS.
It is designed to help people working in AIDS organisations and contains some of the most recent requirements adopted in several countries.
New York City targets gay tourist dollars
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is betting big on the future of tourism in the Big Apple and he is clearly hoping that the gay community will play a significant part in the realisation of his vision.
According to various published reports, the City of New York has just launched a $30 (£14.8m) million queer tourism campaign, which officially began with Out magazine's recent Out 100 issue.
According to GFN.com, in October, the 11th Annual Gay Lesbian Travel Survey ranked the Big Apple as the No. 1 destination for US gay men.
Travel: Eurostar is a gateway to Ghent
From next week, trains will travel from London to Brussels in under two hours. The new Eurostar service from St Pancras International brings the charm of Flanders even closer than ever.
Last week we explored Bruges: this week we visit Ghent and preview its special lesbian day next month.
With its criss-crossing waterways and canals and magnificent old gabled buildings, Ghent is not only picture box pretty but has the distinction of being a real city.
Can Singapore Airlines really ban the mile high club?
All the elements are there for those who have been dying to enter the "mile-high-club" in style, but Singapore Airlines has put the kibosh on any plans randy passengers might have for raunchy trysts at 35,000 feet aboard its new A380 superjumbo jets.
Though their new A380 offers private first class suites featuring the world's first airborne full-sized beds, Singapore Airlines has made it clear that inflight sexual relations in the new luxurious cabins are not welcome.
"All we ask of customers, wherever they are on our aircraft, is to observe standards that don't cause offence to other customers and crew," the airline told Reuters in a statement.
Travel: Take the train to medieval Flanders
From next month Eurostar will transport travellers to northern Europe in record time from their new terminal at London's St Pancras station.
Taking the train through the Channel Tunnel has become commonplace in recent years, but there is more to see than just Paris and Brussels.
Belgium boasts a range of attractive destinations, prime among them the beautifully preserved medieval city of Bruges.
London best for gay travellers
London has been named as the best international holiday destination by American gay and lesbian travellers.
In an online survey of more than 7,500 lesbian and gay travellers in the USA, more than 8% had visited London in the past 12 months, placing the city ahead of Paris and Rome - the only other European destinations to make the top 10.
Tom Wright, chief executive of VisitBritain, welcomed the result.
Travel: A passage to India
If lying on a beach is not your thing and you yearn for a bit of adventure set against an exotic backdrop, have you thought about the possibilities the vast sub-content of India has to offer?
The country offers a wealth of ancient temples and monuments for lovers of culture and heritage and many travel companies now offer fantastic sight-seeing trips.
Travel: The awesome Panama Canal
Few journeys through the engineering history books are as impressive or beautiful as a trip down the "eighth wonder of the engineering world - the Panama Canal.
Linking the mighty Atlantic and Pacific oceans took over three centuries of work by two nations. The Panama Canal is beauty and function on a scale beyond compare, with nature, machine and man working in total harmony.
Travel: The architectural wonders of Europe
Europe's great ruins and cities are mighty testament to the ancient and modern world. These are cities of legendary proportions, each with its unique charm, history and works of classical and modern art. Europe is on your doorstep: take a journey through its wondrous history.
Here we take a tour of the best picks for a short break.
Travel: Fly-drive to Transylvania and beyond
Note- Although homosexuality is legal in Romania, public displays of gay relationships are frowned upon and in some instances can be illegal. Homosexuality is however tolerated in areas popular with Western tourists.
When you think of fly-drive holidays, the US probably springs to mind. A fly-drive holiday to Romania, including the region of Transylvania, offers something a little different and in many ways more magical than anything Mickey Mouse can offer.
From the Blog