Top 5 for 2011: It's Going to be a Great Year for Travel
Buh-bye 2010! And good riddance. Sheesh, what a pesky year for a lot of people.
2011 is already looking way up. Economists are predicting an ever-improving economy, and recent research by Community Marketing suggests gay travel is on the upswing, with lots of pent-up demand for travel about to be unleashed. (Download the PDF of the this year's research by clicking on the link at the end of this posting.)
LGBT travelers will find more -- and better -- travel options the world over. Here are a few things I'm looking forward to this year. Happy travels!
An explosion of art and culture
Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts
April 7-May 1, 2011
With over 100 performances and events throughout the Philadelphia region over a nearly one-month period, PIFA, overseen by the illustrious Kimmel Center, promises to be one of the most important expressions of art and culture in the U.S. this year.
The biggest gay cruise ever
Atlantis Events 20th Anniversary Cruise on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas
Feb 6-13
Atlantis, the largest tour operator for gay and lesbian travelers and their friends, is also the very first company (gay or straight) to charter the largest cruise ship ever built. This sold-out cruise will welcome nearly 6,000 gay men and lesbians to celebrate Atlantis's 20th anniversary. Way to start the year with a bang! Ports include Ft. Lauderdale, Nassau, St. Maarten, and St. Thomas.
Gay hotels version 2.0
I'm very much looking forward to visiting one of the new breed of luxury gay boutique hotels like the recently open Lords South Beach; the vastly expanded Royal Palms in Ft. Lauderdale. I love the Axel Hotels in Buenos Aires, Berlin, and Barcelona and very much look forward to hearing more news about their proposed fourth hotel in New York.
Opening of St. Pancras Hotel
Most U.S. travelers don't think of the Renaissance hotel chain as high end but that perspective really needs to be revisited. Scheduled for its grand opening in May 2011 the brand spanking new Renaissance St. Pancras opening in a gorgeous, historical building (pictured above) in central London will actual "soft open" in February. Hurry, make your reservations now before word gets out about this fabulous new property which sits atop St. Pancras International Train Station, London's high-tech transit hub that will whisk you to Paris aboard the EuroStar bullet train in a mind-bogglingly fast two hours and 15 minutes.
More exciting opportunities in 2011
On a personal note, I will be presenting lots of information on new hotels, exciting destinations, hot events, cruises and tours to LGBT travelers and their friends and travel professionals at four upcoming travel shows this year. Here are the dates and websites for more information about the shows, including where and when I'll speak at each one.
- Philadelphia Inquirer Travel Show, Philadelphia, PA, January 22-23, 2011
- Boston Globe Travel Show, Boston, Massachusetts, February 11-12, 2011
- New York Times Travel Show, New York, NY, February 25-26, 2011
- One World Travel Mart, San Francisco, CA, May 26-29, 2011
(If you'd like to download Community Marketing's 2010 Research Survey Results in PDF format, click here.)