Gay&Lesbian travel is visible at ITB Berlin since 2003 but it became one of the established ITB segments in 2010.

In the meantime, the Gay & Lesbian Travel Pavilion is becoming an increasingly important landmark. Thus at ITB Berlin 2012 more than a dozen exhibitors will be presenting the latest trends and products in this market on a record display area covering 200 square metres in Hall 2.1a.

In 2012, in addition to the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA), which with its rainbow-coloured columns will form the central part of the pavilion, there will also be numerous new exhibitors at the show.

For the first time the Brazilian Tourist Board Embratur is represented in the Gay & Lesbian Travel section with its own stand, as is the tour operator Dertour, which at ITB Berlin is also presenting the first edition of its Gay Travel catalogue. Exhibitors from Greece, Mexico, Portugal and Poland will be celebrating their debut this year. Tom OnTour, Spartacus and the publisher Jackwerth Verlag will once again be participating, as well as the Argentina Gay&Lesbian Chamber of Commerce that will be presenting “Queer Tango” on their stand on ITB Saturday.

source: official ITB website

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Gay-ville.com is a new website to rent, compare and even sublet gay-friendly properties for ever-cheaper travel. Many times we find ourselves having trouble finding reasonable accommodations when we travel. The options are usually expensive, and they don’t always fit with the average gay traveler’s needs in terms of location, facilities, and a friendly attitude.

Gay-ville.com is a new website, launched in early June this year. Its goal is simple: to make gay tourism easier and less expensive, enabling gay people to travel as frequently and freely as they would like. How does it work? The website provides a platform of services for the gay tourist in the world’s most popular gay destinations. It focuses only on gay-friendly cities, which attract massive numbers of gay tourists all year round such as New York, Berlin, Madrid, San Francisco, Rio de Janeiro, and Barcelona among others.

The website is primarily dedicated to finding accommodations in these big cities. Hotel prices there are usually not cheap at all, especially in the center of the city and/or the gay area and during the high season, and all the more so during a gay event (such as pride or a festival) when hotels are overpriced and overbooked.

Gay-ville.com allows anyone anywhere to publish his own apartment or a room in his apartment for sublet. For example, if Dave from NYC wants to go on vacation in Barcelona, he can sublet his apartment to another gay guy in the interim, thus saving the accommodation expenses of his trip. In Barcelona he has the option to rent an apartment from Pedro, who lives there (he doesn’t have to – it’s not an apartment swap website), and it will cost him less than a hotel.

Beyond accommodations, Gay-ville provides you with all the necessary information about your destination: what to see and what to do, where the gay area is, how liberal is the city, which events and parties are taking place during your stay, gaymaps, transportation guides, tips about the city from local gays, and a local gay lingo. Eliad Cohen, Gay-ville’s VP Business Development: “We were surprised by the amount of new users in the website, who joined in a short period of time. We are certain that the website will soon grow to be one of the leading key players in the international gay travel scene, for the benefit of gays everywhere around the world.”

For more information please visit our website: www.Gay-ville.com and our Facebook page.

Contact: Gadi Tunes, gadi@gay-ville.com, +972-54-4423032 (Viber and Whatsapp available), Facebook

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Courtesy Celebrity Cruises

By Don Church and Tony Schillaci, Out and Travelin’™

With the coming of winter it’s comforting to know that fair weather is an easy drive from Connecticut and other northeast states along the interstate highways to Port Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, New Jersey.

We drove after the morning rush hour to Port Liberty and parked ($19 a day) in the secured lot, a short walk to a dock-side terminal. We boarded the gay-friendly Celebrity Cruises newest Solstice-class ship, Silhouette, one of the most technologically advanced, spacious and luxurious ships afloat today.
The ship offers seven-night cruises to the Eastern and Southern Caribbean from Port Liberty this winter. www.celebritycruises.com.

For a few extra dollars we recommend booking the AquaClass accommodations – you’ll have an upscale stateroom with a veranda. It includes unlimited access to the AquaSpa which works closely with Elemis®, one of the leading providers of health and beauty solutions. The spa offers a wealth of transformative treatments (acupuncture, yoga, beauty services, massage) that draw on cultures from around the world.

Another perk is being able to dine in AquaSpa’s hugely successful specialty restaurant, Blu. Executive chef Jacques Van Staden’s menus offer light, flavorful dishes prepared using natural reductions and sautéing methods. The high-quality and expertly prepared dishes have deservedly won raves from cruisers – and us. For those not in AquaClass a table can be booked at Blu, based on availability for an extra charge.

Sailing from Port Liberty to the Caribbean, it’s always fair weather in the gigantic solarium with its soaring crystal- clear roof. This area will be a welcome refuge during the first and last days of cruising between Port Liberty and the Caribbean. Once in warmer waters, some guests might just decide to forgo the use of the outdoor pool just to indulge in the style and luxurious feeling offered in the lush Solarium.

Read On ‘It’s always fair weather aboard the gay-friendly new Celebrity Silhouette’ »

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During the recent power outage and destruction reeked upon Connecticut by Hurricane Irene, many victims of the storm – without water or electricity- took refuge at the Mohegan Sun Casino Hotel.  The resort destination continued to function with its own generators even at the height of Irene’s chaos.

Judging by the level of camaraderie in the hotel lobby, elevators, and restaurant lines, the scene at the Mohegan Sun Resort seemed more on par with cruise ship friendliness and revelry than with orphans-of-the-storm gloom.

A long line of hungry and chatty locals and out-of-stators waiting for table space at the newly refurbished “Seasons Buffet” was reminiscent of the crowds anticipating the midnight buffet on a Carnival fun-ship cruise.  While idling on line, casino guests could view digital screens showing the fare at the various stations on the buffet line: stir-fry dishes, egg rolls, St. Louis ribs, fried shrimp, prime rib au jus, salads, pastas, and deserts galore.

Royal Suite at Mohegan Sun

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Celebrity Executive Chef Jacques Van Staten in QSINE

When something is exceptionally well-designed and made from the finest materials – an Armani suit, a Valentino dress, or Louis Vuitton luggage – it’s truly a work of art.

In the world of cruise ships, Celebrity Cruise Lines, selected by Conde Nast as the world’s top-rated premium brand, has achieved design and comfort dominance with its Solstice-class ships. These magnificent floating resort hotels are in a class by themselves on the seas.

Known as the ‘Xceptional’ series’ – the ‘X’ referring to the logo on the ships’ funnels, three Solstice ships are currently in operation – the Solstice, Equinox, and Eclipse, with two more to be launched: the Silhouette in July, 2011 and the Reflection in November, 2012.

Last January Celebrity Cruises marked its 20th anniversary at the Manhattan Museum of Arts and Design with its ‘Designed for You’ presentation. Dan Hanrahan, President and CEO of the line, spoke of the Solstice “firsts,” including The Lawn Club, complete with real growing grass that is trimmed daily; The Hot Glass Show, a glass blowing demonstration by Corning; the AquaClass Spa and suites and BLU restaurant; the industry’s first application of solar technology; stylish staterooms whose designs were influenced by a panel of travel-savvy women; and public spaces adorned in rich color palettes and energizing natural light.

We’ve luckily sailed on both Equinox and Eclipse, each with 2800 passengers and 1200 in crew. Gay men and lesbians are treated with the same enthusiastic attention and service as everyone else aboard. There is always a ‘Friends of Dorothy’ (LGBT) get together in Michael’s Club.

We have never felt overwhelmed by the size of Solstice ships, a happy surprise that’s the result of brilliant 21st-century marine architecture and interior design. You can’t stand in any corridor and see from one end of the ship to the other because passageways bend and curve through a series of distinctive “neighborhoods” and quiet reflective spaces, including the magnificaent multi-story library and the Celebrity iLounge.

Read On ‘DESIGNER RESORT CITIES ON THE SEA’ »

See all content by Don Church and Tony Schillaci