Gay And Lesbian Travel Expo

James Irving of Bhutan And Beyond shows off his fashion sense

Sydney's Out Travel Provides A Forum For Exhibitors To Meet The LGBT Market

What to do when the town is full of travellers for a limited period of time?  Why, hold your own travel expo, of course.  The brainchild of Reece Farmilo, owner of Out Travel, the Out Gay And Lesbian Travel Expo took advantage of the many visitors in Sydney for the famed Mardi Gras and presented them last Friday with an array of LGBT-welcoming airlines, hotel groups, and tour operators happy to assist in planning their next holiday.  Sublime hotel groups Six Senses and COMO were there, knowing very well that LGBT travellers appreciate excellence in accommodation and service and have the disposable income to indulge themselves on their holidays.  The travel expo also gave a chance for less visible companies to meet potential clients; African Travel Specialists and Bhutan And Beyond are two examples of specialised tour operators whose high-quality products are well appreciated by sophisticated LGBT travellers who seek exceptional travel experiences.

Michael Huang of China Airlines and Michael Lee of Formosa Travel and Holiday

It was particularly exciting to see Garuda Orient Holidays represented.  With Garuda Indonesia's upcoming reintroduction of flights to Europe beginning with service to Amsterdam, one of the gay tourism capitals of the world, the idea of a stopover in Indonesia to explore the exotic cultural attractions of Jakarta, Solo, or Borobudur or to recover in serene surroundings from an overdose of Amstimulation on Bali is very appealing, indeed. 

Reece, Sue, and Steve, the friendly team at Out Travel

Indonesia is one of the new wave of countries making an effort to reach LGBT travellers—and it's not only to encourage them to open their wallets, either.  With gay and lesbian consumers acknowledged as trendsetters, it serves destinations well to attract this segment of the market to energise any tourism initiative seeking to increase visitor numbers and revenue—and what business is not looking to increase revenue?  Michael Lee, Managing Director of Formosa Travel and Holiday, is one of the savvy tour operators who understands that his product holds natural appeal to LGBT travellers; Taiwan is one of the most funloving destinations in Asia, the food is delicious, the tourism infrastructure is excellent; it offers unique attractions like Taipei's National Palace Museum, the largest museum of Chinese art in the world, and has a surprisingly lively gay scene.  This is the type of diversity sought by sophisticated LGBT travellers who have moved beyond the party-all-night stereotype that used to pervade the travel industry's perception of LGBT priorities for an ideal holiday.  Like Reece, Michael has taken the initiative in reaching the LGBT market by producing a brochure specifically for gay and lesbian travellers; it is this type of effort that makes an impression on members of this highly coveted segment.  For LGBT travellers heading to London, Taiwan is a brand-new stopover option with the introduction of China Airlines' nonstop flights between Taipei and London beginning 28 March, though there is certainly enough on Formosa, the 'beautiful island', to keep visitors busy for weeks.

Shabir and Pamela, two beauties representing Garuda Orient Holidays