Travel Expert

Ed Salvato is an LGBTQ+ travel expert, published author, instructor at NYT Tisch School and Temple and chief content officer of ManAboutWorld gay travel magazine and HospitableMe (strategy, content marketing & LGBTQ education & training). Read his bio. Post comments below or send email. SCROLL DOWN FOR THE LATEST POSTS, STORIES & PIX. 

Inclusive Hospitality via AIG Travel, Skift and … me!

AIG Travel partnered with Skift on the trend report The Business Imperative for ‘Inclusive Hospitality’ which examines why vulnerable travelers matter spr.ly/60121Du1k with insights from yours truly (the even included me in my own Q&A page!!) and Depart Smart. LGBTQ travel safety is important topic that we focus on at HospitableMe.

To learn more about what we do at HospitableMe, visit us online.

Providence, Rhode Island: A hidden delight for queer travelers 😃🏳️‍🌈

While I’d heard some nice things about Providence, Rhode Island’s state capital and largest city, over the years, I’ll admit that I didn’t know a whole lot about it. I mostly thought of it as a cheap alternative airport to often-overpriced Boston Logan International.

Story by Paul J. Heney, MAW correspondent

But a recent weekend there, coinciding with Rhode Island Pride, completely sold me on this East Coast gem as an excellent getaway for LGBTQ travelers. Here are four reasons why you should put Providence on your list as a destination to check out.

1. A thriving queer scene.

Walking around Providence was like being in a gay Disneyland at times. I was genuinely surprised at the number of out queer couples in the city —walking the streets holding hands, eating in restaurants, wandering the stores, chilling in cafes. I chatted with numerous locals, from restaurant servers to Uber drivers, hotel staff and people in clubs, and they all had positive things to say about how accepting the city and community is.

We hung out in several clubs, such as The Dark Lady, EGO Providence, and the Eagle, and they were crowded and lively. At a time when many smaller and mid-sized cities have gay club scenes that are dried up or gone entirely, it was refreshing to see such a thriving group of bars.

Check out Options magazine, published bimonthly, for the latest calendar of queer events. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the number of listings, from drag brunches to queer book clubs, as well as tea dances, happy hours and networking meetings.

2. Arts to die for.

Providence has christened itself “The Creative Capital,” a cute nod to the city’s artistic side as well as its being the center of state government. And the moniker is well earned, with a wealth of art museums, galleries, performing arts spaces and urban murals.

From March through November each year, 27 of the city’s hottest art spots open their doors on the third Thursday of the month as part of Gallery Night Providence. And WaterFire Providence, a unique local arts celebration, revolves around the city’s downtown rivers, with more than 80 sparkling bonfires lit on the waterways.

Not to be missed is PVD Fest, an annual arts celebration in the city. It selects local artists to design and create arts installations, many of which remain in perpetuity, adding to the city’s cool urban vibe each year. Many of downtown’s mesmerizing murals are the result of previous years’ PVD Fest installations.

3. It’s easy to get to and easy to get around.

Getting to Providence is fairly easy for much of the country. In addition to the aforementioned cheap flights to the city’s T. F. Green Airport, Providence is an hour’s drive from Boston, as well as about three hours from most of the New York metro area. It’s within two hours by plane from much of the East Coast and Midwest, making it an easy weekend trip.

Providence is connected to Boston’s South Station via the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority commuter service, and within the city, grabbing a rideshare service is simple — or visitors can check out the local Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA), which provides busing as far away as Newport or Kingston. But I found downtown Providence, including its lovely Arts District, to be very walkable and pedestrian friendly.

4. Its annual Pride festival is simply incredible.

Providence’s annual Rhode Island Pride completely exceeded my expectations. Attracting well over 100,000 attendees, I was blown away by how many Boston-area celebrants were there. I’d have thought the big city folks would have turned up their collective noses at smaller Providence, but that wasn’t the case at all! In fact, I heard story after story about how much they loved attending both Pride celebrations, a week apart.

RIPride has a laundry list of pre-celebration events, from VIP parties to game nights to interfaith services. The PrideFest itself takes place downtown along the Providence River, with a long narrow outline that provides great water views at every turn. There are countless vendors, a huge main stage, a beer garden, and more.

But the highlight of the weekend for me was the Illuminated Night Parade. RIPride is one of only a few pride celebrations anywhere that features an evening parade. Floats and marchers are encouraged to dress up their displays with lights, glowsticks, fluorescent paints and the like. The result is really spectacular, with 100,000 attendees watching the festivities. At the conclusion of the parade, multiple areas of downtown were cordoned off for huge block parties, as music roared into the night until the wee hours.

And for those who managed to get some sleep, the post-Pride Drag Brunch was a great top off to the weekend, with this year’s event featuring Jasmine Masters from RuPaul’s Drag Race, as well as a half dozen very talented local performers.

Go Now✈ Go Later✈: Don’t miss these gay getaways 🌈🍸

Some gays plan their gay getaways far in advance. Some plan last minute. Some go both ways. We’re those gays. But no matter which you are, we’ve got awesome recommendations for gay getaways to go to now. Next year. Or both!

Gay Getaways: GO NOW!

• 8 Days of Paradise with Atlantis – August 25

Atlantis Events takes on Europe with the Oasis of the Seas for the biggest European gay cruise ever. Meet guys from all over the world as this gorgeous Royal Caribbean ship sets sail for a trip of a lifetime. Amazing parties by night, and incredible ports by day. Enjoy bike rides in Mallorca, snorkeling in Capri, wine tasting in Provence and art walks in Florence. The ship departs on Saturday, August 25 and returns September 1.

Don’t miss this epic European journey. Book now and GO!

• Cruise NYC to PTown with VACAYA – August 11

Join ManAboutWorld’s Billy Kolber (and up to 2,000 of our closest friends!) for the first full-ship LGBTQ+ charter with VACAYA aboard the five-star Celebrity Summit.

The ship will depart NYC on Sunday, August 11 and sail to Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Then, it’s a day in quaint Bar Harbor, Maine, and then two full days in fabulous Provincetown.

Kristin Chenoweth kicks off the departure from Cape Liberty, with lots of entertainment onboard and off — including an overnight call in Ptown to kick off their crazy Carnival week. Vacaya’s maiden voyage, promises a new kind of LGBT+ experience. Book now and GO!
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• Explore Morocco with OUT Adventures – September 13

Morocco should be at the top of any queer travelers bucket list! Take the journey with OUT Adventures from Casablanca to Marrakech.

The epic experience kicks off September 13 and lasts for 10 unforgettable days. Travel with a pack of gay travelers through desert landscapes and moody villages. Sleep in a hotel made of Saharan sand, picnic in mountain gorges, cook classic North African cuisine, and share memories that will last a lifetime. Book now and GO!

GAY GETAWAYS: GO LATER

• Pride of the Americas – April 21-26, 2020

Two continents. 35 countries. Five languages. One love. No matter who you who are, Greater Fort Lauderdale invites you to celebrate LGBT+ advocacy on the beach at the first-ever Pride of the Americas in 2020. All are welcome to fly their flag high, make an impact and radiate life. Join the ManAboutWorld team for this first ever Pride uniting our community from Arctic Canada down to Tierra del Fuego! Book your flights and accommodations today! 

• Atlantis & Virgin Voyages 1st Gay Charter from Miami – May 21-June 7, 2020

Atlantis and Virgin Voyages will make history in 2020 when they embark on the first gay charter of the Scarlet Lady. The ship will set sail on May 31 – June 7, 2020 from Miami and traverse the Mexican Caribbean. Be one of the first to discover Virgin Voyages adult-only by design experience that will transform the cruise industry.

The Atlantis charter isn’t on sale yet – it’s not even listed on the Atlantis website. But trust us, you’ll want to be on this first gay charter of the Scarlet Lady, the revolutionary new cruising experience from Virgin. Mark your calendar and reserve your vacation days now.

• Gay Wine Weekend – July 18-21, 2020

Gay Wine Weekend 2019 just happened, and it was epic. If you missed it, mark your calendar now for next year. Called “One of the best events of the summer season,” Gay Wine Weekend takes over Sonoma Valley from July 18-21 for a 3+ day celebration of food and wine in Northern California’s Sonoma Valley!

Check out the 2019 details, and mark your calendar now.

The hosts of this super fun event look forward to meeting you Out In The Vineyard of “our” Wine Country!

• Plan a Once In A Lifetime Gay Safari – August 22-30, 2020

The boys at OUT Adventures have an incredible safari planned for 2020! Their brand new gay tour of Kenya kicks off outside Nairobi – Safari Capital of the World – before venturing into the savannah. Here, authentic yet luxurious tents and lodges will provide shelter in Amboseli National Park and Masai Mara National Reserve. All meals are included on this excursion, including a fab Bush Barbecue. OUT Adventure trips sell out far in advance … so Book now and GO! 

Our very own Kenny Porpora will experience this fabulous OUT Adventures Kenya safari this August 2019. Follow his safari on Instagram at @wozels1102 and get a sneak peek at everything that awaits you in 2020.

I’ve been quoted 7 times in one week. (Must be Gay Pride Month!)

You know how you can tell it’s LGBTQ Pride month? I was quoted in seven pieces in one week. I am quoted frequently but I wish publications would cover LGBTQ travel the OTHER 11 months of the year. Well, at least they focus on us in June.

Fox40: Best places to travel to for pride

TravelPulse: This two-part article quotes us extensively and covers the topic of LGBTQ travelers in the luxury market space plus a follow-up piece on our #PrideTravel Twitter Chat in June 2019.

• Part 1
• Part 2
• This TravelPulse piece covered our successful trial LGBTQ travel safety Twitter chat

AARP:

• This piece covers the growing market for LGBTQ travelers who are over 50
• This piece covers how LGBTQ travelers can pick safe places to travel to

LifeHacker.com: This piece looks at the topic of LGBTQ travel safety

THIS EVENT HAS ENDED #PrideTravel 🏳️‍🌈LGBTQ+ travel safety Twitter chat, Thursday, Jun 13, 2pm EST Please join!

This event is over.

Thank you to all that participated. This chat about the timely and important topic of LGBTQ travel safety usually generates over 50 million impressions and reached nearly 5 million accounts.

Missed it? Read all the great Tweets here! (It’s an on-the-fly FAQ of LGBTQ travel safety!)

Please join our annual #PrideTravel safety Twitter chat this Thursday, June 13 at 2pm EST.

#PrideTravel safety Twitter chat

This is a unique opportunity to reach a vast, receptive queer audience with your messages of inclusion (as well as your LGBTQ product offering). Last year we generated 46 million impressions and reached nearly 4.6 million accounts. With World Pride around the corner, this chat promises to be the biggest and best yet.

I’m passionate about LGBTQ+ travel safety and rely on partners to raise awareness of this important issue. I’d really appreciate your participation. We published the foremost guide to LGBTQ travel safety. Download it here for free.

How to participate:

• Use the accompanying graphic to promote the chat via your networks and platforms
• On Thursday, June 13 at 2pm log in to Twitter and join in!
  • Be sure to include A1, A2, A3 etc in your response so we know which question you are answering.
  • ALWAYS use #PrideTravel in every tweet so participants can see your response.
• If you’re traveling or in an incompatible time zone, please consider pre-scheduling your responses.
  • Please direct message me to receive the questions.

Please let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to “seeing” you on Twitter Thursday!

Bottoms Up! Gay Wine Weekend in Sonoma is Coming Soon 🍷🏳️‍🌈

Called “One of the best events of the summer season,” Gay Wine Weekend takes over Sonoma Valley from July 18-21 for a 3+ day celebration of food and wine in Northern California’s Sonoma Valley!

Tell me more about Gay Wine Weekend!

Celebrate with world class wine and culinary delights, music and dancing in a private estate vineyard, VIP receptions, wine excursions, a drag queen brunch, wine auction and pool party in one of the most famous wine destinations in the world.

VIP All Access Passes Available and/or individual event passes.

The hosts of this super fun event look forward to meeting you Out In The Vineyard of “our” Wine Country!