For the first time in its 36-year history, IGLTA (International LGBTQ+ Travel Association) hosted its annual convention in New York City. For nearly four decades, the world’s leading LGBTQ+ travel association has hosted its annual convention in destinations as diverse as its polyglot membership—from San Francisco to Sydney, Provincetown, Madrid, Cape Town in South Africa, and Florianopolis in Brazil. Notable for a membership of travel professionals from more than 80 countries, IGLTA was founded in 1983 with a mission to provide support for LGBTQ+ travelers by expanding LGBTQ+ tourism globally.
In speaking at the Opening Session, the head of U.S. Travel Association Roger Dow reminded the IGLTA audience by quoting Mark Twain that “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness”—although Dow refrained from repeating the second half of Twain’s commentary on his fellow citizens: “…and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.”
Nearly 50 countries were represented at the 36th annual convention which welcomed close to 700 participants to the city under the banner UNITE. The convention’s annual buyer/supplier networking marketplace was the largest in IGLTA history—with buyers representing more than $100 million in annual sales for LGBTQ+ travel.
Throughout the nearly weeklong schedule of events, New York City rolled out its red carpets, thanks in no small part to convention sponsor NYC & Company, whose generous hospitality embodied their tagline “Everyone is Celebrated Here.”
In designating 2019 as the Year of Pride, Fred Dixon, President and CEO of NYC & Company, recapped the events leading to the Stonewall Riots, which will mark its 50th anniversary in June with the convergent celebrations of NYC Pride and WorldPride. Nearly four million visitors are expected in New York City this summer for a five-borough, seven-week celebration of Stonewall 50 and Pride. LGBTQ-themed museum exhibitions will be held at The Met Museum, the Guggenheim, New York Public Library, Leslie-Lohman Museum, New York Historical Society, and the Brooklyn Museum. With its citywide Project Rainbow, NYC & Company promises to “paint the town proud.”
As Dixon stated in speaking about the LGBTQ community and its impact on travel, “We set the trends”—and those trends were further explored in the various roundtable discussions and presentations offered throughout the four-day agenda, which included speakers from organizations such as Rainbow Railroad, Delta Airlines, YES Institute, Google, Hilton, and others.
Hosted at New York Hilton Midtown throughout the day, participants at the 36th annual convention were welcomed at various evening receptions held throughout the city, including Pink Banana Media‘s pre-opening reception at Aspire at One World Observatory. The legendary Lady Bunny helmed the turntables at Magic Hour rooftop bar and lounge for the official Opening Reception, which was followed on Friday evening by the IGLTA Foundation gala Voyage.
Held at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers, the IGLTA Foundation fundraiser featured trans activist speaker Lucky Michaels, as well as the Humanitarian Award recipients Tony-award-winning playwright Terrence McNally and theatrical producer Tom Kirdahy. Transgender icon extraordinaire Amanda Lepore showered the sartorially-stellar crowd with “Champagne,” reminding everyone to live each day with effervescence.
Based on post-convention surveys and questionnaires from previous years, the primary reason that attendees return to IGLTA’s annual convention is networking. Not only was this year’s 36th annual convention a successful networking event, one of the hallmarks of this year’s edition was connecting with people whose remarkable backstories are marked by a passion for justice, a desire for progressive change, and the ongoing pursuit of equality.
Representing Guam, the Honorable Joshua Tenorio, for example, is the first openly gay Lt. Governor elected in the island’s history. Kimahli Powell, Executive Director of Rainbow Railroad, works to help LGBTQ+ people escape state-sponsored violence. Lucky Michaels used her experience on the streets to help LGBTQ+ youth find shelter off the streets.
In short, IGLTA’s inaugural convention in New York City served as a celebratory validation of the import of forming a positive and progressive community of visionaries. Or, as Fred Dixon of NYC & Company encouraged the crowd, “Take the spirit of Stonewall back to your homeland.”
