by Devon on October 16, 2012
If you and your partner are planning a quick family escape before the holiday rush, — or are thinking ahead (kudos!) for outings between next year’s school breaks – we’ve come up with four great vacation ideas to offer you a little inspiration. Whether your family wants fun in the sun, a bit of culture, or just a change of scenery, we’ve found the best LGBT family getaways for all types. And as with any good family-friendly destination, these trips have a little something extra for parents to enjoy after the kiddies have gone to bed.
In Search Of: Culture
The "New York up North," Toronto has plenty of cultural sights
Tagged as “New York run by the Swiss,” Toronto is a massive (and clean!) cultural hub, with a reputation for being both family- and gay-friendly. Canada’s biggest city also has world-renowned restaurants, shopping, and theaters, with quick and easy transportation to take you there. The Fairmont Royal York is one of the Toronto’s premier hotels with its elegant, old world charm, and a prime location blocks from the shopping and attractions of Yonge Street. After a day of sight-seeing on Yonge or in the nearby Entertainment District, parents can cozy up for an intimate evening at the Library Bar, or one of the hotel’s award-winning restaurants, such as the locally-focused Epic. Read More »
Tagged as:
family-friendly hotels,
Geneva,
Historic Hotels,
Luxury Hotels,
Orlando,
Palm Springs,
Toronto
by Devon on October 2, 2012
October is LGBT history month in the United States, and Oyster is kicking things off with the introduction of our gay-friendly travel section. The LGBTQIA community has its own set of travel concerns, so fortunately there are countless organizations that have established guidelines to ensure that traveling gays and lesbians are safe, welcome, and happy in their travels.
TAG and the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) are two organizations devoted to setting standards for gay-friendly tourism and holding businesses accountable for the welfare of their clientele, no matter their sexual orientation. For example, hotel standards established by TAG include staff trained in diversity, a commitment to acting as “watchdogs” for gay travelers, and a strict enforcement of non-discrimination policies for all guests. Similarly, IGLTA works to encourage gay and lesbian travel by collaborating with hotels, cruise lines, casinos, and other travel-related companies to demonstrate the positive “social and economic impact” of LGBT tourism. In our travels, we’ve found that the most gay-friendly destinations and accommodations not only display tolerance in their business and social practices, but also welcome and encourage diversity and have a visible LGBT scene.
What makes a destination or hotel "gay-friendly"?
Read More »
Tagged as:
Las Vegas,
New York City,
Puerto Vallarta,
San Francisco
