Key West 2019 - Day 5 and 6

Celebrity Cruise's "Edge" in Key West.

I am a little late in posting about the balance of our 2019 trip to Key West, one of my most favorite places.  For readers who follow our travels, I do apologize.

Day five was calmer than the first four days and we were much less scheduled since a number of our friends had headed back either to Hampton or to the Fort Lauderdale area where they have the principal residences.  We had  lunch at BO's Fishwagon at 801 Caroline Street, Key West, where we had numerous Conch fritters and I had a a Presidente beer.

Afterward, we walked to the waterfront and saw the Celebrity Cruise's massive "Edge" (pictured above) which was hosting an all gay Atlantis cruise.  Duval Street and the gay bars were well populated by passengers from the ship.  Personally, I prefer cruise ships that are not so large - perhaps in part because I am a fan of the ocean liners of yesteryear - e.g., the United States or the incredible Normandie - that were much more streamlined, built for speed and taking rough seas in stride and less a high rise hotel slapped on a hull (I do wonder about the seaworthiness of the huge modern ships should they get caught in a hurricane or be hit by a rogue wave). 

Dinner on day five was at El Siboney on Catherine Street, a great family style Cuban restaurant.  We dined with a very nice couple from Sweden who were also staying at The Equator Resort. The place has wonderful Cuban food in a no frills atmosphere.  The sangria is terrific.

El Siboney on Catherine Street.

Day six, the day of our departure was the only day that we had rain which curtailed our activities.  Nonetheless, we walked around Old Town Key West before heading to the airport. Before leaving The Equator, we made our reservations for next year in more or less the same time slot - something many regular guest do.  This was our sixth year at The Equator which I cannot recommend highly enough for gay men traveling to Key West.  The place has beautiful amenities (which are continually upgraded) and encourages its guest from across America and the globe to socialize and create friendships.

The smaller pool at The Equator on the day of our departure.

Key West 2019 - Day 1

We arrived safely in Key West yesterday at 11:15 am.  In keeping a promise to the husband, I stayed off the computer and office email all day, although I went through over 100 office emails this morning.  We lazed around the pool at the Equator and reconnected with guys we see here each year this same weekend.  As always, we enjoyed the cocktail hour at the Equator before heading to Duval Street for dinner at Mangoes (see image at left) and then another cocktail at Bourbon Street Pub where we saw one of our favorite female impersonators, Porche (see image below) who doesn't do costume changes but instead changes her demeanor and voice to mimic numerous singers.  Her Carol Channing, Judy Garland and Janis Joplin imitations are wonderful - and she is hysterically funny.

Today, more friends - including our European travel companions - arrive and after some time by the pool, we will be doing the historic homes tour this afternoon and biking around the island. Later, the daily cocktail party and then dinner and a play down at the Red Barn Theater. 

Key West 2017 - Day 2

Our second day in Key West (yesterday) was great other than the four (4) hours I put in doing legal work/responding to office e-mails, text messages and phone calls.  The afternoon was spent by the pool at the Equator Resort, followed by cocktail hour pool side.  We had an early dinner at the Roof Top restaurant a few blocks from Mallory Square.  After dinner, we walked to Mallory Square for the ritual of watching the sun set (see photos above) before going to the Waterfront Playhouse to see the bawdy and very funny Avenue Q.

After the play, we braved the St. Patrick's Day madness of Duval Street and made our way the at new club behind Aqua that reportedly is a dance club.  It was a huge disappointment with so-so music and no one dancing.  After a quick drink - which we needed like a hole in the head - the husband and I walked back to the Equator and crashed. Today's wonderful events will be covered in a post tomorrow morning.

I absolutely love Key West and for those who have never visited, I recommend it highly!

The Evolving World of Gay Travel

Image by Tim O'Brien

Even before the Great Recession marketing to gay travelers was a growing niche in the tourism industry.  Now, with 19 states allowing full same sex marriage and perhaps 11 others on the way to that status within the next year to year and a half, more and more in the travel industries have awakened to the reality that the LGBT community is one that one wants to court.  When we travel, statistically we stay longer and spend more money.  Among the husband and my circle of friends, we DO travel a good deal (in September, we are going to Venice and then will take a cruise to the Greek Islands) and are not going to go to destinations that are not gay friendly - hence why New York City, Key West and Washington, DC, are favored domestic destinations.  A piece in the New York Times looks at the changing travel scene and one has to wonder when cities in Hampton Roads - especially Virginia Beach - are going to wake up to the fact that they are missing the boat an a significant travel niche.  Obviously, not all in the LGBT community are wealthy - the exact opposite is often the case - but I think we are more discerning of what we want and expect when we travel. Here are article excerpts:

In the 1970s gay tours took men rafting in the Grand Canyon and to Rio de Janeiro for Carnival. Gay hotels began opening in Key West, Fla. And destinations like Provincetown, Mass., were creating some of the first marketing to gay and lesbian travelers.

Today, there are tours spanning the globe not only for gay men, but also for lesbian, bisexual and transgender travelers and their children. Major hotel chains like Hilton and Marriott have dedicated L.G.B.T. microsites and vacation packages. And same-sex marriage laws are transforming cities into travel destinations, with tourism boards and hotels sponsoring L.G.B.T. events and funding advertising campaigns with taglines like Las Vegas’s “Everyone’s welcome. Even straight people.” 

“Having gay marriage passed in so many states has made a big difference,” said Robert Adams, editorial director of Passport magazine, which has an audience of mostly affluent gay male travelers. “People feel they can go someplace and be themselves.” 

The number of places where L.G.B.T. travelers can be themselves has grown exponentially from the pre-Stonewall refuges. Sure, there are plenty of cruises and tours that specifically cater to gay travelers. But the gay vacation that once existed out of necessity is now often simply a vacation — be it a routine family getaway, a destination wedding or a romantic weekend.

[M]edium-size cities like St. Louis, Rochester and, in Florida, St. Petersburg are emerging as regional destinations. Countries in Latin America such as Argentina and Uruguay are opening up thanks to new gay-rights laws. 

“Now you’re seeing competition from all-size destinations and hotel groups wanting a piece of the pie. L.G.B.T. travelers have more options now than just the big urban centers.”Certainly, to define any traveler by his or her sexuality is to view that person through a narrow lens. Countless factors shape travel interests including, but hardly limited to, age, gender, race, socioeconomic status and, of course, personal taste.

[T]he quest for the so-called “pink dollar” has accelerated — pleasing some industry veterans and putting off others — amid reports about how potentially lucrative gay travel is and could be.

Just how lucrative is difficult to quantify. Community Marketing has estimated that the annual economic impact of L.G.B.T. travelers is already about $70 billion a year in the United States.

“This is such a high-traveling, high-spending population,” said Andrew Flack, vice president for product marketing and customer insights of Hilton Worldwide, adding that in the United States a higher percentage of L.G.B.T. travelers have passports than the general travel population.

One boost to gay tourism, travel industry experts say, is same-sex marriage. In New York City alone, the economic impact of the first year of gay marriage was $259.5 million plus $16.5 million in local tax and fee revenues, according to NYC & Company, the city’s marketing and tourism organization. 

And the marriage and honeymoon business is still in its infancy. . . . Nonetheless, hotels are preparing for an influx of same-sex ceremonies.

When it comes to hotels, some boutique brands, like Kimpton, have already established themselves in the L.G.B.T. market. Now major hotel groups are working to do the same. Over the last few years Marriott and Hilton have created advertisements with gay and lesbian travelers in mind.  . . . . Sophisticated brands and locations are evolving beyond images of rainbow flags and shirtless men, Mr. Adams said, creating ads that, while showing same-sex couples, look like the rest of the brand’s advertising. “It’s great to see a couple together or a family together,” he said. “Don’t throw in every logo.”

Hilton . . .  is expanding its “Stay Hilton. Go Out” L.G.B.T. vacation campaign, which it introduced in 2012. The campaign includes a vacation package (with high-speed Internet and a one-year digital subscription to Out magazine) at more than 460 Hilton Hotels & Resorts and Hilton Grand Vacations properties around the world. The Go Out program also has a landing page on Hilton.com with information about travel and promotions.

[I]ndustry professionals say there continues to be interest in gay-related tours and events, particularly among older travelers who grew up in a time of widespread discrimination.

“I think there’s always going to be a demand for that,” said Ms. Johns, “even though we are seeing progress in equal rights legislation.” That is especially true for people who take only one or two big trips a year or who live in places that are not welcoming.

To be considered L.G.B.T.-friendly, a destination usually has a local gay community with which visitors can connect, businesses with nondiscrimination polices and diversity training, and an overall welcoming feel.

As I said, the cities of Hampton Roads are missing out.  For years now I have been telling the City of Hampton that is tourism office needs to join the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association.  To date my advice has been ignored.