Tag Archives: tourism

BRITAIN: Foreign Office Warns Travelers About Anti-LGBT Laws In North Carolina And Mississippi

Via Pink News: On the eve of a visit by Barack Obama, the UK government has updated its travel advice for the United States – to warn gay people about new anti-LGBT laws. The Foreign Office updated its guidance this week in the wake of laws passed in North Carolina and Mississippi to permit discrimination based on religious belief. Under …

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Robin Roberts On Her Mississippi Tourism Cover

“Last year well before recent events, I was interviewed and photographed to be on the cover of Mississippi’s official state tourism publication. I’ve often boasted about the beautiful people, delicious food and my picturesque hometown of Pass Christian. My longtime partner, Amber, and I have always felt welcomed in my home state, and it hurts my soul to think of …

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US Airlines Battle For Routes To Cuba

The Hill reports: U.S. airlines are in vicious competition for the chance to provide direct service to Cuba, even as the impact of the new business on their bottom lines is unclear. Last month, the Department of Transportation opened bidding from airlines to operate 20 daily round-trip flights to Havana, and 10 flights to nine smaller airports on the island. …

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MISSISSIPPI: Hospitality Group To Offer “Everyone’s Welcome Here” Signs To Eateries, Hotels, And Shops

A Mississippi hospitality group with 1400 hotels, restaurants, and shops among its members has a plan to mitigate damage to the state’s reputation. From Jackson’s ABC affiliate: Mike Cashion, executive director of the MHRA, said “when HB 1523 was signed, Mississippi was thrust into the national spotlight. Regardless of its intent, this legislation has created a level of controversy and …

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MISSISSIPPI: Openly Lesbian Journalist Robin Roberts Is The New Face Of State’s Official Tourism Agency

The Advocate reports: Lesbian news anchor Robin Roberts is the face of Mississippi’s official state tourism publication this year, joining Gov. Phil Bryant, who recently signed an anti-LGBT bill into law, in encouraging tourists to visit the Magnolia State. The 2016 official tour guide for the state of Mississippi, which features Roberts on the cover, came out well before the …

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VIRAL VIDEO: Millions Watch Hawaii Tourism Officials Surprise Gay Military Couple With Wedding

Go Hawaii! Also: Kleenex alert! Civil Beat reports: Despite its longtime leadership on issues such as anti-discrimination laws, civil unions and marriage equality, Hawaii has been shy about using that street cred to leverage more same-sex destination wedding tourism. Until now. The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau — the private, nonprofit marketing organization for the tourism industry — released an …

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NEW YORK CITY: Officials Flummoxed Over Hordes Of Topless Women In Times Square [VIDEO]

Stroll through Times Square on any warm day and you’ll encounter two dozen or more topless women who will pose for photographs, sometimes as male companions stand at the ready should any tourist not fork over the demanded $10 or $20 tip. Such performance art, as it is reluctantly classified by the city, is completely legal and officials say they …

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Helicopters Matter

Via DNA Info: City councilmembers are pushing ahead with their fight to end noisy tourist helicopter rides, introducing a bill Thursday that would ban the sightseeing flights in New York City. Several councilmembers including Margaret Chin, who represents Lower Manhattan, as well as the Upper West Side’s Helen Rosenthal, and Brooklyn’s Carlos Menchacha, proposed the legislation, which would squash the …

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Cuba Cruises To Launch In May 2016

Politico reports: Beginning in May 2016, Carnival plans to run biweekly, seven-night “people-to-people” vacations to Cuba on the company’s 710-passenger Adonia ship that offer “cultural, artistic, faith-based and humanitarian exchanges between American and Cuban citizens,” according to a statement provided to USA Today. The company is still awaiting final approval from the Cuban government. Though pure tourism to Cuba is …

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France Warns Citizens About US Travel

Via Bloomberg: The French shouldn’t be too French when they visit the U.S. That’s the advice being doled out by the French government to its citizens visiting America. Along with warnings about slower speed limits, higher drinking ages and hurricanes in Texas, the French foreign ministry adds a note of warning against being too “Latin.” “It’s recommended to adopt a …

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IRELAND: Official Tourism Bureau Promotes LGBT Matchmaking Convention

From Discover Ireland: “Did you know that same sex couples can now get married in the Republic of Ireland? It’s true! Yes, it’s all about love in Ireland, from fun-tastic LGBT events like The Outing (the world’s first ever LGBT matchmaking festival) to some of the most romantic wedding locations on the planet.” More from the Irish Mirror: The dust …

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Airbnb Expands To Cuba

Via Digital Trends: Airbnb extends its tendrils to just about every country within reach, so it’s no surprise that Cuba finally made the list. Earlier this month, the home-rental liaison took advantage of loosened U.S. trade restrictions to begin offering its services in the Communist island nation. The listings number in the hundreds right now, but Airbnb has been sending …

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LOUISIANA: New Orleans Tourism Bureau Comes Out Against RFRA Bill

The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau has issued a statement denouncing the pending RFRA bill in Louisiana. Via the Times-Picayune: “The adoption of certain types of overreaching, problematic and divisive legislation in Louisiana has the possibility of threatening our state’s third largest industry and creating economic losses pushing past a billion dollars a year and costing us tens of …

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Dollar Soars Against Foreign Currency

Via the Los Angeles Times: Americans have long complained that the dollar doesn’t buy much anymore. Suddenly, the dollar’s problem may be that it buys too much — a change that has huge implications across the global economy for consumers, businesses, investors and governments. The U.S. currency’s value has surged over the last nine months, reaching levels against some world …

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INDIANA: Christian Church Threatens To Pull Convention Over Anti-Gay Bill

Via the Indianapolis Star: The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has sent a letter to Gov. Mike Pence threatening to cancel its 2017 convention in Indianapolis if he signs controversial legislation that could allow business owners to refuse services to same-sex couples. “Our perspective is that hate and bigotry wrapped in religious freedom is still hate and bigotry,” Todd Adams, …

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INDIANA: Massive Gaming Convention Threatens To Leave The State

Via the Indianapolis Star: The organizers of Gen Con, the city’s largest convention in attendance and economic impact, are threatening to move the event elsewhere if Gov. Mike Pence signs controversial religious freedom legislation that could allow business owners to refuse services to same-sex couples. “Legislation that could allow for refusal of service or discrimination against our attendees will have …

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New Pay-To-Pee App Launches

Via Entrepreneur: Airpnp is banking on the idea that people are willing to pay to pee and rent their toilet out to desperate strangers. Described as the Airbnb for toilets, the app allows users to search for available toilets at homes and businesses in the area and find out the price to use these establishments. According to the company blog, …

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Lonely Planet Names Most Gay-Friendly Destinations For LGBT Travelers

Lonely Planet today issued its annual ranking of the top ten most gay-friendly destinations in the world for LGBT tourism. Here’s what they say about this year’s list-topper, Copenhagen. Denmark may be the home of Lego and at the forefront of New Nordic Cuisine, but importantly it made history in 1989 by becoming the first nation in the world to …

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Delaware Governor: If Brewer Signs The Hate Bill, NFL Should Move Super Bowl

“If they pass this law and if she signs it, it would seem to me that the NFL may be looking, or should be looking, to move the Super Bowl out of that state. Because, you know, there’s so many places around the country that are welcoming to everybody. I’ll put it this way; I want to make it clear …

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Afternoon View – Palm Springs Tram

When Dr. Jeff suggested that we check out the Palm Springs Tramway today, I looked at the little old hill behind our hotel and said, “Sure, we’ve got time.” What he did not tell me is that the tram climbs 8516 feet from the Coachella Valley floor and up “North America’s sheerest mountain face.” The tram does this WHILE ROTATING. …

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