Archive for category *LGBTQQ*

PRIDE Travel’s Kassouf Nominated for TrendSetter Award: Community Service

Pride TravelFor the second year in a row, industry magazine TravelAge West has nominated PRIDE Travel’s Marc R. Kassouf for its prestigious TrendSetters Award in the category of Best Community Service Effort. As one of only two finalists being nominated Kassouf , is already assured to win either the top TrendSetter award for Best Community Service Effort, or the runner up award. “To even be nominated for this amazing award is an honor in itself” said Mr. Kassouf, pointing out that “Winning would be a nice ‘bonus’.” The TrendSetter awards are slated to be conferred at the black tie annual TravelAge West WAVE awards ceremony being held mid-June at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills. The travel industry’s top executives and experts will be in attendance recognizing the best of the best in the travel sector.

Mr. Kassouf and PRIDE travel were nominated again this year for their exemplary and continued contributions to Read the rest of this entry »

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Tags: 2010, Age, award, Nominee, PRIDE, pride travel, Setter, travel, TravelAge, Trend, Trendsetter, West

PRIDE Travel Engaged by Celebrity Music Artists Jason and deMarco to Organize Wedding Cruise for Friends, Family and Fans

Pride TravelFollowing other recent celebrity and public figures that became clients, PRIDE Travel of Long Beach, California, was retained by musical artists Jason and deMarco to organize and coordinate a cruise the summer of 2010 celebrating their wedding. The couple will be sailing with friends, family, and fans on Carnival’s Conquest roundtrip from Galveston, Texas near the newly-wed’s Texas home May 2010 on a seven night Caribbean Cruise. The cruise will depart from Galveston, cruising the Gulf of Mexico with stops in Freeport Bahamas, Nassau Bahamas, and Key West, Florida, and return to Galveston.

A special cruise group has been setup by PRIDE Travel with Carnival Cruises, with limited space available for fans to book and sail with the artists. Read the rest of this entry »

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Tags: cruise, DeMarco, fan, Jason, Jason and DeMarco, Jason DeMarco, wedding

PRIDE Travel Owner and CEO Named Co-Chair of International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association’s Diversity Committee

Pride TravelFurther deepening ties and contributions by PRIDE Travel’s owners and employees to the organization, owner and CEO Marc R. Kassouf was appointed co-chair, Diversity Committee of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA). In his continuing duties as a member of the Committee, Mr. Kassouf now takes on additional strategic and administrative roles to help facilitate the production of plans and processes to fulfill the Committee’s mission as tasked by the Board of Directors of IGLTA. Bryan Herb, IGLTA Board Chairman elaborated that the Diversity committee is charged with creating actionable plans for IGLTA staff to diversify the membership geographically, by member type, and demographically. “We’re pleased to have Marc onboard as co-chair” Herb said, adding that “his efforts to date on the committee have been excellent and he has contributed many fresh ideas.”

PRIDE Travel has been an active member and supporter of IGLTA, Read the rest of this entry »

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Tags: IGLTA, International Gay Lesbian Travel Association, pride travel

PRIDE Travel LGBT Leisure Travel Sales Ahead of National Community Marketing Inc Year to Year Average With Slight Increase

Pride TravelIn contrast to trends observed and being released by Community Marketing, Inc. (CMI), PRIDE Travel sales to lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered (LGBT) leisure is up slightly for the year ending 2009 according to S. Nathan DePetris, its Chief Operations Officer and owner. “We have seen growth not only in the number of LGBT Leisure clients booking trips,” noted DePetris, “but also in the length of travel” Adding that although more clients were staying closer to home, those that are journeying afield are traveling farther and for longer, taking advantage of the economic downturn’s many values that have been injected into and became available as travel products this year.

According to CMI, LGBT leisure travel was only slightly down overall during the past 12 months, but held reasonably steady despite the recession. “Less affected by economic downturns than their mainstream counterparts… LGBT leisure travelers remain an important niche market for tourism and hospitality,” Roth said. Read the rest of this entry »

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Tags: gay, lgbt, lgbtq, PRIDE, pride travel, travel

PRIDE Travel receives runner-up 2009 Trendsetter award -Best Community Service by magazine Travel Age West for contributions to the LGBTQ Community

 PRIDE Travel was awarded runner-up “Best Community Service” by TravelAge West magazine at this year’s black-tie Wave Awards benefit dinner for exemplary contributions to The Center, a community services organization catering to the local and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Queer communities. PRIDE Travel is the first gay & lesbian travel agency to ever receive this honor.

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Tags: 2009, award, community service, gay, pride travel, travelage west, trend setter, trendestter

PRIDE Travel attends invitation-only Las Vegas Gay and Lesbian VIP tour program; Optimistic on continued growth of domestic travel

PRIDE Travel has just completed an in-depth VIP tour of Las Vegas and the many attractions and shows of interest to LGBTQ travelers. At the conclusion of the program PRIDE Travel attendees were very optimistic about the current continued improvements in the health of the travel sector as it relates to domestic travel, and are gearing up for a summer/fall season that will surpass 2008.

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Tags: Certified, Expert, Las Vegas, Vegas, VIP Tour

Travel industry magazine Travel Age West nominates PRIDE Travel and Marc Kassouf as finalist in 2009 Trendsetters award for Best Community Involvement

PRIDE Travel one of only two nominees for 2009 Trend Setters award -Best Community Involvement by TravelAge West magazine; the award is scheduled to be conferred in June. The nomination of Owner Marc Kassouf and PRIDE Travel is for exemplary contributions to The Center, a community services organization catering to the local and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Queer communities.

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Tags: 2009, award, community service, gay, pride travel, travelage west, trend setter, trendestter