New Website GayFamilyTrips.com Provides Comprehensive Travel Resource for LGBT Parents

May 9, 2014 (Austin, Texas) – Today at the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association’s (IGLTA) 31^st Annual Global Convention in Madrid, Spain, Austin-based GayFamilyTrips.com announced the official launch of their website. The site provides a unique online travel resource chock-full of information, advice and ideas for LGBT parents and their families.
 
“In the U.S., an estimated two million children are currently being raised by LGBT parents,” says founder Steve Brister. “And there are many gay-friendly, family-friendly travel opportunities these families can discover and enjoy. But, until now, there was no online resource where LGBT families and gay-family friendly businesses could connect.”
 
Last month, while still in development, GayFamilyTrips.com had over 1,200 unique visitors. “I’m not surprised at the traffic the site has already received,” says Brent Wright, Director of Programs at the Family Equality Council. “LGBT parents and their families finally have a resource where they can access helpful information, share ideas and recommendations, and gain a better understanding of how to make the best of their family travel experiences.”
 
GayFamilyTrips.com began publishing content earlier this year, including Travel Advisor articles written by LGBT moms and dads. Advisor stories includes trip overviews on many popular urban and resort destinations ranging from San Francisco to Walt Disney World. There are also stories addressing “gay family travel basics” unique to LGBT families, such as what documents to bring while traveling and how to talk with your children about potentially awkward situations while on the road. Over 30 articles are currently available, with new stories being published on a weekly basis.
 
Two additional tools were launched on the website today:  Trip Calendar and Travel Directory.

• The Trip Calendar chronicles upcoming events geared toward the gay family market, including large gatherings this summer in Orlando, Provincetown, northern California and Saugatuck, Michigan. LGBT parents can scan these events and click through to the official websites for more information.
• The Travel Directory provides an organized catalog of travel and tourism businesses that welcome LGBT families including destinations, hotel properties, and tour operators. A distinctive feature of the directory is the opportunity for each business to share “Why we’re gay family friendly” in their own words.

Listings in the trip calendar and travel directory are provided to qualified travel businesses at no charge. “We wanted to make sure it was easy for both businesses and families to find and share information on many gay family travel options,” says Brister. Businesses may also opt to pay an annual fee to upgrade to a featured listing which provides website visitors with greater depth of information, photos or video, and special booking offers.
 
GayFamilyTrips.com already has an active Facebook and Twitter presence, providing frequent updates to engaged fans. A monthly newsletter program has also recently launched.
 
Brister shared that they have already signed sponsorship agreements with several upcoming gay family events, including Orlando’s Family Outfest (early July) and Provincetown’s Family Week (late July).
 
“We’re proud to partner with GayFamilyTrips.com for a number of our upcoming regional family gatherings,” added Wright, referring to the many events planned by the Family Equality Council. To promote the website to a larger audience of LGBT parents, Brister and other GFT representatives will attend these events as well as other select family-friendly gay pride festivals throughout the country.