First Gay Tourism Board joins ICTP as destination member

HALEIWA, Hawaii, USA & BRUSSELS, Belgium – The International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP) announced that GayWhistler.com based in British Columbia has become a destination member.

HALEIWA, Hawaii, USA & BRUSSELS, Belgium – The International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP) announced that GayWhistler.com based in British Columbia has become a destination member.

“We are excited to have GayWhistler.com join the ranks of ICTP’s membership, as it brings an open approach to the tourism experience. This is something that can only be of benefit for all of our members,” said Juergen T. Steinmetz, ICTP Chairman.

GayWhistler.com is a year-round promoter of Whistler in British Columbia to the gay and lesbian (LGBT) community and produces and promotes GayWhistler ski week, WinterPRIDE every year. GayWhistler.com acts like an LGBT Destination Management Organization (DMO) in working with the destination in ensuring a gay-welcoming environment. GayWhistler is dedicated in bringing alternative vacation options to the gay and lesbian community worldwide.

Said Dean Nelson, CEO & Executive Producer of GayWhistler.com: “Though Whistler is not a gay resort, the resort embraces diversity as one of its core values in ensuring the Whistler experience is safe and welcoming to everyone regardless of sexual orientation, sexual identity, race, or religion, to the sports-minded and to the spa-minded. Everyone is welcomed, and we invite you to come and enjoy Whistler any time of the year. We are also very honored to be asked to join ICTP. The value we bring to the organization is to help ensure travel experiences are safe and welcoming for all citizens of our small world. We believe through travel we gain a better understanding and respect for each other’s cultures and what makes each destination so unique and exciting to visit.”

GayWhistler’s WinterPRIDE – 21st Annual Gay & Lesbian Ski/Snowboard Week is next scheduled to be held from February 3-10, 2013. WinterPRIDE is one of the world’s leading mountain festivals that celebrates diversity. The event has been named one of the top Gay Ski Weeks by editors, travel writers, and guests from around the planet. Situated just 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Vancouver, BC, it is easy to get to this Olympic World Class Mountain resort with over 8,171 acres of pure skiing/riding bliss.

WinterPRIDE has 65 events over 8 days, which include the legendary WinterPRIDE ski/snowboard guiding program, snowmobile tours, snow shoeing, dog sledding, canopy tours, luge and inner tube racing, countless spas, epic après ski parties, culinary events, lesbian and bear & leather specific events; and awesome late night parties – something for everyone including the non-skier!

Whistler also has a very temperate climate, so the average daytime highs hover around +2C [34F] in the valley and -5C [20F] in the Alpine. Whistler has been named one of the most gay welcoming ski resorts in North America, and every year more people will tie the knot and have their same-sex marriage performed in the magical coastal mountains. For more information, visit http://www.gaywhistler.com .

ABOUT ICTP

The International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP) is a new grassroots travel and tourism coalition of global destinations committed to quality service and green growth. The ICTP logo represents the strength in collaboration (the block) of many small communities (the lines) committed to sustainable oceans (blue) and land (green).

ICTP engages communities and their stakeholders to share quality and green opportunities including tools and resources, access to funding, education, and marketing support. ICTP advocates sustainable aviation growth, streamlined travel formalities, and fair coherent taxation.

ICTP supports the UN Millennium Development Goals, the UN World Tourism Organization’s Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, and a range of programs that underpin them. The ICTP alliance is represented in Haleiwa, Hawaii, USA; Brussels, Belgium; Bali, Indonesia; and Victoria, Seychelles. ICTP membership is available to qualified destinations free of charge. Academy membership features a prestigious and selected group of destinations.

Members of destinations currently include Anguilla; Aruba; Bangladesh; Canada; China; Croatia; Greece; Grenada; India; Indonesia; Iran; Iran; La Reunion (French Indian Ocean); Malaysia; Malawi; Mexico; Morocco; Nicaragua; Northern Mariana Islands, US Pacific Island Territory; Pakistan; Palestine; Rwanda; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; South Africa; Sri Lanka; Sultante of Oman; Tajikistan; Tanzania; Yemen; Zimbabwe; and from the US: Arizona, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Maine, Missouri, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.

Partner associations include: African Bureau of Conventions; African Chamber of Commerce Dallas/Fort Worth; Africa Travel Association; Alliance for training and research in the field of social and solidarity tourism (ISTO/OITS); Cultural and Environment Conservation Society; DC-Cam (Cambodia); Hawaii Tourism Association; International Institute for Peace Through Tourism (IIPT); International Organization of Electronic Tourism Industry (IOETI); Livingstone International University of Tourism Excellence, Zambia; Positive Impact Events, Manchester, UK; Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade, China; SKAL International; Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality (SATH); Sustainable Travel International (STI); The Region Initiative, Pakistan; University of Florida: Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute; University of Hawaii; University of Technology Mauritius; and vzw Reis-en Opleidingscentrum, Gent, Belgium; and University of Technology Mauritius.

For more information, go to: www.tourismpartners.org .

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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