Fort Lauderdale, FL (April 6, 2017)— IGLTA, the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association is proud to announce that Andrew Collins will be awarded the 2017 Travel Writer Honor for his decades of writing for LGBTQ+ travelers. The award, selected by the IGLTA Board of Directors, will be presented at the IGLTA Annual Global Convention, 4-6 May, in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Collins has been writing for, and editing, LGBTQ+ and mainstream travel guidebooks, magazines, and newspapers for nearly three decades. His first claim to LGBTQ+ travel fame came when he authored Fodor’s Gay Guide to the USA, which came out in 1996. “Before Andrew wrote this book, there had never been an LGBTQ+ travel guide released by a mainstream travel publishing company,” said John Tanzella, IGLTA President/CEO. “This was more than 20 years ago, and it’s hard to overstate how important it was for LGBTQ+ travelers to be able to go into mainstream bookstores and find a travel guide just for them!” The book received a Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award from the Society of American Travel Writers.

Since that time, Collins has written hundreds of travel stories for LGBTQ+ newspapers and magazines, including the The Advocate and Out Traveler, and created LGBTQ+ content for more than 20 different CVB and chamber of commerce websites and visitor guides, including those of Albuquerque, Denver, Kansas City, Portland, Sacramento, Seattle, and St. Petersburg. For 10 years, Collins produced About.com’s LGBTQ+ travel site, and in recent years he’s launched gay travel magazines about Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest. He’s currently Editor-in-Chief of two new magazines focused on gay weddings and romance travel, Love Wins Texas and Love Wins California.

"When I kicked off my freelance career back in 1993 by pitching the gay guidebook idea to Fodor's, the very first resource I looked to for guidance and networking was IGLTA,” said Collins. “I attended the '94 convention in Washington, D.C. and met a number of colleagues I'm still friends with today. It's just an incredible honor to receive the Travel Writer Award this year from the organization that was so instrumental in helping me launch my career, and that continues to be an invaluable resource today."

For photos, a full bio of Andrew Collins, or to request an interview, please contact loann.halden@iglta.org. For more information on the Annual Global Convention, please visit iglta.org/convention.

This year’s IGLTA Honors awards are presented with support from Visit Philadelphia. Get your history straight and your nightlife gay: visitphilly.com/lgbt/

IGLTA’s Annual Global Convention would not be possible without the generous support of our convention sponsors. Presenting Level – Visit St. Petersburg & Clearwater, Tourism Toronto; Official Level – Blue Man Group, Visit Britain, Embratur, VISITFLANDERS, Italian

National Tourist Board, Israel Ministry of Tourism, Visit Philadelphia, Mexico Tourism Board, Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, Montage Laguna Beach & Preferred Hotel Group; Conference Level – Belmond, COLTUR Peru, Aqua Expeditions, Galeries Lafayette, SilverSea Cruises.

About IGLTA

IGLTA, the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association is the leading member-based global organization dedicated to LGBTQ+ tourism and a proud Affiliate Member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization. IGLTA’s mission is to provide information and resources for LGBTQ+ travelers and expand LGBTQ+ tourism globally by demonstrating its significant social and economic impact. The association also is a proud supporter of ECPAT’s Tourism Child Protection Code of Conduct to prevent child exploitation. IGLTA membership includes LGBTQ+ and LGBTQ-friendly accommodations, destinations, service providers, travel agents, tour operators, events and travel media in more than 70 countries. For more information: iglta.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @iglta