Fitur is one of the biggest tourism trade shows in the world and it takes place every year in Madrid. This year was from 25-28 January. And the reason it is so important to us is the FITUR GAY pavilion, in which companies and destinations focused on LGBTQ+ tourism show their services and projects. This was the 9th edition and for the first time there was an area focused lesbians and a program made by and for women.

IGLTA was present with a booth and a presentation about the association and the annual conference, which will take place in NYC, 24-27 April. Auston Matta, IGLTA’s Consumer Marketing Manager, was on stage showing to the public the importance of IGLTA’s work. Also, the association organized a reception at Axel Hotel.

 

Credits: Blog Estrangeira

 

Lesbian tourism by ELLA TRAVEL

If you’re a lesbian traveller who’s not satisfied with the current gay tourism products, don’t worry—you’re not alone! And we have great news. 26 January was the day for inspiring women that are innovating and researching in tourism to lesbian and bisexual women to present their work in FITUR LGBT. The program was organised by IGLTA event partner Ella International Lesbian Festival.

It was a very informative and uplifting day—we finally had our space and voice in an event like that. Most of the time only gay men represent the LGBTQ+ community. But at FITUR LGBT 2019 it was different!

Below you can have a quick overview of lesbian tourism lectures on FITUR LGBT 2019.

 

Credits: Ella Travel

 

Ella Festival

The first lesbian tourism lecture was held by Kristin HansenElla Festival founder. If you’ve never been to Ella Festival you should include it in your plans! It’s an amazing lesbian festival that takes place in Mallorca (Spain) twice a year and will soon have its first edition in Costa Rica! The festival offers many activities, parties, workshops, special tours and delicious meals to the lesbian and bisexual women.

 

Credits: Ella Festival

 

Blog Estrangeira

We (Gabi Torrezani and Fabia Fuzeti) also talked about our LGBTQ+ travel blog. We’re a Brazilian lesbian couple living in Spain and travelling the world. But we know it’s not so easy to travel anywhere being a woman—especially lesbian—so we write and make videos about our real experiences.

 

 

Credits: Ella Festival

 

Les Working e LB Talks

María Colom and Maria Teresa de Rodriguez de Castro from LesWorking spoke about the need for women’s networks to enable ideas and projects made by women. They also informed us about a very interesting event that will take place in Barcelona on 26 May 2019 organized by LB Talks, in which lesbian and bisexual women will talk about leadership.

 

Credits: Ella Festival

 

Magles Revista

Then we heard Dasha Gapith from Magles Revista, one of the most important lesbian magazines in Spain, that recently launched the lesbian dating app Magles Match. She talked about the importance of coming  out of the closet in the working environment and how your quality of life can be improved by doing so.

 

Credits: Ella Festival

 

Revista MíraLES

We could not talk about lesbian magazines without mentioning MíraLES, published since 2009. Maria Jesús Mendez talked about what she has learned in the past 10 years directing MíraLES and also presented Revista Oveja Rosa, a magazine made for same-sex couples and families.

 

Credits: Ella Festival

 

Ella Travel

Unfortunately lesbian tourism is a segment with little research and information about it. Isabel de Torres-Peralta from Conalma Investigación presented the results of a research commissioned by Ella Travel with lesbians about their travel and leisure preferences. It was a great opportunity to learn and understand this public.

Neither straight traditional tourism nor gay-friendly tourism is satisfying for lesbians—especially because what we know as gay-friendly tourism usually provides 

services and products only for gay men. That’s why is so important to have lesbian and bisexual women entrepreneurs focused on creating new products for us.

 

 

Credits: Ella Festival

 

Mama al Cuadrado

Instagramer Yamila Hansen di Santo, responsible for Mama al Cuadrado, has a beautiful daughter with her wife and shared with us the challenges of a same-sex parents travelling as a family. While a couple with no kids can avoid demonstrating its sexual orientation if they need to, a same-sex family has no way to hide it. So choosing a friendly destination is priority.

 

 Credits: Ella Festival

 

Oh Mami Blue

If you follow lesbian profiles on Instagram you probably know Verónica e Jana, from OhMamiblue. They’re huge and post amazing pictures about their daily life as a lesbian couple – and as mothers of a beautiful baby boy. They spoke about new maternities in social media and the importance of educating children in diversity, as Jana is also a teacher.

 

Credits: Ella Festival

 

Reprofiv

Many women in a relationship with another woman want to be mothers. Why not? Elena Martín Hidalgo, director of the reproduction clinic Reprofiv, and Carmen Torres Gutiérrez taught the audience a bit more about artificial insemination, IVF and fertility.

 

Credits: Ella Festival

 

Costa Rica LGBT

The surprise speaker was Costa Rica’s ambassador and ex-vice-president Ana Helena Chacón Echevarría. She talked about human rights and new laws concerning the LGBTQ+ community in her country. Same-sex marriage will probably be legalized in Costa Rica in 2019 and Ella Festival Costa Rica should also help put Costa Rica on the lesbian tourism map.

 

Credits: Ella Festival

 

Batucada Que Entiende

Have you ever imagined a percussion group formed by 80 lesbians? It exists in Madrid and is called Batucada Que Entiende! They brought their energy to end the presentations on a high note   J

 

 Credits: Ella Festival

 

Ella Festival closing party

We also deserve to have some fun, right? Ella Festival knew that and organized a party for us to dance and meet other girls. A lot of women had fun at Hotel Room Mate Óscar in Chueca, Madrid’s LGBTQ+ neighborhood.

 

Gabi Torrezani and Fabia Fuzeti write the LGBTQ+ travel blog www.estrangeira.com.br, They are a Brazilian lesbian couple, currently living in Barcelona. In 2015 they produced and directed a documentary about the same-sex marriage in Brazil, Vestidas de Noiva (Here Come the Brides).

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