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28.7.2010
GME News
San Francisco, Barcelona, Sydney, and …
Beirut? As surprising as it sounds, the Lebanese capital is fast
becoming a popular gay destination. In fact, The New York Times
dubbed Beirut as "the Provincetown of the Middle East" in a 2009
article, while the Dutch Winq magazine named it "the (gay) party
capital of the Middle East."
Bertho Makso, the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association
(IGLTA) ambassador to Lebanon, is directing the first
familiarization tour and symposium to Lebanon for professionals
who work in the LGBT travel market.
Beirut has a lot of things to offer, from fabulous gay friendly
beaches, to fantastic cafes, clubs, hamams and much more. The
scene is diverse and surprising, you could find in the same club,
gays of Druz, Christian, Muslim and Jewish origins, and these come
in all shapes and sizes from muscle boys to bears. "Lebanon is a
very liberal country. Once you're here, you'll be surprised," says
Makso. "It's a county rich in attractions to appeal to LGBT
travelers. Beirut is like nowhere else!"
Set for Oct. 13-18, 2010, the Beirut-based trip, will not only
tour the capital and check out its vibrant gay nightlife, but also
take participants to famous historic sites throughout the country.
Highlights include the Roman ruins of Baalbek, the ancient
Phoenician city of Byblos, the beaches of Jounieh, and the
underground caverns of Jeita. Also on the itinerary: the
picturesque village of Deir El Qamar with its red-tiled roofs and
the neighbouring Beiteddine Palace, an architectural marvel dating
to 1788 that now serves as the presidential summer palace.
Participants can extend their trip to visit neighbouring Syria.
"We're looking forward to being part of a FAM trip to such a
unique destination," says IGLTA President/CEO John Tanzella.
"Lebanon isn't the first country that springs to mind for LGBT
travel, but Beirut is getting a lot of attention from travel media
right now. It's exciting to see an IGLTA member at the forefront
of this type of gay outreach." Indeed, we, at Gay Middle East.com
are excited about this unique and special event and hope it will
help bring Lebanon and Beirut to the forefront of LGBT
international travel as well as present opportunities for all LGBT
communities in Lebanon.
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