Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
39
of the former N ational Council of S enior
Citizens receive automatic membership in
the Alliance.
Many r eliable agencies and organiza-
tions target the 50-plus market.
Elderhostel
(
&
877/426-8056;
www.elderhostel.org)
arranges study programs for those ages 55
and over (and a spouse or companion of
any age) in the U.S. and in mor e than 80
countries around the world. M ost courses
last 5 to 7 days in the U.S. (2-4 w eeks
abroad), and many include airfare, accom-
modations in univ ersity dormitories or
modest inns, meals, and tuition.
Elder-
Treks
(
&
800/741-7956;
www.eldertreks.
com) offers small-gr oup tours to off-the-
beaten-path or adv enture-travel locations,
restricted to trav elers 50 and older . R ec-
ommended publications offering trav el
resources and discounts for seniors include
the quar terly magazine
Travel 50 &
Beyond
(www.travel50andbeyond.com);
Travel U nlimited: U ncommon Adv en-
tures for the M ature Traveler
(A valon);
101 Tips for M ature Travelers,
available
from G rand Cir cle Travel (
&
800/221-
2610
or 617/350-7500; www .gct.com);
and
Unbelievably Good Deals and Great
Adventures That Y ou A bsolutely C an't
Get U nless Y ou're Ov er 50
(McGraw-
Hill), by Joann Rattner Heilman.
GAY & LESBIAN
TRAVELERS
Though much has r ecently changed,
Argentina r emains a v ery traditional,
Catholic society that is fairly closed-
minded about homosexuality . B uenos
Aires, however, is a more liberal exception
to this r ule, wher e gays and lesbians ar e
part of the fabric of city life. G ay and les-
bian trav elers will find numer ous clubs,
restaurants, and even tango salons catering
to them. Buenos Aires has become a major
gay-tourism mecca since the peso crisis,
outshining Rio de Janeiro in popularity for
this market. Gay maps are now produced by
the Buenos Aires Tourism Office for distri-
bution with standar d trav el infor mation.
Most hotel concierges also easily pr ovide
this information, r ecognizing the impor-
tance of the emerging mar ket. The locally
produced w ebsite www .gayinbuenos
aires.com.ar also pr ovides more details on
many sites of interest.
In 2003, B uenos Aires enacted a Civil
Unions law for gay and lesbian couples—
the first major Latin American city to do
so—and this law may ev entually be made
national. S till, thr oughout Argentina,
while there are visible v enues and effor ts,
for the most par t many gays and lesbians
remain fairly closeted. Violence is some-
times aimed at the transgendered, even by
police.
Be aware of a fe w rules of thumb in a
country wher e close contact is per fectly
normal. Women walk hand in hand on the
street, and it does not necessarily mean
they ar e lesbians. I t's simply common
among women. Men kiss each other hello
in public, and again this does not mean
they are gay.
The
I nternational G ay and Lesbian
Travel Association
(
IGLTA;
&
800/448-
8550
or 954/776-2626; www.iglta.org) is
the trade association for the gay and les-
bian trav el industr y, and offers an online
directory of gay- and lesbian-friendly
3
travel businesses.
The
Comunidad H omosexual de
Argentina
(
CHA;
&
11/4361-6382;
www.
cha.org.ar) is the main gay- and lesbian-
rights gr oup in Argentina. They w ere the
main pr oponents of the Civil U nions law,
which they ar e attempting to expand to the
entire country. They also run the annual Gay
Pride March, known as Marcha del Orgullo
Gay, in November.
Many agencies offer tours and trav el itin-
eraries specifically for gay and lesbian trav-
elers.
Above and Bey ond Tours
(
&
800/
397-2681;
www.abovebeyondtours.com)
is the exclusive gay and lesbian tour opera-
tor for United Airlines.
Olivia Cruises &
Resorts
(
&
800/631-6277;
www .olivia.
com) char ters entire resorts and ships for
