Luxury tour operator Sky Vacations promises exclusivity and access in group tours (think chartered sail in the Med rather than the CO2-emitting cruise ship behemoths). This Pride month, they’ve launched a new LGBTQ travel offering, Out World Journeys.
Out World Journeys isn’t a queer group tour operator – though we’ve got plenty of those.
Browse LGTBQ group tours for single lesbians, older lesbians, queer women and gay men
They’re more of a service provider for custom tours.
Out World Journeys’ director, Richard Krieger, explained how it works in a press release announcing the new venture.
“If you’re interested in history, art, architecture, food and wine, we have great programs for you. If you’re looking for the perfect family getaway, we’ve got that as well,” said Krieger. “And if you don’t see what you’re looking for—we’ll do our best to curate the journey of your dreams.”
Their website is big on promises.
“Join us where the realms of exclusivity and inclusivity intertwine, and let us redefine the art of travel for you,” is one bold claim they make.
What’s missing is the sort of by-us, for-us level of detail that suggests meaningful inclusion and not pink washing.
Reading closely, you’ll discover that they work with LGBTQ South African guides, but not what makes Cape Town “Africa’s LGBTQ+ capital,” what you’ll see, or how a tour might intersect with and support the local Cape Town LGBTQ community.
On a London-Edinburgh adventure, Edinburgh is referred to as “the enchanting city that inspired Harry Potter,” period.
Nary a mention of the author’s extreme transphobia, or why Harry Potter references might not be a selling point for the queer community.
Out World Journeys may be a fun addition to our list of custom tour providers for the LGBTQIA community. They are a member of IGLTA, a network of LGBTQ-owned and allied travel businesses.
But I’m not yet convinced they have the knowledge to serve our Pride travel community sensitively, based on what I’ve seen in their launch materials.
I hope I’m wrong, and that they’re feeling their way into this new demographic by listening and learning to what queer folks need! If I hear more about their commitment to inclusive travel, I’ll come back and update this post.
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