The annual New York Travel & Adventure Show, which returned to the Javits Center in late January, was a little less colorful than usual — not just because of the snow, but because in this 2026 version, the famed rainbow-filled LGBTQ pavilion was missing.
Still, as always, there was a sizable LGBTQ presence for those who knew where to look. That included the fabulous beach resorts of Florida, from Fort Lauderdale to Greater Miami & Miami Beach, home to the Art Deco delight of South Beach, long a popular LGBTQ destination. Florida’s Key West also had two separate booths in different areas of the show floor.
Interviewed on the Saturday of the show, Jan. 25, Liana Pyne, director of domestic sales for the Florida Keys & Key West, told Gay City News the show floor had been very busy. Pyne highlighted how the New York area has long been a strong market for the resort destination, with non-stop service from all three airports. She added that the newly-renovated Key West Airport now features “a new modernization in the terminal, and we have jet bridges now, so the arrival experience is really elevated in The Keys.”
While pointing out drag shows, bars, and LGBTQ lodging, she added, “We’re still open to everyone. Come as you are, be who you are, and enjoy it.”
Closer LGBTQ hotspots were also represented, including New Jersey’s Asbury Park and Atlantic City. Another Northeast destination with a large presence was Provincetown, Massachusetts. Standing before its rainbow-washed stand with the word “Pride” a prominent feature, Nina Cantor, Provincetown’s new director of tourism, told Gay City News, “We are hearing people saying, ‘thank you for being here and representing who we are.’” Cantor added, “The show has shifted a little bit, so there is not as much of the queer community here for as far as exhibits go. So, I think people are really happy that we’re here, as well as exposing those who are not familiar with Provincetown.”
Cantor explained that though the LGBTQ Pavilion is missing this year, Provincetown has always represented itself within the New England section, “so we really can make a statement and be here.” She added that events stretch throughout the year in the Cape Cod town, often shortened as P-Town. She described long-running events, including Trans Week, formally known as Fantasia Fair, which is in its 53rd year; Women’s Week, which is now 41 years old; and Bear Week, which marked its 25th year. She also pointed out Provincetown is “the oldest continuous arts colony in the United States,” adding that the town is home to more than 50 art galleries.
Cantor, aware that Provincetown represents a beacon of hope in a period of struggle for LGBTQ people and others, acknowledged the broader political climate but stressed that the destination remains a safe place for queer travelers.
“The environment, the current administration has definitely changed things, but not in Provincetown, and we really are working hard to make sure it stays that way,” Cantor explained.
Only one company, Uncruise Adventures, was listed in the Travel Show’s map book as LGBTQ-friendly. Still, diverse showings included a booth for The Green Book Experience, highlighting sites from the Jim Crow-era Black travel guide that became better known after the 2018 movie that took its name.
Travel Unity, a non-profit promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within the travel industry, also had a strong presence. Its executive director, Roni Weiss, led groups of college students interested in tourism through the showroom floor and held impromptu discussions with experts who passed by their booth.
Other small tour companies with LGBTQ offerings included She Shapes History, a walking tour company originally founded in Australia. Nikki Padilla Rivera, a local She Shapes History representative, told Gay City News they were just beginning in New York. Among their LGBTQ highlights would be a tour — presented in partnership with the women’s travel community Wanderful — focused on four important women in feminist history, including lesbian civil rights pioneer Barbara Gittings.
International destinations known for LGBTQ travel, especially in Europe, were well represented, along with countries like South Africa, the first country with constitutional protection for LGBTQ citizens, as well as Thailand and Taiwan, two Asian countries which stand out for same-sex marriage laws.
The Travel Show is known for its celebrity guest speakers, who often sign books and meet with fans, including Pauline Frommer of Frommer’s Guide Books, Patricia Schultz of the 1000 Places travel book series, CBS News travel guru Peter Greenberg, Gen X Brat Pack actor turned travel writer Andrew McCarthy, Mickela Mallozzi of the PBS Bare Feet Travel Show and many others.
Among those doing travel information reconnaissance was gay travel influencer David Booth Perry who runs Perry Trails on various social media platforms. Perry told Gay City News that for those interested in LGBTQ travel information “because the pavilion isn’t here, you’re going to have to start asking that. That’s just the way it is.” He found many gay-friendly surprises, saying, “I am finding that certain locations are beginning to push it. I saw Kentucky, they now have an LGBTQ option.”
Beyond coming to shows like this for information, Perry also recommended LGBTQ travelers follow influencers.“Social media is a gigantic tool that we should all be using. It’s feet on the ground reporting,” he said. “We’re the ones who are going out before anybody else does.”
On the lack of a pavilion offering the information that Perry and others have become used to, Jonathan Golicz, Vice President of Unicomm, the company that runs the Travel & Adventure Show in New York City and several other cities, told Gay City News, “We did see a significant decrease in LGBTQ Pavilion participation from destinations and travel providers from across the world for the 2026 Shows.” Golicz added that “budget allocations from consumer-facing activations to trade-facing activations seemed to be the main driver, which unfortunately doesn’t help the traveler looking for LGBTQ-friendly travel options.”
For next year, he explained the company hopes “destinations and travel suppliers decide to switch back to promoting their itinerary options directly to consumers for 2027 and beyond.”
The New York Travel & Adventure Show returns to the Javits January 2027.
