February 14, 2014
Girls That Roam Launch Lesbian Travel Directory
Winnie McCroy READ TIME: 4 MIN.
Women's travel experts Girls That Roam has partnered with Travel Advisors of Los Gatos to provide travel agent services and has launched a searchable free online directory that allows women to search hospitality, travel and travel-related businesses by destination, interest and more.
"I'm pleased to bring the superior travel services of Travel Advisors of Los Gatos' to Girl Roamers," said Heather Cassell, publisher and editor of Girls That Roam, who will be trained as an independent travel counselor at the agency. "I will be able to provide quality vacations at prices not offered anywhere else as well as excellent service with the support of Travel Advisors' agents."
Cassell said that they partnered with Travel Advisors of Los Gatos because the group has more than half a century of travel experience planning everything from solo to group vacations to corporate and business travel. Girls That Roam will bring to the table their expertise in women's travel and additional experience to the agency's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender travel division.
Who has time to sort through and wonder which website is legitimate or not? If you are one of the 80 percent of women who make your friends and family's travel plans, you can rest assure that you have someone who wants you to have the best vacation possible. With this partnership, Girls That Roam can make planning your next adventure a breeze with the best trip planning advice and best rates when making your reservations for airlines, hotels and car rentals, as well as foreign currency exchange and protecting your vacation with inexpensive travel insurance.
"I'm very excited about our new relationship and know it will be positive for everyone," said Marilyn Gum, manager of Travel Advisors of Los Gatos. "Heather and Girls That Roam will bring new energy and more women's travel to our agency."
The searchable free online directory allows women to search hospitality, travel and travel-related businesses by destination, interest and more. If Girl Roamers -- what Girls That Roam calls their followers -- are searching for businesses that cater only to women or are women-owned they can do that. If they are searching for pet-friendly places to stay or vacations they can do that too. If they are looking to be only around adults or kid-friendly activities, they can do that too and much more. Whatever women want the directory will deliver with the help of our business partners.
"This directory will help our customers find the right businesses that want to serve them," said Cassell. "It will also help businesses reach loyal women customers who want to feel confident in their journeys around the world. Businesses that join our directory will signal that they care about women travelers and want to serve them."
Girls That Roam is extending an invitation to hospitality, travel and travel-related businesses to join the directory free for a limited time. All businesses need to do is register, submit a listing and upload information including images. Once the listing is confirmed, it will be ready for guests to access on the directory within 48 hours.
They are also extending an invitation for good times to anyone who may be planning a girlfriend getaway, destination bachelorette party or wedding, spring break or summer excursion, or weekend adventures with the girls. Cassell said that, thanks to the results from their Women's Travel Survey 2013, they can customize a trip perfect for you.
Girls That Roam conducted an extensive survey, reviewed the responses and spoke with respondents about their travel experiences during 2011/2012 and compiled it into this informative first survey in 2013.
"Our savvy Girl Roamers were candid in this survey about where they've set their sights for solo journeys, romantic getaways, adventures with their best gal pals and the destinations that they want to explore," said Cassell. "More important, these women were very open about what they want when they are traveling."
The top five things women want, according to this survey, are for businesses to let women know you value their business through engagement with us from advertising and marketing; customer service via a well-trained staff; no extra charges just because the guest is a woman; help guests say safe by pointing out hot spots and restricting hotel access to guests; and helping travelers learn about your city's arts and cultural attractions.
Girl Roamers are on the move exploring the world searching for new and unique destinations as much as the next warm beach to relax on or a quick jaunt into cultural hot spots. Yes, women are still visiting family and friends, but they are also keeping the flame alive by going on romantic getaways and having a blast with the girls on all-girl adventures. Then there's time alone, the journeys we take are increasingly solo. No matter how we are traveling or who we are traveling with there are key things women need and want while we are gallivanting around the world.
To that end, Girls That Roam has again been awarded as an official media sponsor of The Dinah, from April 2-6 in Palm Springs. Now in its 23rd year, The Dinah is the preeminent all-girl spring break featuring a week of break out and emerging female musicians, nationally renowned comedians, dance and pool parties and so much more attracting upward of 15,000 women each year.
"We are super excited and honored to be a Preferred Media Sponsor of The Dinah in 2014," said Cassell. "We had an amazing time last year working with The Dinah team and their friends in Palm Springs. We look forward to another fantastic year."
For more information, visit www.girlsthatroam.com or contact Heather Cassell at 408-354-6531 or 415-517-7239 or email [email protected] or [email protected].
Winnie McCroy is the Women on the EDGE Editor, HIV/Health Editor, and Assistant Entertainment Editor for EDGE Media Network, handling all women's news, HIV health stories and theater reviews throughout the U.S. She has contributed to other publications, including The Village Voice, Gay City News, Chelsea Now and The Advocate, and lives in Brooklyn, New York.