followsummer travel news for April 8, 2016

Crystal Cruises Reveals New Product Timeline and World Cruise

Aboard Crystal Cruises’ current world cruise on the Crystal Serenity, the line’s president and CEO,  discussed what’s new for the luxury travel company including its future products and another 2019 world voyage. On the cruise line’s blog, she also outlines a timeline of when to expect its next vessels and first aircraft.

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Mississippi Faces Tourism Backlash for Anti-LGBT ‘Religious Freedom’ Law

Mississippi, known as the “hospitality state” isn’t seeming very hospitable right about now. After signing into law a sweeping pro-discrimination bill yesterday, the state is experiencing a similar backlash to North Carolina. Several states have banned travel to Mississippi for employees, major employers in the state have decried the law and Funny or Die has, once again, assisted in rewriting the state’s tourism message, similar to its spoof tourism campaign for North Carolina.

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Survey: Most LGBT Travelers Won’t Visit Places Where Homosexuality is Illegal

A survey recently conducted online by LGBT-friendly travel service OutOfOffice.com and Attitude Magazine revealed that 61% of LGBT individuals would not feel comfortable visiting a destination where homosexuality is illegal.  According to OutOfOffice.com, homosexuality is still illegal in more than 70 countries around the world. That puts a lot of restrictions on LGBT travelers.

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How Obama’s Cuba Visit Allowed A&K to Get Creative

What do you do with lemons? Everyone knows the answer to that one. Since tour operators are now in the business of providing authentic experiences, a problem that wrecks your plans could turn out to be the best thing that could happen. Obama’s recent trip to Cuba was just such a crisis/opportunity. With the first visit to Cuba by an American president since Calvin Coolidge in 1928, all bets were off for even providing accommodations in Havana, let alone operating a normal tour itinerary in the city.

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