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NEW YORK, Jun 06 2016 – An article on lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) travel in the Caribbean has copped the top award at the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO)’s Caribbean Travel Media Awards programme.
The article by Joe Pike of Travel Agent magazine won the Best of the Best award at the awards luncheon at the Marriott Marquis in New York, part of the programme for Caribbean Week New York organised by the CTO.
Dubbed, How to Sell LGBT Travel to the Caribbean, the story explores Caribbean destinations and properties that pursue the $200 billion market and provides tips and trends to those who are considering it. It has its origin in a session organised by the CTO during last year’s State of the Industry Conference (SOTIC) in Curacao.
“It is an extremely informative, well-researched and reported story. Mr. Pike did a nice job working to inform his readership about a growing LGBT travel market. Thanks to extensive research, he provided interesting data about the market potential and did first-hand reporting by interviewing industry experts to gather market intelligence. He also covers important sub-topics like safety, family travel, and same-sex marriage. Lastly, through detailed research, Mr. Pike identifies the most welcoming islands and hotels. This was an original idea and will definitely provide new and interesting information to the reader,” said director of international communications at the Washington-based The Boeing Company Steve Lott, one of the judges for the contest.
“It is very unique and different,” added Yuriy Boykiv, chief executive officer of Gravity Media, a New York-based marketing and advertising agency.
Pike was one of ten travel writers and photographers awarded today for their coverage of the Caribbean.
