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All about details Travel agent, who specializes in gay/lesbian trips, says there are few limits when it comes to traveling the globe
Travel specialist Tom de Rose knows how to find a spot on a sold-out tour, how to secure hard-to-score reservations, how to get an elusive cabin upgrade, and how to arrange dream vacations whether they be safaris, romantic getaways, cruises, elegant barge trips, yacht charters or spa escapes.
So it's not surprising that de Rose, owner of Friends of Dorothy Travel in San Francisco since 1990, is on Travel + Leisure's sixth annual A-List of 125 super travel agents. He's the lone agent listed in his area of specialization: gay/lesbian travel.
"It's acknowledgment of my experience, the way I go about my business, and the service I provide to clients, always going that extra mile for them. It's about being knowledgeable and developing relationships around the world, and it's about listening and remembering the details. It's all in the details -- from the time clients leave their home 'til they return," de Rose, 55, says.
The honor also recognizes that travel is de Rose's passion -- he has visited 120 countries -- and that he knows his clientele and tourism trends, especially for gays and lesbians who generally prefer gay-friendly travel destinations.
"Our clients book multiple trips every year -- usually two large trips and four or five small trips a year. They might go to San Francisco, Palm Springs or Mexico for short trips, but they also are extending their vacation times and exploring the world. High-end travel is big," de Rose explains.
As evidence, de Rose says interest is high in upcoming gay/lesbian travel packages with destinations of Morocco, Oct. 24-Nov. 11; Puerto Vallarta, Oct. 27-Nov. 3 and Nov. 3-10; Australia, Feb. 23-March 7; India, Feb. 27-March 9, and China, April 11. Egypt is such a popular destination that packages are available for Feb. 15-26, March 15-24, Sept. 26-Oct. 5, and Oct. 31-Nov. 9. For adventurers, there is a cycling Vietnam trip, Nov. 12, as well as an upcoming cruise packages, especially popular with gays/lesbians, include:
• All-Gay Danube Riverboat Cruise, Oct. 14-27.
• Two Gay Group Cruises on Queen Mary 2: A 14-day cruise, beginning Dec. 20, visits Tortola, St. Maarten Curacao, Grenada, Barbados, Dominica, St. Kitts and St. Thomas; a 10-day cruise, beginning April 6, visits Tortola, St. Kitts, Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Thomas.
• All-Gay Best of South America Cruise aboard Celebrity Infinity, from Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires, Feb. 3 to 15.
• All-Gay Caribbean Cruise on Holland America's Zuiderdam to Belize, Cozumel and a private island in the Bahamas, Feb. 23-March 1.
• Tahitian Princess Cruise to Tahiti and French Polynesia, Feb. 28-March 9.
• All-Gay Barbados Sailboat Cruise aboard Star Clippers' Royal Clipper, March 1-8.
• Fifteen-night Diamond Princess Cruise to Hawaiian Islands, April 1.
• Seven-day Gay Group Cruise on Celebrity's Xpedition to Galapagos Islands, May 4.
The travel expert, a Minnesota native with a Wall Street background, says he dislikes being "preachy," but reminds his clients to "be respectful when a guest in a country. You should take your home values with you or not go."
De Rose, whose favorite destination is India ("It's the old and the new ... it's colorful and has contrasts.") but recommends San Francisco as the No. 1 gay/lesbian destination ("an open and understanding philosophy exists like in no other place"), warns his clientele about traveling to Jamaica, Africa and some pockets in Muslim countries.
Asked the biggest change in gay/lesbian travel, the super agent quickly notes that gay departures have become "more straight-friendly. Friends and families of gays and lesbians are saying, 'We want to travel with you on your full-gay charter.' It's a wonderful blending."
Sandy Thorn Clark is a Chicago-based free-lance writer.
• New York City
• Las Vegas
• San Francisco
• Los Angeles/West Hollywood
• Palm Springs
• Fort Lauderdale
• Chicago
TOP INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS
• Canada
• Mexico
• United Kingdom
• France
• Italy
• Germany
• Netherlands
TOP EUROPEAN CITY DESTINATIONS
• London
• Paris
• Rome
• Amsterdam
• Barcelona
• Florence
• Venice/Berlin (tie)
Source: Community Marketing Inc.
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