22 marks 50 years since HE Travel’s founder Hanns Ebensten put a small ad in New York’s After Dark arts magazine. Hanns’ future tour director Cal Culver (aka gay porn star Casey Donovan) appeared on their cover. Hanns invited “discerning gentlemen” to join him for a week in the Grand Canyon the following year, thus initiating a half-century of gay travel.
Philip Sheldon
Gay Travel to All Seven Continents
I would like to share my gratitude for what the past year has offered us. Despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, we at HE Travel have run tours to 16 countries on 5 continents (6 if you count Jordan as part of Asia). And if all goes well, we will add India and Antarctica early in 2022 to return gay travel to all seven continents!
Tokyo Olympics’ LGBT Athletes
Watching the Tokyo Olympics brings a range of emotions. First, there is the fascination of watching the world’s best athletes. (I especially enjoy gymnastics, diving, and cycling.)
The more complex emotion is who to cheer for. As an American, I identify with the success of my fellow Americans. But I have lived in and led many tours to Japan and China. Over 100 other countries have warmly welcomed me and our travelers, so I have so many athletes to cheer on!
Phil’s Notes – July 2021 – Resilience!
After operating a handful of tours over the past 18 months, we’re excited to finally be sending our travelers out to see more of our amazing destinations around the world!
We recently completed successful tours to the Galapagos and Peru. With our amazing local partners, we adapted to the frequently changing requirements of travel, such as scheduling rapid-result tests as needed.
Through a Murky Crystal Ball
As we move into the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic, I am cautiously optimistic about the resumption of travel. Our daily lives have changed, our expectations have changed, travel has changed. What has not changed is the human yearning for new experiences – and to return to familiar places where one feels welcome.
Tribute to HE Travel Founder Hanns Ebensten
As I start my 21st year as the owner of HE Travel, I would like to pay homage to our heritage. A look back at the history of HE Travel must start with Hanns Ebensten, who founded Hanns Ebensten Travel and ran the first gay tour in 1973, down the Grand Canyon.