Gay travelers have spoken: Chicago is 2013’s “City of the Year,” barely beating out the likes of Rio de Janeiro and Toronto. The Windy City received 22% of the votes in Best of GayCities 2013, the largest interactive promotion for gay travelers. This year, the promotion was sponsored by American Airlines.
Other big wins include Vienna for “Culture Hub” and Santa Fe, this year’s big surprise, as 2013’s “Hidden Gem.” Winners were chosen not by editors, but by over 80,000 votes.
“We’re proud to present the biggest annual awards chosen by real gay travelers,” said GayCities CEO Scott Gatz. “Audience engagement in this year’s campaign was a record high, proving the continued interest in LGBT travel and GayCities’ commitment to helping over 720,000 LGBTs connect and discover the best destinations each month.”
Venerable gay metropolis New York City won in three categories, “Nonstop Nightlife,” “Fashion Capital” and “Singles Scene.” The gay mecca of the West, San Francisco, won for its “Utopian Pride.” Other wins include Paris (“Foodie Paradise”), Sydney (“Fun in the Sun”), Key West (“Relaxation Central”) and W Hotels (“Heavenly Stays”).
Best of GayCities 2013 also reflected the worldwide momentum for marriage equality with three new categories: “Global Marriage Mecca” (winner, Amsterdam); “American Marriage Mecca” (winner, San Francisco); and “Honeymoon Hotspot” (winner, Santorini).
What do you think? Do these results reflect the reality of gay life? Or are they perhaps a little too predictable? Check out all the categories, nominees and runners up here.
Photo: Flickr
