Traditionally the islands of the South Pacific have not been a favourite destination for gay travel. Conservative cultures have been somewhat reluctant to welcome homosexual travellers and they have gained a bad reputation. However this attitude is slowly changing and more islands are offering more gay friendly options.
The cruise ship option is often a good choice for the gay traveller. Targeted gay and lesbian cruises are offered by many of the cruise lines. The cruise ship market understood early the need to provide services to the pink market and they have been offering gay cruise timetables for a number of years. Cruising from island to island is a wonderful way to taste island cultures.
Vanuatu has developed a number of resorts over the last five years that while they are not gay specific, they are private and welcome pink travellers. One area Vanuatu has promoted to same sex couples is devotion ceremonies, which are non-legally binding, but are romantic celebrations.
Tahiti has undertaken a campaign this year to boost it’s participation in the gay travel market. Tahiti has avoided this segment of the market until now, but in May 2009 hosted their first rainbow party. The Tahitian tourist authority is keen to see high spending gay travellers.
Of the remainder of the pacific islands, Samoa is probably the most gay friendly. While much of the local culture is still quite traditional, the attitude to homosexuality is much more relaxed than other islands. The transgender fa’afafine tradition is a normal part of Samoan life.
Visiting the pacific islands as a gay traveler can be a wonderful experience.
