North Carolina College Town to Host Gay and Lesbian Travel Symposium During North Carolina Pride Week

The Chapel Hill area will host a familiarization tour and symposium for members of the gay and lesbian travel trade, including media and tour planners, September 24-27, 2009. The symposium will be held during North Carolina Pride Week with activities scheduled at neighboring Durham, NC, including the Pride Parade and related activities.

"We are thrilled that Chapel Hill and North Carolina will be the site of an International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association Event," said Richard Brower, Strategic Development and Marketing Manager, International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA). "The itinerary is very unique and gives members of our association a new way to look at this dynamic state and college town area. The itinerary includes tour stops at the University of North Carolina, award-winning chefs and restaurants, back porch music and talks with leaders in state government. The Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau is pulling out the stops for this event."

The Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau made a strategic decision to cultivate the national gay travel industry and the symposium is one of their efforts to showcase Chapel Hill to leaders in the travel industry by hosting them for a first hand look and feel of the town. "We want the gay traveling public to know that Chapel Hill is inclusive, welcoming and beautiful year-round. We want more gay and lesbian travelers, families and business conferences to discover our unique role in the state," said Laurie Paolicelli, executive director of the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau.

The symposium will be held during the NC Pride Fest 2009, which takes place the same weekend in Durham and Raleigh, NC. http://www.ncpride.org/pride/pride_2009.shtml

The NC Pride event attracts thousands of gay and lesbian travelers for its festivities.

Highlights of the Chapel Hill itinerary include: