In 1999 a cruise pulled into Istanbul with one key difference: all 400 of its guests were lesbians. Organised by Olivia Travel, the cruise had already made waves in Kuşadası where its guests had been credited for revitalising the local economy with their rug and jewellery purchases. By the time it reached Istanbul, a small media circus was there to greet them whilst local shopkeepers called out “Come to my shop, lovely lesbian ladies!”.
Sadly, a quarter of a century later, Türkiye’s openness to LGBT+ travellers seems to have fallen off.
On 28 June, officials in Türkiye’s Aydın province confirmed via a statement posted on X that Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady would not be permitted to dock in Kuşadası on 7 July, or in Istanbul the following day. The ship, chartered by Atlantis Events for a 10-day “Athens to Venice” cruise carrying roughly 1,900 LGBT+ passengers, including around 1,100 Americans, was told the charter group was “known for behaviours that do not align with the structure of our society and our moral values,” and that its planned arrival had “caused great discomfort in various segments of our society”.
Atlantis has since rerouted the ship to Cairo and Crete instead.
It’s the first time in Atlantis’s 36-year history that a country has denied it entry outright. CEO Rich Campbell called the decision “stunning,” telling CNN: “The reasoning behind it is that it’s a gay group.”
He noted Atlantis had chartered cruises into Istanbul and Kuşadası 13 times over the past 25 years without incident, and said calls involving the US Embassy in Türkiye had failed to reverse the ban. Broadway performer Patti LuPone, who was booked to appear on board, said she was “furious” but would continue sailing regardless.
“It’s a bit like how Russia used to be”
Speaking exclusively to Travel Weekly, Mario Paez, co-founder and managing director at Planetdwellers, a travel agent dedicated to serving LGBT+ travellers, says things have deteriorated in Türkiye since Pride stopped being permitted in Istanbul in 2015.
“It’s a little bit like Russia used to be,” he says. “You could go to St Petersburg and do gay tours and gay sailings. Once Pride got removed and not permitted, it all changed. Türkiye’s slowly going that way, unfortunately.”
Paez says the shift has been building for close to a decade rather than happening overnight, but the timing of this particular ban still caught the industry off guard, given the itinerary’s long track record.
“This kind of came out of the blue. I don’t think we were expecting it,” he says. “That’s why the sudden change of heart, or sudden decision not to allow it in, is really strange.”
As a result, Türkiye is no longer somewhere Planetdwellers actively steers LGBT+ clients toward. “We wouldn’t be pushing people to go,” he says. “If we had to put on a tour there ourselves, we wouldn’t put Türkiye top of our list to take a group of LGBT+ travellers, just because there’d be too many limitations, too many problems, probably dangerous.” His guidance for clients who do want to visit has hardened over time: “Just be aware, be very careful when you’re there. Don’t go hunting for underground gay bars, the gay bars that were there are probably closed now.”
That’s not just anecdotal. On 27 June, Istanbul’s Beyoğlu District Governor’s Office shut down Tek Yön, a gay nightclub in the Cihangir area that had operated for 18 years. Following an investigation, authorities said the club was closed over “practices and transactions that violate legal regulations”.
The investigation reportedly followed a social media post from Tek Yön inviting passengers from the same Atlantis cruise to the club on 8 July, the date the ship had been due to stop in Istanbul, two days after its scheduled Kuşadası call.
“I definitely wouldn’t recommend wandering the streets at night now, or wandering around with a Pride flag, you’re likely to be bashed.” Solo travellers who are set on going are steered toward group tours instead: “Safety in numbers.”
A distinction between political and unsafe
Despite the ban, Paez says it hasn’t been a deterrent for those already on board.
“I don’t think this will be a dealbreaker for anyone on this cruise, they’d probably just laugh it off, have another drink,” he says. One client booked on the next leg of the same itinerary, which continues on to Barcelona, Malta, Marseille and Santorini, got in touch worried the ban might be a sign of things to come further along the route. Paez reassured them it wasn’t: “Those places are all fantastic, there shouldn’t be any concerns whatsoever.”
He draws a distinction between destinations he’d class as merely “political” on LGBT+ issues versus those he considers genuinely unsafe. “If it’s just something that’s political, they don’t want Pride marches, rainbow flags flying in the town hall, that might be something you have to accept they’re still working through,” he says. “The other way, where it’s really, really militant and harsh, then that’s a dealbreaker. No one goes.”
Uganda, where homosexuality can carry the death penalty, is the clearest example, he says, contrasting it with neighbouring Rwanda: “We wouldn’t send you on a gorilla trek as a lesbian, gay or trans person to Uganda, they can kill you. In Rwanda, where they’re trying to be a bit more progressive, we would send you there, and it’s knowing that, and being able to confidently say it, and staying on top of it if it’s changing.”
He’s careful to note that Türkiye, Russia and parts of Africa remain the outliers rather than the trend. “I don’t think even in the UK, for instance, you could look at it and go, that’s a pattern that’s going to get worse,” he says.
Paez also points to the wider industry’s blind spots: clients don’t always disclose their sexuality to a travel agent, and not every agent knows enough about LGBT+-specific risk to flag it if they do.
“If you do know they’re part of the LGBT community, do a bit of research on where they’re going, or bring it up yourself,” he says. “It should be part of the same checklist as visas and passports.”
View this post on Instagram
Part of a wider pattern
Kyle Olsen, owner of Hermes Holidays, sees the ban as part of a wider pattern worth watching. “From our perspective, incidents like this are a reminder that while international travel has never been more accessible, LGBTQI+ travellers still need to be aware of the rise of far-right governments and movements around the world,” he says. “These political shifts can have a real impact on where our community feels safe, welcome and able to travel openly.”
He points to Hungary as an example of how quickly the picture can change in both directions. Under Viktor Orbán’s government, Pride was banned and LGBTQI+ rights were increasingly restricted; after Orbán was replaced by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, the ban on Budapest Pride was lifted and this year’s event went ahead with official approval, drawing an estimated 200,000 people.
“A government’s position does not always reflect the views of its people,” Olsen says, adding that political leadership “can have a significant impact on the experience of LGBTQI+ travellers, but it does not necessarily define the people or the destination forever.”
“At Hermes Holidays, we believe the key is being well informed rather than fearful,” he says. “There are many destinations around the world where LGBTQI+ travellers are warmly welcomed and can travel confidently, but it is always worth understanding the current legal, cultural and political climate before you go.”
Separating people and governments
Like Paez, Olsen is careful to separate a country’s people from its government of the day. “We’ve travelled to Türkiye many times over the years and have always found the Turkish people to be incredibly warm and welcoming,” he says. “The recent decision to turn away a gay cruise highlights that, for LGBTQI+ travellers, it’s important to distinguish between the hospitality of local people and the policies of the government of the day. Governments change, and with them, the experience of travelling can change too.”
He also points to the role of visibility closer to home.
“Incidents like this also show why Pride and Mardi Gras celebrations remain so important, both here in Australia and around the world,” he says. “They are not just celebrations. They are visible reminders that LGBTQI+ people deserve to move through the world safely, openly and with dignity. They also send a powerful message to governments that equality and inclusion matter.”
As for where Hermes Holidays is still sending LGBTQI+ clients with confidence, Olsen names Greece, Spain, Portugal, France and the Netherlands as destinations that remain popular with guests, “not only because they are beautiful, but because they offer a genuine sense of inclusion and acceptance.”
The ban sits awkwardly against Virgin Voyages’ own public positioning on the topic. On 19 June, weeks before the ban was announced, the brand posted a Pride Month video to its Facebook page captioned: “Pride Month? Absolutely. Pride always? Even more so 🏳️🌈. All identities. All love stories. All aboard 🚢💖.”
Paez ends on a note of cautious hope: “I hope this isn’t the start of a rule going down a bad path for the LGBT community… it’s a shame if it does get worse, where we have to say to clients, ‘No, you should reconsider your travel.’ We hate having to say anything like that, because we love travel.”
