Meet the Travel Advisors Bringing Hosted LGBTQ+ Trips to Signature

LGBTQ+ folks want to see the world, just like anyone else. But an added element of wanting to feel safe, welcome, and in-community with others has helped to create a huge market for them that’s evolved over the decades. That’s where companies like KelliGregg Travel come in. 

For more than 20 years, the New York-based tour operator and travel agency has fostered community among LGBTQ+ travelers – from chartering full cruises to planning luxury FIT trips to, now, hosting LGBTQ+ itineraries with their consortium, Signature Travel Network. 

Owners Kelli Carpenter and Gregg Kaminsky, a lesbian woman and gay man themselves, were well established in their careers before joining forces. Carpenter was the marketing director at Nickleodeon for many years and met Kaminsky through his husband, who worked for Disney. She’s now married to singer/songwriter Anne Steele, and the couple hosts the popular #ILoveMyWife travel podcast.  

Kaminsky was already in the travel industry, working for Atlantis Events, the world’s largest gay tour operator that has been packaging hosted trips for the gay community since the early ’90s, before launching the business with Carpenter. 

“People love to travel with like-minded people, [and] people want to know that the trip is planned out for them,” Kaminsky told Travel Market Report. “Then as far as safety goes, we go all over the world, and there are places where people feel safer traveling in a group than traveling individually.” 

“We’ve now been around for a long time, so our average age is 45+ and we’re for people that want less of a party focus. So, it really just depends on what you want,” he added. “The nice thing is there are many companies that offer many different types of trips that focus on our community.” 

Catering to LGBTQ+ Families – and Creating Them

During a trip to Provincetown Family Week, a landmark gathering of LGBTQ+ families, about 22 years ago, Carpenter and Kaminsky’s idea for a family-focused LGBTQ+ travel company was born. From there, the business blossomed naturally – Carpenter not only had a family background, with four kids of her own and a career at one of the biggest children’s TV networks, but also had been cruising every year with her family as a child. 

“No one had really created full vacations for LGBTQ+ families,” Kaminsky said. 

R Family Vacations embarked on its first hosted LGBTQ+ cruise to the Bahamas in 2004. As tour operators, they chartered an entire Norwegian Cruise Line ship, packaged the trip, marketed it, and sold it to clients. They’ve had one big event like this for families every year since. Especially in the early days, LGBTQ+ identifying travelers sought out the trips to meet people and find or start families, as well – however they defined the term. 

“You know at the time, in the early 2000s, there weren’t as many resources to start LGBTQ+ families, so our vacations actually became a resource for a lot of people,” Kaminsky said. “We brought surrogacy companies and adoption lawyers and everything you can think of on the trips. A lot of people came on those trips who were just interested in starting a family, and it just built from there.” 

As the company evolved and their clients’ kids grew up, they’ve added more hosted trips to the mix – many of them geared toward couples, adults, and solo travelers looking to make friends, who often become like chosen family for queer folks. 

“Since our families’ kids were growing up and getting older, we had a lot of empty nesters that wanted to do adult-only travel,” Carpenter told TMR. “A large part of our business is also solo travelers because we are there as hosts and whether it’s a full ship charter or a group, nobody will ever be alone on our trips. You’re going to dine with people, you’re going to make friends right away.  

“One of the things we’re most proud of with our business is how many lifelong friendships have been built on these trips.” 

Pivoting to Become Travel Advisors

For Kaminsky and Carpenter, growing older with their clients also meant pivoting from a tour operator position to becoming travel advisors. Realizing their regular cruisers took more than one trip a year, they thought, “Why aren’t we also planning those trips for them?” So nearly 10 years ago, the business rebranded to KelliGregg Travel, a travel agency part of the host Travel100Group under Signature Travel Network. 

About a quarter of the duo’s business is now working as travel advisors, with about 70% of their clients in the LGBTQ+ community. The others are often referrals, friends, and allies of those who have traveled with them. As advisors to LGBTQ+ travelers, questions of safety and comfortability do come up a decent amount. 

“Today, a lot of people in our community are a little bit more nervous to travel, whether it’s in the U.S. or around the world,” Kaminsky said. “So for travel advisors, there is a little bit of handholding and research.” 

Carpenter agreed that there have been more questions about safety recently than she’s seen in many years, but as an advisor, her focus is still on building community. Being in the luxury space, LGBTQ+ travelers are typically taken care of by suppliers, especially those preferred with Signature, the advisors noted. Regardless, it’s crucial for advisors to advocate for their clients’ needs by asking them the right questions and learning exactly what they want out of their trip. 

“If you’re spending a lot of money as a client, you don’t want to walk onto a Uniworld river cruise or into a Four Seasons and have to go back to the front desk and say, ‘No, we wanted one bed, we’re a married couple,'” Carpenter said. “As an advisor, it’s your job to take care of that prior to your client arriving. And I think that’s the biggest thing is to ask the questions and be the advocate.” 

New Hosted Trips with Signature Travel Network

KelliGregg Travel is now taking their charter operations background to curate LGBTQ+ trips with Signature Travel Network. By partnering with their consortium of many years, they can host guided itineraries that travel advisors under Signature can sell directly through the supplier. 

Heidi Podjavorsek, vice president of sales & marketing, land & specialty supplier partnerships at Signature, told TMR that the consortium “has embraced the LGBTQ market with inclusions in marketing, inclusive in most of our publications, and trying to showcase diversity and make sure clients recognize themselves.” 

“And that younger generations recognize themselves in publications for travel agencies that their parents use,” she added. “Because it’s not just the traveler that books with us but also their family members, and that’s the thinking behind all of us.” 

To that end, Podjavorsek said that Signature is “really excited” to be able to offer KelliGregg Travel’s hosted LGBTQ+ trips, which Signature members can find on the “LGBTQ+ Travel” and “LGBTQ+ Travel – Cruise” tabs under the Travel Styles section of the SigNet platform. 

“Any Signature advisor can book into these sailings and guided vacation departures and be part of this program and benefit from what they’re doing. Signature agents can get their highest commission, amenities, and get their usual benefits with vendors like Uniworld who are running these dedicated LGBTQ+ trips produced by KelliGregg Travel,” Podjavorsek told TMR. “It’s a really nice set up.” 

“We’re hosting these trips, but we’re also producing them, so we’re bringing our own musical talent, our own comedy, games shows, theme nights,” Carpenter said. “So your client will get an exceptional hosted experience and also a fully immersive experience.” 

From Germany Christmas markets to a cruise around Japan with Azamara, here are Signature’s upcoming full charter LGBTQ+ itineraries hosted by KelliGregg Travel: 

• Belmond Venice Simplon-Orient Express – Travel with Pride: Paris to Milan – Oct. 15-17, 2025 
• Out on the Rivers with Uniworld – Frankfurt to Nuremburg Christmas Markets – Dec. 8-15, 2025 
• Out on the Rivers with Uniworld – Paris and Normandy Cruise – April 12 to 19, 2026 
• OUT in Japan! Aboard the Azamara Pursuit – 15-Night Luxury Cruise – Sept. 17 to Oct. 2, 2026 
• Scotland with Pride: An Inclusive Journey – Oct. 3-12, 2026