10. USA

The USA is a consistently popular LGBTIQ destination and official tourism bodies promote San Francisco, New York, Philadelphia, Fort Lauderdale, Chicago and Portland as the gayest cities of all.

Somewhat surprisingly, the Visit The USA website takes a family-friendly approach and even recommends “the Happiest Place on Earth” to rainbow parents: “Most pride festivals have kid-friendly activities but for a family vacation, you can’t beat the unofficial Gay Days in June at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and in October at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Thousands of LGBT families show up in red shirts to promote queer visibility, creating a fun community and solidarity at the beloved theme parks.”

2019 is being described as a “monumental” year for New York from an LGBTIQ perspective. The city will host WorldPride for the first time – a month-long festival from the 1st to 30th of June, with the celebrations coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

Of the gay friendly destinations inside the US, New York is the number one choice for Australians, who stay longer and spend more than visitors from other countries but, if you’ve been before, consider a return visit because there’s more than just the biggest LGBTIQ party in the works.

MOMA is expanding. A whole new residential, dining and shopping district, The Hudson Yards has been created. Governor’s Island, less than a kilometre off lower Manhattan, now offers glamping. The airports are enjoying generational upgrades. An architectural marvel, The Shed, is a must-visit new performance space. And, most importantly, The Devil Wears Prada musical is set to open on Broadway soon-ish. Watch this space.