LGBT people have always traveled even before tourism was a major industry. But now, more than ever our community is taking to the skies, roads and rails to explore more new places with major improvements in visibility. With a growing acceptance of LGBT people and more countries approving marriage equality around the world, it's no surprise that we now have a variety of new apps, resources and technology at our fingertips.
No longer do you have to visit a travel agent to book a vacation or buy a traditional guidebook to plan your journey in the places you're going to visit. In fact, now the availability of information is almost overwhelming, and it can sometimes be difficult to know where to turn for the best advice, information and resources to make the most of your trip.
Using a gay app enhances the experiences of LGBT travelers and is one way you can connect with locals in a city you're visiting to get the best insight and updated information about the destination. These apps can be particularly useful, especially if you're traveling alone or looking to connect with other gay guys on your trip. If you've never used a gay hook up or dating app then you're either living under a rock or you've specifically convinced yourself to avoid downloading one for whatever reason. Regardless of whether you're looking for gay hookups or use these apps regularly, many of them have useful features that you can use when you travel.
There are a lot of apps that are popular for gay hookups, but we've come up with a list of 5 gay hookup apps below that can help improve your travel experience. Though not all are designed to be true hookup or dating apps, they all have features that will assist you in making the most of your trip.
Grindr
Grindr was launched in 2009 and has become the largest gay hookup site and social networking app for gay, bi, trans and queer men. The application was among the first networking apps to use location-based technology and it became well known as the first major app in the LGBT+ community. Grindr is used globally, and they have millions of daily users in nearly every country in the world. They pioneered the main functionality, which allows you to see images and profiles of people nearby. You can send messages, images and requests to users via their platform. The app is free to download and use its basic functionality but there are various upgrade options including Grindr XTRA and Grindr Unlimited, which provide enhanced functionality and eliminates ads. Grindr also has a video platform called INTO and they publish LGBT+ connect on their YouTube channel as well as other online and social media outlets. Grindr is a good app to use in the moment to see who's around and willing to meet up. While seemingly used for sex, Grindr can be an excellent way of meeting a local for a drink if you're traveling on your own. You can also use it to meet other gay travelers and perhaps grab a beer together on your gay travel adventure.
Hornet
Hornet is considered the #2 gay network in the world but perhaps you've not used it or even heard of it before? If that's the case, it's because Hornet is extremely popular in places outside North America and Europe especially in countries like Brazil or Russia. But the app is growing and has a lot of cool features. It's a great tool for meeting locals in a new city and you can even search for people in places you're planning to visit or even by interests or hashtags. Within the Hornet app, you'll find Hornet Stories, which is a curated LGBT+ media feed. They publish relevant stories and articles for the LGBT+ community that users can read within the app or online. Hornet is also free to use but has paid dating site for brony people upgrade options.