We all know Sweden is a fabulously gay-friendly travel destination. Stockholm is a gorgeous city with a thumping gay scene, uber-stylish design and shopping, world-class restaurants, and well — stunning Swedes. Now the folks at Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) are taking it up a notch, hosting a contest to grant a lucky couple the wedding of their dreams–at 35,000 feet!

As part of SAS Airlines’ big new social media contest campaign titled “Love Is in the Air,” on December 6, the winning gay or lesbian European-based couple get flown via SAS from Stockholm to New York, and on the way they’ll take over an entire business class cabin and have their same-sex nuptials performing in-flight by the plane’s captain. And yes, gay marriage is legal in Sweden, so it’s all very legit. (The ceremony will take place in Swedish airspace.) Plus, SAS plans to bust out a wedding cake, and host a reception with dancing in the aisles! (Does Robyn have a good wedding song?)

Once they land, the newlyweds will enjoy a glam U.S. honeymoon, staying two nights at one of NYC’s finer W Hotels and then jetting off to L.A. for three nights at the hip new Andaz West Hollywood hotel.

But Americans can get in on the wedding-tastic prize package, too! On December 7th, a flight will transport a winning U.S. based same-sex couple from New York City to Stockholm (in SAS Business Class), and then on to Kiruna way up in northern Sweden, where the pair will be wed at the stylish and otherworldly IceHotel. They’ll stay there for two swank nights, and then head down to Stockholm for three nights at the brilliant Hotel Skeppsholmen, smack dab in the center of the city. Plus, the newlyweds will receive a VIP package from Stockholm Visitors’ Board, full of perks.

This could be your frosty honeymoon suite at the IceHotel. And your wedding photo op might look like this! But gayer.

To win, couples have to enter the “Love Is in the Air” contest and share information about themselves (photos, answer some cute personal questions about how they met, even videos) and then be voted on by visitors to the special Love Is in the Air site. For the best chance to win, couples are recommended to share their profile with as many friends as possible via various social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, in order to increase the number of votes.

So, you wanna get hitched at the IceHotel in Sweden? Go for it! Enter! And if you’re Euro-based, you could be the world’s first gay couple to ever tie the knot in-flight. That’s major!

Note: SAS wants to bestow these two major wedding prizes on couples who haven’t gotten married yet, so if you’ve already gotten married, you should step aside and let another couple snatch this bit of blissful glory.

Or if you just want to see the cute couples hoping to win, go check them out at http://love.flysas.net.

For more great Stockholm travel info, visit our TripOut Gay Travel Stockholm Destination Guide. And also be sure to visit SAS Airlines’ gay site, too!

Attention travelers: Big news! TripOut Gay Travel is launching its second annual TripOut Gay Travel Awards, and you get to pick the winners!

The voting starts now in fun categories like Best Global Destination, Best Airline, Sexiest Place on Earth and Best Gay Bar in the World (plus lots more, see below).

The nominees were chosen by 20 of the hardest-working, busiest travel journalists cover the LGBT planet. They write for your local paper, gay magazines, travel blogs, mainstream travel publications and queer rags from Baltimore to Bali, so they know their stuff. But you, our dear readers, get to vote on who wins!

Have a look at all the nominees and sound off on your favorites! The winners will be announced in early November.

Bon voyage!

Berlin Buenos Aires London Madrid Montreal New York City

Chicago, IL Fort Lauderdale, FL Las Vegas, NV Philadelphia, PA Provincetown, MA San Francisco, CA

American Delta JetBlue LAN Southwest Virgin America

Ace Hotels Andaz Hotels Axel Hotels Four Seasons Hyatt Hotels Kimpton Hotels

Alyson Adventures Atlantis Events Olivia Travel Out Adventures Sweet Zoom Vacations

Amsterdam Pride The Dinah & Dinah Shore Weekend, Palm Springs Madrid Pride Manchester Pride Provincetown Bear Week Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras

Dallas, Texas Mexico City, Mexico Reykjavik, Iceland Tel Aviv, Israel Toronto, Ontario, Canada Siem Reap, Cambodia

SkyLofts at MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada The Raleigh, South Beach, Miami, Florida Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme, Paris, France The London West Hollywood, West Hollywood, California Hotel Kura Hulanda Spa & Casino, Curacao, Dutch West Indies Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand

Barcelona, Spain Key West, Florida Las Vegas, Nevada Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Tel Aviv, Israel Palm Springs, California

The Abbey, West Hollywood, CA Club Mañana, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico The Round-Up Saloon, Dallas, TX Royal Vauxhall Tavern, London, England Roscoe’s, Chicago, IL The Week, Rio, Sao Paulo & Florianopolis, Brazil

Vote for all the awards NOW!

The Gay+ Award for Achievement in Making Our World Gayer

For the second year, TripOut Gay Travel Awards will also present an award honoring an organization or individual who’s made pioneering strides in the world of gay travel, and who’s made this planet more enthusiastically accepting of the gay travel market. It’s the “Gay+ Award for Achievement in Making Our World Gayer” and this year Charles Lapointe, President and CEO of Tourisme Montréal, will receive this honor.

Charles Lapointe is a former delegate to the United Nations, a former Canadian Cabinet Minister and since 1989, he has been President and CEO of the Greater Montreal Convention and Tourism Bureau (Tourisme Montréal). In 2002, he also became chairman of the Canadian Tourism Commission, a position he held for five years. Charles can aptly be described as the forefather and architect of Canadian and Montréal LGBT travel.

In March 2008, Lapointe became the first recipient of the Prix Grand Ambassadeur, awarded by the Palais des Congrès de Montréal. This honour, which recognizes the excellent work of an ambassador in promoting Montréal as a convention city, was given to him during the Recognition Award Gala, an evening celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Palais des congrès de Montréal.

Here’s to 2010’s much-deserving and truly fabulous “Gay+ Award” winner!

In the meantime, stayed tuned here at TripOutGayTravel.com for more news and awards updates! And tell your friends and fellow travelers to vote!

Want to know how we arrived at this illustrious list of TripOut Gay Travel Award nominees? We assembled an “academy” of 20 esteemed and seasoned travel writers and editors who cover the LGBT market, and how contribute to major gay publications as sites, as well mainstream outlets like New York Magazine or National Geographic Traveler magazine. Meet the academy now!

Vote for all the awards NOW!

Travel isn’t just about calm, relaxing getaways or being pampered. It’s also about getting adventurous and exploring places that expand your horizons—and that hopefully no one else has fully discovered yet.

Sometimes, it’s great to discover a place that’s either off-the-beaten path, or making unexpected strides in what it has to offer. A destination in your backyard like Dallas or Toronto may be familiar on one level, but when a new arts scene begins to boom (like in Dallas’ world-class new Arts District) or when a city just keeps finding more to offer (Hello, Toronto!) it’s worth recognizing.

And, of course, there are those more far-flung places which are breaking out in a more primal way. After enduring years of turbulence, Tel Aviv is emerging as a hugely popular (and sexy) gay hotspot, and places like Mexico City, Reykjavik and Cambodia are only beginning capture the senses in ways that visitors are appreciating, well beyond their gay appeal.

So, where do you feel like breaking out to next?

Dallas, TX

Mexico City, Mexico

Reykjavik, Iceland

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Tel Aviv, Israel

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

So, what’s your pick for Best Breakout Destination? Let’s hear about it. VOTE!

Check out more of the 2010 TripOut Gay Travel Award nominees — and vote!

Okay, so maybe you don’t pick a travel destination solely on the likelihood that you’ll get lucky… In fact, you might be traveling with a long-term significant other. But even if you are, everyone likes to entertain the option of finding romance—or just getting some action, while traveling.

And some places are just, well, sexier than others! Blame it on the beach, or the foxy locals, or just the idea that you’re far from home, nobody knows you and there are no limits to who you can choose to be.

Check out our nominees below, and you’ll probably agree that they each possess their own aphrodisiac quality. Cheers and good luck!

Barcelona This throbbing Spanish coastal city has been known as a hotspot that gets hearts pumping. Beaches, nightlife and Spaniards make for an enticing combo, si?

Key West, FL Maybe it’s because you’re down at the tip of the continent. Or maybe it’s the rollicking bar scene and sexy resorts. Or maybe it’s the tropical, giddy climate. Or maybe it’s just Key West. Watch out!

Las Vegas, NV Need we explain? This swank desert hotspot may have moved light years up and away from its “Sin City” rep, but you know you still get a certain tingle in a town so full of money, risk-taking and decadence. It’s the original home of “getting lucky!” Rowwrrrrrrr!

Palm Springs, CA It’s 110 in the shade. Hot enough for you?

Rio de Janeiro If any city could claim to have patented beachy sex appeal, it might just be Rio. Even the senior citizens here know how to rock a thong. The bodies are hot, the beaches are basically nightclubs with waves, and the anything-goes vibe is irresistible. If this unpredictable wonderland doesn’t get your pulse pounding, you may not have one.

Tel Aviv, Israel A couple thousand years of religious and political strife still can’t dampen the pure heat that Israelis put out there. Is it the mandatory military thing? They’re all smokin’!!!

So, which international sexy hotspot are you feeling?
VOTE!

Check out more of the 2010 TripOut Gay Travel Award nominees — and vote!

“Group travel’s just not my thing,” you say? “I’m more of a lone wolf. Master of my own domain…” That is, until you’re on a street corner in Istanbul trying to find a taxi, or lost in Buenos Aires with no clue where to find the hot restaurant — or the hot gays!

That’s why LGBT tour operators rock. They take care of you. They show you the world, and the best do it in a safe, smart and fun-centric (yes, that’s a word) way. And face it, managing any group of gays — on a scuba trip, a Caribbean cruise, a hike to view amazing ruins or even to the corner bar — comes with challenges.

So, let’s give it up for the Best Gay Tour Operators. They forge ahead for us, en masse. They introduce you to the world, and vice versa.

Which is your fave?

Alyson Adventures One of the first and the best. And since Alyson Adventures also oversees Hans Ebenstenn Tours, they really are the pioneers of gay tour travel. Give props!

Atlantis Events Listen, if you’re managing hundreds of gays on a big boat all at once, through tea dances, costume parties, trips ashore and brunch buffets, you’ve gotta be good. And after all these years, Atlantis still sets the standard.

Olivia Travel Now in their third decade of service, Judy Dlugacz’s landmark travel company set the standard for lesbian travel worldwide. And thanks to their expertise and their loyal clientele, they show no signs of slowing down!

Out Adventures Affordable, sporty, excellently guided and well-planned, Toronto-based Out Adventures are barely a year old, but they’re already setting new standards in exciting travel done with enthusiasm, class and a responsibility that’s admirable.

Sweet When lesbian-focused Sweet launched last year, they sparked a new way of thinking about travel. In short, they give back, leading the charge for responsible eco-friendly travels where you can volunteer locally. And yes, you’ll still be having a blast.

Zoom Vacations From China to Paris to the Caribbean and beyond… The smart guys at Zoom just keep delivering awesome trips to awesome locations.

So, who’s your favorite LGBT tour company??? Let ’em hear it. VOTE!

Check out more of the 2010 TripOut Gay Travel Award nominees — and vote!

Flying is glamorous! That’s the mantra we repeat when a flight is delayed or airports are crowded, or we’re sluggishly waiting in line in that big retractable tube thing from the terminal to the plane, boarding a flight at 6am.

But basically, flying anywhere is a marvel, and often, it does feel glam. It’s jet-set! It’s fancy! And when you land, you’re either somewhere nice, or you’re back home!

And some airlines do it better. (Insert your own flight attendant joke here.) That’s why the gay-friendly carriers listed below are all our faves. And some even go the extra mile to take great care of their LGBT employees, and offer specials and warm/fuzzy welcomes to their gay customers. Bravo!

Which is your favorite?

American

Delta

JetBlue

LAN

Southwest

Virgin America

Vote for your favorite airline now!

Check out more of the 2010 TripOut Gay Travel Award nominees — and vote!

Who doesn’t love to splash out with a big overseas vacation? Paris! Italy! Tokyo! Buenos Aires! Bali! Iceland! Globetrotting to far-off destinations are important. And we all dream of those kind of “Eat Pray Love” experiences of enlightenment and far-flung travel-based self-exploration.

But as Americans (as most of here at TripOut are) we also love to play in our backyard. And you have to admit, it’s a pretty fantastic backyard to explore… And that’s why we want to know what’s your favorite getaway location in the good ol’ U. S. of A.? It may be a gay New England getaway, a city of brotherly (and sisterly) love, or a sexy desert oasis.

Have a look below and then VOTE for what rocks your gaymerican traveling world!

Editor’s Note: If you’re wondering why New York City isn’t on this list, that’s because after winning Best U.S. Destination last year, we decided to bump it up to the Best Global Destination category this time around. Let’s see how it fares versus other worldly wonderlands, why don’t we?

Chicago, IL The Windy City is more than just the “Gay Haven of the Midwest.” It’s the home to Oprah, the Steppenwolf Theater and yes, Boystown! Plus, great food, fun bars and manly architecture… Plus, the lesbian mecca of Andersonville. That toddling town is taking over!

Fort Lauderdale, FL In the last 15 years, Fort Lauderdale has emerged from a sleepy beach town where Spring Breakers used to wreak annual havoc, to a swank and tropical getaway for discerning gays and resort-lovers of all stripes. Gorgeous beachfront resorts and thumping nightlife abounds. The Golden Girls never had it this good!

Las Vegas, NV What happens in Vegas doesn’t really stay in Vegas anymore… How else would the desert hotspot have gained a global rep for world-class nightlife, superstar chefs, and upscale luxury fun? Yeesh, some people just can’t keep secrets.

Philadelphia Philly gets major props for showing all of us how a smaller, smart city rolls out the red-carpet for gay travelers. Their tourism folks bend over backwards to welcome you. (And we know how you like that.) Plus, once you’re there, you’ll see why this gem is on the rise…

Provincetown Way up on the tip of Cape Cod you’ll find the most charmingly gay-tastic little town, ever. P’town is a historic pilgrim landing site, a former Portuguese fishing hamlet, and now it’s Main Street USA for gay America. Families, singles, bears, lesbians… They all stroll up and down Commercial Street, and the sunny result is wondrous.

San Francisco The gay heart of America surely beats in San Francisco. Harvey Milk’s adopted city has always been a Golden-Gated beacon of freedom, fun and welcoming warmth. Other cities may be slicker or speedier, but San Francisco is home.

You’ve the nominees. Now VOTE for your big gay American favorite!

Check out more of the 2010 TripOut Gay Travel Award nominees — and vote!

Who came up with these nominees? Meet the TripOut Gay Travel Awards Academy!

We all love a good party. But some are so good, they’re worth using your vacation days, getting on a plane and flying across the planet (or maybe just getting off the grid entirely) for!

Maybe you’ve been to all of these, maybe you’re halfway through the list. Maybe you’re just eager to get started. No worries! Whatever your experience-level, vote for the party that makes you wanna go online, hunt for fares and start picking our your best party togs and dancing shoes!

Amsterdam Gay Pride

The Dinah and Dinah Shore Weekend, Palm Springs

Madrid Pride

Manchester Pride

Provincetown Bear Week

Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras

All of these events are fun and memorable — and possibly life-changing. And all offer something different for the enthusiastic LGBT traveler. And they’d all welcome your VOTE!

Check out more of the 2010 TripOut Gay Travel Award nominees — and vote!