ACCORDING TO STATISTICS, homos are constantly on the move — accounting for roughly 10% of the entire travel industry. For many years we’ve been flexing our collective economic muscle by spending more of our hard-earned travel dollars in gay-friendly cities. As a result, more and more destinations are now eager to welcome us.

After the 9/11 tragedy, the U.S. travel industry took a serious hit. Many people curtailed their travel, but after only a year the LGBT community was back to booking the same number of trips. When surveyed about their top travel concerns, 50% of LGBT travelers cited a need to choose gay-friendly destinations, while 41% were primarily focused on cost-cutting (due to the economic downturn.) But only 29% of us listed safety as serious concern. Perhaps living in a marginalized community has taught us to look beyond the media hype about threat levels and international turmoil — or maybe we just know that it’s harder to hit a moving target.

The majority of LGBT travelers are between the ages of 35 and 49. They tend to be involved in committed relationships and generally bring home $40k - $74k a year. 86% of LGBT travelers said they had traveled domestically during the past year — and a whopping 71% of us reported traveling internationally.

Statistics like these have helped the travel industry to realize that gays and lesbians represent ideal tourists. We’re responsible, educated adults and we work in steady, well-paying jobs. We don’t have as many children and we tend to move in pairs. Plus, we travel all year round. To the travel industry, that all spells profit — so an increasing number of destinations are now trying to cater to LGBT travelers.

In these troubled times, we all yearn for world peace. Marches and protests are important, but there’s no better way to foster good will than to sleep with the natives. The following list details some of our favorite domestic and international gay destinations for 2008. These cities attract large numbers of LGBT travelers every year and each has its own unique, local gay scene. If you’d like to let your hair down and enjoy an openly gay holiday, these cities represent some of your best options.

Palm Springs, Califonia

The glory days of Frank Sinatra may be gone, but Palm Springs is still one of the preferred retreats for the wealthy and famous. Besides its reputation for affordable peace and quiet, it’s also become famous as a sexual no-man’s-land for folks of all persuasions. There are now countless private resorts and hotels where everything — including clothing — is optional, and where almost anything goes.

John Turck, a well-known interior designer with a long list of celebrity clients, summed up Palm Springs this way: “The moment my car passes the tourist center, I feel happy — because I know there’s nothing to do.” When asked about the town’s decadent underbelly, John said, “You can go nuts there. Some people check into the Inn Exile with an 8-ball of coke and just have sex five times a day.” If that’s not quite your speed (and/or you’re not on speed), check out tranquil Korakia, a Moorish-style B&B built in the twenties — or the Parker Palm Springs Hotel designed by Johnathan Adler. If you’ve had you’re fill of gay resorts, you can make reservations at Two Bunch Palms, a former Mafioso hangout that offers rejuvenating hot springs and mud baths (as seen in The Player). Despite its thirty-five bars (mostly straight), the gay nightlife in Las Vegas doesn’t amount to much. Regulars and barflies often troll for hookups at Toucan’s Tiki Lounge, Hunter’s Video Bar, and the Tool Shed — but Heaven is the only big dance club. “Gay Mart is right across the street,” John offered sardonically, “In case you have the sudden urge to rummage through International Male’s overstock.” If money is no object, the local Saks Fifth Avenue is renowned for its Classic California Men’s section. For the rest of us, there’s the Cabizon outlet mall, where you’ll find great deals on Prada and other designer brands.

Mykonos, Greece

GREECE is a favorite gay destination for a variety of reasons. Greece produced a wonderful tradition of gay-themed mythology, it was home to some of Europe’s first advanced civilizations, and it’s overrun with beautiful boys – just to name a few. Besides its philosophical tradition, Greece is also known for its striking blue and white landscapes and it’s wild gay nightlife. Hotels in Mykonos are often small (8 to 10 rooms) and family-run. The Sunset Hill Resort and Villa Konstantin are both excellent choices for LGBT travelers. Stuart, an L.A. real estate broker who fell in love on a Mediterranean cruise, advises, “Stay at the Elysian Hotel overlooking the water. Around 7 p.m., everyone from the other gay hotels converges on the Elysian for Happy Hour.” Mykonos is well known for its twenty-seven beaches. Super Paradise is one of the most popular gay beaches and gay men from around the world converge there for wild parties such as the infamous 12 Gods event. It happens in September and attendees party day and night for an entire week. If you’re looking to get lucky, just try hanging out on the gay side of Super Paradise Beach after the sun goes down. For more on Gay Mykonos, check out Night Tours or the Gay Greece Guide.

Miami, Florida

Miami’s got one foot planted in the Grand Ole’ South (some establishments still fly the confederate flag) and another in Cuba. Just add to that lots of retired Golden Girls, fashion models, socialites, drug dealers, and rich gay playboys — and that’s Miami. For accommodations Clay suggests the Chesterfield, mentioning that, “There are lots of gay-friendly hotels.” Chef Anthony Bourdain suggests The Raleigh. “You feel like you’re staying at an indulgent and dysfunctional uncle’s house.” Gloria Estefan’s Miami Sound Machine echoes the city’s exuberant vibe. Three of the best gay bars are Score, Halo Lounge, and Twist. Twist has four areas spread across two floors, plus a separate bungalow nicknamed “Go-Go Boy Heaven” where over twenty boys in g-strings sell lap dances for just $20. Miami’s restaurant row on Washington offers lots of good, affordable Argentinean and Cuban options. If you’re looking for Miami’s famous gay beach, just head towards the rainbow flag flying near Ocean Drive and 12th Street. For more provocative ideas, let Night Tours be your guide.

Paris, France

PARIS is one of the world’s most romantic cities and has much to offer LGBT travelers. Check out the blog of expatriate writer Jean Mandel for some wonderful treatises on the city of lights. Paris’ gay life centers around the Fourth Arrondissement, aka the Marais. Narrow streets and 17th century architecture give the city an otherworldly appeal. The Marais is home to boutiques, bars (B4, Le Cox), cafes and restaurants — plus two gay bookstores, Les Mots à la Bouche and Le Blue Book. Travelers on a budget can stay at the Castex or the Grand Hotel Jeanne-d’Arc in the Marais. If you’d like to spoil yourself, try the Hotel Costes or Le Meurice. Paris is packed full of museums such as The Louvre, the Musee d’Orsay, and Le Centre Georges Pompidou. Also, don’t miss the wonderfully spooky Père-Lachaise Cemetary. This popular cruising spot is riddled with hideaways and looks like a scene from Dracula. The famous are buried all around, including Maria Callas, Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Isadora Duncan, and Gertrude Stein. Hundreds of feral cats dart in and out of the crypts, dragging sweet rolls and other treats (left as offerings for dead loved ones) back to their hidden feline lairs. Once the sun goes down, hit the clubs such as Paris Plaisir. ParisForGay.com tracks the gay clubbing hot spots. For hookups, try one of Paris’ famous underground saunas.

Prague, Czech Republic

NEW YORK BASED poet and raconteur Daniel Lee explained, “Prague’s all about architecture. It’s the only city in Europe with high-density cubist architecture. Then there’s the Prague Castle — a fairy tale — and the Charles Bridge. Even the tourist traps are fabulous.” For accommodations, try the Merlin Pensione. It’s cheaper than a hotel and closer to the action. If you want to hook up with a local, you can always head over to Pinnochio’s, Prague’s most famous hustler bar. “It’s unreal. You see everyone, from young boys to porn stars,” says Daniel. If you tire of the hunt, Lee recommends The Friendship. “They play great music and you meet people from everywhere.” The more energetic might opt to cut a rug at Club Valentino. Afterwards, if you’re still looking for Mr. Right, Pegasus is Prague’s oldest bathhouse and is frequented by young, good looking guys. For more on Prague, check out the Gay Guide.

London, England

LONDON features men with great personalities and the biggest collection of white, uncut cocks on the planet. Keep in mind — jolly old England isn’t exactly cheap, due to the awful exchange rate of roughly 2-to-1. Meaning — a sandwich costs fifteen bucks. Crash at a trick’s place or trade gay spaces via Lodg-ing Exchange or Couch Surfing. You can start your day with a ride on the London Eye, a giant Ferris wheel with 360-degree views, and then check out the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate, and Trafalgar Square’s National Portrait Gallery. Shop at the Berwick Street Market and then eat at Mr. Kong’s in China Town, where vegans can enjoy unusual treats such as Vegetarian Crispy Duck. If you’re a party monster, you’ll be in Heaven, and be sure to bar hop down Old Compton Street until you hit Fiction. Finally, head over to Vauxhaull, an ear-thumping club zone south of the Thames and home to The Orange and Beyond.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

During the off season (May - September), Puerto Vallarta can be a great deal. Your best bet is to rent a condo from PVRPV, a gay-owned and rental agency with an easy-to-use website. For things to do, check out www.puertavallarta.com. The town is tiny, so it shouldn’t take long to decide on an agenda. The grossly misnamed “Romantic Zone” is more like a giant, outdoor brothel — and that’s probably where you’ll end up. Why fight it? Just head to the Los Muertos Beach and relax while attentive waiters serve you drinks and local hotties shoot you sultry glances. Buyer beware applies here, however. Gay men are commonly “rolled” (which is why, in condos, getting out requires a key.) After religion, Mexico’s second biggest pastime is food. Sit yourself down at Mariscos or head over to Restaurant Rio Grande for the best seafood in the city. At night, you’ll discover a thriving drag subculture. At Paco Paco’s you can enjoy some world class lip-synching during a glittery, Vegas-styled revue featuring a flawless Madonna impersonator. At nearby Mañana, you can mix with the locals around the pool or indoors. The Romantic Zone is packed with gay cafes and restaurants. Enjoy a recovery breakfast at the Pancake House or Dee’s Coffee Company (which also offers free high-speed internet access.) There’s even a Laundromat and a local massage therapist in the space above Dee’s.

Sydney, Australia

Australia is the birthplace of Priscilla Queen of the Desert (playing at the Lyric Theater on open-ended run) and Time itself (according to Bruce Chatwin’s book about the Aborigines, Bourne Australia is literally “the place where time began.”) Sydney’s Mardi Gras is legendary. Set up on four different sound stages, it plays host to 20,000 revelers. Recoveries (after-parties) worth seeking out include The Azure Party (under the stars on the banks of the harbor), The Great Debate, and Fair Day. For your accommodations, Michael (a frequent traveler to Sydney) prefers the $1000 a night Lizard Island Resort. “It’s one of the most beautiful places on Earth. The whole island is a resort with open bungalows. They don’t allow kids and it’s gay friendly in an undercover kind of way.” From Sep-tember to May, Sydney is all about beaches. Lady Jane and Obelisk (both nude or semi-nude) and Bondi are favorites. For drinks, head to Lotus, Gazebo Wine Garden, and Icebergs Dining Room and Bar (for the best view in the world.) For your meals, try Tetsuya’s, China Doll, Sean’s Panorama, Bentley Restaurant and Bar, La Sala, and Thanh Binh. When you’re ready to go clubbing, some of the best options include Tank, Slide, Midnight Shift, Arq, Manacle, Stonewall, Bad Dog, and Fag Tag. You can lay down your weary head at the Park Hyatt, Blue, or Regents Court with its fantastic rooftop garden. Sydney’s most spectacular sight will require a little bit of walking. The Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb offers a memorable hike to the top of the Harbor Bridge, where the view at sunset is magical.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

IN THE LAST ten years, Buenos Aires has become a gay mecca for travelers. An excellent exchange rate makes it as affordable as it is beautiful. Besides Evita Peron’s final resting place at Recoleta Cemetary, there’s also Teatro Colon, an enormous opera house with a guided tour that takes you ten stories underground. The city has just one gay hotel so make reservations in advance. Other excellent accommodations include Home Hotel Buenos Aires and the Faena Hotel and Univers designed by Phillipe Starck. Frequent visitors to Buenos Aires often skip the hotels and just rent an apartment instead www.apartmentsba.com. Gay nightclubs are mostly clustered around the Avenue Santa Fe. Megatlon is a popular gym with a large gay clientele, but Buenos Aires also has a bathhouse called the Energy Spa. Dining in Buenos Aires is a unique experience, since the waiters are known for serving you what they think you should eat. A lot of the Buenos Aires nightlife collapsed after a major fire in 2004, but many of them have re-opened such as Disco Amerika, Pacha, Glam and Alsina Disco. We have a soft spot for Kim y Novak, a drag-friendly bar in Palermo. Breakfast is not big in Buenos Aires, but if you’re awake there’s Bar Six with it’s adorable waiters. It’s located in Palermo Viejo, a fashionable hipster neighborhood that’s filled with street vendors on the weekends. One thing to avoid in Argentina is domestic air travel, because Argentinean planes have a tendency to crash.

Vancouver, British Columbia

VANCOUVER,B.C. is one of the world’s most laid back gay destinations. Davie Street is the main gay strip, but the whole city is gay-friendly and there’s a strong presence in Yaletown, a former warehouse district that’s been converted into lofts and artist studios. In addition to dance clubs like Celebrities, the city’s hipper venues usually feature a mixed crowd. Unlike many Americans, Canadians are very polite — so the town’s many resident actors feel free to mingle without being harassed. There are three bathhouses in Vancouver, including the elegant F212 —plus Friction Spa and the M2M Playspace. When you’re not clubbing, you can check out local theater or symphony performances, catch art film retrospectives at the Cinematheque, enjoy a drink with some movie stars at the Gerard Lounge inside the Sutton Place Hotel, or catch a local drag show at the Majestic. There’s also world-class, gay-friendly skiing at nearby Whistler, a regular schedule of underground raves and parties, a host of museums and tourist sites, and lots of excellent shopping. If you’d like to learn more, visit Gay Vancouver for the homo lowdown or check out the official Tourism Vancouver site for a more mainstream pitch.