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Olivia Travel

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Olivia Travel
Company typeTravel
Founded1973
FounderJudy Dlugacz
Headquarters,
Revenue$25 million (2007)
Websitehttps://www.olivia.com

Olivia Travel is a travel company that sells cruises and resort vacations marketed towards lesbian customers.[1] It was founded by Judy Dlugacz in 1973 as a women's record label, Olivia Records. It offered its first all-woman cruise in 1990 and remains the only company in the world offering cruises catering just to lesbians. Like its parent company, Olivia takes its name from the heroine of a pulp novel by Dorothy Bussy who fell in love with her headmistress at a French boarding school.

The company has attracted attention due to endorsements from lesbian celebrities, such as golfer Rosie Jones (who was the first professional athlete in America to endorse a gay-oriented company)[2] tennis player Martina Navratilova and basketball player Sheryl Swoopes. Entertainers who have performed on Olivia cruises include the Indigo Girls and Margaret Cho.[3]

The company was involved in mild controversy in 1998 when its attempt to buy an ad on the sitcom Ellen's anticipated "coming out" episode was rejected by ABC.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Meet the Most Popular Travel Company You Probably Didn't Know Existed". Thrillist. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
  2. ^ Whitley, David (2004-03-24). "Jones' endorsement could further national debate on gay issues". Orlando Sentinel.
  3. ^ Saracevic, Alan T. (2005-10-30). "Swoopes' revelation pays off". San Francisco Chronicle.
  4. ^ "Ad declined for Ellen". Kentucky New Era. 1997-04-11.
  5. ^ The Racquet Club of Palm Springs