About PLV

Purple Light Vacations was created in 2013 as a new and unique LGBT owned and operated travel agency. Its goal was to provide clients with added value at no cost, such as personalized and customized service, valuable trip advice, and destination insights including tips from locals (that are not in the guidebooks). We have received very positive responses in our first eleven years of being in business, and were even nominated for a Nicky Award for “Outstanding New Business” in San Diego.

Purple Light Vacations is a member of the Travel Leaders network, a consortium that has established relationships with travel industry vendors like hotels, cruise lines and tour companies among others. Our Travel Leaders membership allows us to often obtain our clients special deals, additional amenities, perks and upgrades that they would not obtain by booking on their own.

Jonathan and Dave, the two principals of Purple Light Vacations, bring a great deal of travel experience, training, and credentials to the business. They have been to sixty six countries and six continents, and add to that list every year. They have been on well over 50 cruises on virtually all of the major cruise lines for both mainstream cruises and LGBT charters. Jonathan holds multiple industry certifications. He holds a travel agent certification from Career Quest, and an advanced certification from the American Association of Travel Advisors (ASTA Verified Travel Agent Certification). He also holds the highest certification of Elite Cruise Consultant from the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), as well as their Accredited and Master Cruise Consultant certifications.

Where Does the Name Purple Light Come From?

The name Purple Light in Purple Light Vacations is taken from the famous Cole Porter song “You’re the Top” from the 1934 Musical “Anything Goes”. In that song, the witty and bisexual Porter refers to, “The purple light of a summer night in Spain,” as being as impressive as Mickey Mouse and Garbo’s salary. The rather cryptic reference to purple light was how the gay bars in Spain in that period identified themselves. This was certainly not a matter of common knowledge. Rather, you had to be in the know. The benefits of “being in the know” when traveling are still tremendous and the inspiration for our travel company.