Thirty years have passed since I created the unique Toto Tours brand of international adventure travel for the gay community. As I was getting started in 1990, I never dreamed of all the challenges to travel that could possibly arise in the future. Terrorist attacks, wars, political unrest, and economic crises have come and gone, giving Toto a roller coaster ride of good and bad years. We even had a global SARS outbreak to provide a glimpse of how seriously a pandemic might affect us in the future. There was no way, however, to prepare for the sudden and total collapse of international travel that accompanied the appearance this year of the novel coronavirus. 2020 has been a struggle for everyone and I congratulate you for having the grit and stamina to get through this incredibly painful time!

When we have a chance to travel together again, we can share stories of the challenges we faced. To give you a tiny glimpse into my personal saga, the pandemic hit full force as we had two simultaneous Toto Tours operating in Egypt and New Zealand, with serious consequences to the planned itineraries of both. At precisely the same moment I got diagnosed with cancer and started a difficult regimen of chemo and radiation therapy. Having gotten through that successfully, my sister caught Covid-19 and succumbed swiftly without me being able to go to her side. During these past months I had neither the mental nor physical capacity to continue planning tours or even communicate with you. Toto Tours went into hibernation.

As we approach the end of this fateful year, we are entering a season of hope with the introduction of two vaccinations which have proven effective at protecting against infection. It is now possible to envision being able to travel again in the not-too-distant future, and if you are anything like me you are eager to return to the thrill of exploring our wonderful world. While we are not yet at the point where we can announce definite future tours, Toto Tours is planning new adventures to launch when the scientific community declares the pandemic over.

While we wait for clarity on when it will be safe to travel internationally in groups again, I would like to leave you with some images from Toto Tours spanning the decades past. Each one captures a moment in time, but also represents a wealth of experiences that we shared together in each destination, forming indelible memories and lifelong bonds of friendship. We wish you health and safety as we ring in a New Year full of renewed hope and possibilities!