A Journey of the Soul: Francesco Mevoli on Gay Up Travel, Italy, Food, and Queer Connection
Most travel is about seeing things.
Francesco Mevoli builds trips about feeling things.
Gay Up Travel started with a radical premise: that travel — real travel, not the checklist-and-selfie kind — is one of the most powerful tools for queer liberation and connection that exists.
And he built it in Italy. Which is both the most obvious and the most complicated choice he could have made.
Because Italy is not the postcard.
It's more welcoming than a lot of queer travelers expect… and more complicated than the tourism board wants to admit. Francesco knows both versions. He lives in the tension between them.
In this episode, he takes us inside the world of Italian queer travel — the food, the culture, the very specific joy of sitting at a long table with your people in one of the most beautiful places on earth…
Having the kind of conversation that only happens when you're far from home and completely yourself.
We talk about what it means to design travel that goes beyond sightseeing…
Why food is the most underrated connection point in queer travel…
What happens when you stop moving through a place and start belonging to it, even temporarily…
And what Francesco has learned about the difference between a trip that moves you around… and one that fills you up.
If you've ever come home from a vacation and felt emptier than when you left… this is the episode that explains why. And what the alternative looks like.
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A Journey of the Soul: Francesco Mevoli on Gay Up Travel, Italy, Food, and Queer Connection With Francesco Mevoli
Francesca, how are you?
Ken, I'm very good, thank you. How are you?
Where are you located in the world right now?
I'm in Italy.
Whereabouts?
In Padua. It's about 30 minutes from Venice.
That is a part of Italy I have not yet been to. Keyword yet.
Where are you? I do not know where you are.
Some days I do not know either. I'm in Miami right now, at my mom's actually. I'm keeping an eye on her right now. She's 90. I am a digital nomad. Three days ago, yesterday morning, I was at Whistler in Canada. It has been a long set of days. Before that, there was Australia and living in Bangkok and all over the place. I have not been back to Italy in years. I knew that was going to be the next thing you said. We will dive in. Let me introduce you first so we can get this out of the way a little bit. We had to do a little research because you're not really on your website, but we got it figured out. Let me go through this real quick. I think you'll like it. We will dive into the class.
From a family of BNBs in Puglia to becoming a global LGBTQ plus travel revolutionary, meet Francesco Mevoli. The man who looked at mainstream tourism and said, "We deserve better." While the tour operators were slapping rainbow flags on basic packages, Francesco was building Gay Up Travel from a decade of real-world experience and one simple truth. Our community deserves to explore the world without dimming their shine. Now he's crafting journeys that go beyond the surface.
We're talking transformative adventures where culture meets connection and every trip feels like traveling with your chosen family. Whether you're living your best life at iconic landmarks or discovering hidden gems that most tourists never see, Francesco makes sure you're doing it authentically, seamlessly, and safely. This is the show with Francesco Mevoli, where global exploration, queer joy, and every destination become a celebration of being exactly who you are. How's that?
Thank you for your presentation, and thanks for having me.
We have some great eyes.
Good job.
Let us dive in. You have got a gorgeous website, by the way. The back story is pretty cool. Why do you just let everybody know a little bit about who you are and how you got started in this whole game and really what it's all about? Because you have got a hell of a history.
Thank you.
By the way, do not be shy. This is us. We're here to have fun. Just because it looks like the light is going to the dogs behind you does not mean that this interview has to.
Hopefully my real dog will not come in.
That's okay. We love dogs.
About my career. I have been working in the tourism industry for over twenty years now. I started in my family's small BNBs and then moved to work as a hotel receptionist. I worked as a tour leader for a few years, leading groups for other tour operators. Finally, in 2015, I opened my first tour operator. Over the years, I traveled extensively and realized that traveling and helping others travel was my true passion. I began organizing trips to the destinations I loved the most, of course, and where I felt welcomed and safe.
Over time, I honed my ability to select authentic and memorable experiences. This journey eventually led me to found Gay Up Travel. My passion for LGBTQ plus travel sparked during the COVID period. A challenging time for everyone. We all recall that. At that specific time, I had to move back in with my parents. I felt incredibly lucky to have a safe and welcoming place to return to. However, I could not stop thinking about those in our community who do not have the privilege.
Building Safe Spaces in Global Tourism
Maybe because they're rejected by their families or feel excluded from society. It was during that period that I decided to create something meaningful for the LGBT plus community. That's why I opened Gay Up Travel, because at least during one of life's most beautiful experiences. That is traveling. We all need to feel safe and celebrated.
Unwinding on day one starts with good wine and great conversation. That's how strangers become chosen family. #TravelLife
The nice thing is that your site is not shy. I have interviewed people who are LGBTQ+. They make it easier for the community. There's one site I was looking at particularly. I wasn't sure whether they were a gay tour operator. I wasn't sure whether they were serving our community. I was like, "You do not need to have the rainbow flag, but at the very least, let us know."
Even when I started the actual interview, I was like, "Are you gay?" Later on, it was clear that he was in conversation. It's nice that what you build is an environment where it's completely clear. We know we're in the right place. There's no question about it. It's important for us in the little travel piece. Of all the tours that you've done, what's your favorite place? If I had one place to travel with you, where would you want to take me?
That's a difficult one.
I know, I'm full of them today. Get strapped in and get a long and bumpy ride.
May I say Italy? It's my homeland, and I know that very well. Italy would be my first destination, even though maybe second place would definitely be Vietnam.
Two completely different environments, right? We're talking Asia versus Italy, completely different foods and everything. They are lovely.
Connecting Culture Through Culinary Traditions
Italy and Vietnam share the same culture about food. Food in both Italy and Vietnam is something to celebrate, something at the center of the family, of the society. It's really something.
That's a really good point. Our main focus is LGBTQ digital nomads, Pride Nomad. My perspective on this whole piece is that as we travel. I do not want people notching off cities or notching off countries like tricks on a post. I really want people to get into a place and live it, be in one place for really no less than a couple of weeks, just so that the person, the cafe down the street, knows what you want before you walk in the door. When I lived in Bangkok, and I was walking out of where I was living, the motorbike taxi driver would do this, which meant we're going to the gym.
That is what it's like. We're going to work out, and the answer is typically yes. That's the cool thing about it. If you say Italy, for example, it's a big ass country to spend, I mean, you could spend a year or two there going city by city, and places off the beaten path for that. The important thing that I think is really pretty fun, I have not given that much thought to, is the food side of it. I love Italian food, and I love Vietnamese food. It does not take much to get me to go there. In fact, we have lasagna in the fridge. I need carbs like you need a whole head right now.
I just found it actually funny. My mom has a cookbook from years. This is just so funny. She has this cookbook that is falling apart. The thing is literally falling apart from 1955, I think. There's a fabulous recipe in here for real Marsala that I have made for years. I could not find the damn thing. As a nomad, I lose s*** along the way sometimes. We found this. She's a pack rat.
We found this last night. My thinking is, cooking tour for sure, but moreover, the experience of being in some of those favorite places and living there for a few weeks and learning how to actually, if you like to cook, learn how to make real stuff, not the b******* stuff you see elsewhere, but I mean like how it's really, how Nonna would make it. That's really important. I share that love as well.
Cooking classes are always on our tours because, of course, I'm a foodie person and I guess all my guests are at some level, and it's nice to share those moments with others. Cooking all together and with a glass of wine, of course.
Just get the cooking, and you go right to the one. That's my mother. F*** the cooking, give me the wine. I'm really not kidding either. At night, do that. It makes a big difference. Actually, it's a great date thing as well because there is that communal piece. Take a look even at any party. Where do people hang out? The kitchen. If we're going to take a look at some of the tours that you do, what typically is the main activity? If you want to call it that, I mean, are you primarily food-centric? Is it museum-centric? How do you figure that out for your people?
It's a mix of food, of course, and wine. We always go to a winery or something, and a little bit of monuments and a little bit of history. For example, in our Italy tour, we go to Rome, Florence, Tuscany, and Venice. What's really peculiar is that we talk about artists or gay emperors who have been in Italy, and many people do not know that. For example, Michelangelo was gay, and the emperor Hadrian was gay too. Julius Caesar was a little bit fluid, and also Casanova from Venice. People think about Casanova as a manly person, but he was fluid. It's a mixture of many experiences.
Skip the overcrowded tourist traps and head to regions where you can feel the true heart and soul of local culture. #AuthenticTravel
You say he was fluid. I think it's an interesting way of putting it. He's going to think he could screw. It's an equal opportunity. That's totally correct. It's awesome. Typically, how big are the tours that you run? How many people do you have when you design? Typically, how big are the tours that you run? How many people usually do you have on a tour?
It's a maximum of sixteen people. Usually there are 10 or 12. That's the average.
I'm seeing a trend for that. Why that number? What makes that number special for you?
Prioritizing Intimacy Over Mass Tourism
That way you keep things intimate so people can really know each other and they can talk to each other. I do not really like big groups because big groups are usually always in a hurry. I do not like to rush anything at all. It's better that way.
I agree with you. The reason why I asked that, and I want our viewers to get this, is that by having that smaller number, you can be more bespoke. Moreover, you're focused on the experience because at sixteen people, you're not making gazillions of dollars unless you're running gazillions of tours. At sixteen people, you're making a respectable living, but it's about the experience for you, not to meet Lisa, which is why I see it as not about monetization. If it was monetization, you'd have 48 to the bus, and it's like, let us go and have the flag. I do not ever want to be associated with someone holding a flag. No, that's not going to happen. I really want to hand that off because I think it's an important distinction that people get is that you're coming from passion.
It's not about money at all. Otherwise, as you said, it would be very easy to put together 50 people and run off from one point to another. It's about connection. It's about friendship. It's about knowing each other. It's about spending some quality time together. Actually, I want to share something personal. I'm in the middle of a journey myself. I want to understand what life is really about. It's not about money. It's about people. Again, connections and being good together. For me, it's that.
I agree. The money will take care of itself when you're all in that way. One of the things that we try to do from the Pride Nomad standpoint is have people live the lifestyle that they truly want. We have identified thirteen and a half million people. Have not identified all of them individually, but we know statistically about thirteen and a half million people globally either are LGBTQ plus digital nomads or aspire to be, more aspiring to be, and they want to travel more. What we want to do is we're dancing the travel side of things as well as the business side of things.
In order for us to be able to travel, we have to have a location-independent business. To be able to have a location-independent business, if you're lucky enough to work for a company that allows that, great. I’ll tell you, as having been an entrepreneur since age 23, no one's telling me, "It cannot work." Not ever going to happen for me. Do not renegade that way. I want our audience to be able to set up their own businesses wherever they are in the world and say, "We're going to go to Italy this week."
Let us go to Hue because they have got great pancakes in Hue. Those who do not know, that's Vietnam, or let us go to, God, Pai. I just, I would always want to live in Pai, but the logistics just did not make sense because I travel so much. Those are the important things. If you say to me, “Ken, there's a festival in wherever, can you get on a flight?" Let me check my time. I can be there at the airport in a couple of hours. Why not? We want to be able to have that level of flexibility wherever you are on the journey. That's the thing we're trying to empower people to do so that you can say, "Listen, we're going to do a tour in two weeks. Who wants to go?" We're there. How cool would that be?
Actually, I'm a nomad myself because I live part of the year here in Padua, where I'm now, and part of the year in the south of Italy. I travel a lot with my tours. I work from anywhere. I'm a nomad myself.
Let us ask you, how do you manage your life when you're constantly on the road?
The only thing I need to organize is taking care of my dog. All the rest is so much easier.
Who takes care of your dog?
It depends. She has four grandparents, so they're very good at keeping her. When I'm on tour, there's my husband who takes care of her as well, and he's lucky enough to be a nomad himself so we can manage.
Does he travel with you much?
Yes.
Good, that's important. Being single in a nomad is nowhere near easy, I would say. Of course, the grass is always greener, but my whole thing was if you cannot travel with them, forget you can marry them. It's like that first weekend of going away together. They pass that weekend, we have got a chance. It's really important. We want to be able to enjoy the trip and be close quarters if you're not on the same page. You're really lucky for that. Obviously, he is as well. That's awesome from a tour standpoint. What has been your biggest challenge? I'm going to throw this to what has been the tour that has given you even the biggest trouble or obstacle? What is that nightmare trip? How did you get through it?
Navigating Restricted Destinations Safely
There are some difficult destinations to travel to. We have a tour in Egypt, for example, and in Morocco. Those destinations can be tough, especially in Egypt, where homosexuality is illegal. The key there is to rely on the locals, the guides, the businesses, hotels, and restaurants. They know that we are all gay men, and we try to choose our partners very carefully in those kinds of destinations. That could be challenging, but there has been no drama so far.
That's really an important discussion because one of my clients and now friends is currently in Morocco. I was teasing him, " You're single, you're in Morocco, there are some hot guys in Morocco, you're going to take advantage of that." He's like, "Ken, it's illegal here." I'm like, "That stopped you." To be in a place, come on, he's a guy, we're men, which is not to indict all men. If you think I'm being politically incorrect, get over yourself. We're men and adults.
Here's my thinking. For me to be in a place as a visitor where it's illegal. Now I'm scared to potentially meet somebody on Grindr or wherever. I'm scared to maybe go to a gay bar. I do not want to get beaten up, arrested, killed, detained, or anything like that. That scares me. To have someone that knows the ropes is, I think, super important. That's really important to distinguish.
Of course, we have rules for our travelers when we go to certain destinations, and they know that before.
Talk about that a little bit.
We tell them to avoid any affections, showing affection in public, and we tell them not to use Grindr or any dating app because it can be dangerous. It's not the kind of vacation that you go to in order to have fun.
Let us redefine that for a second because Grindr fun means getting laid. To me, I come from the idea of real fun, which is to explore a new place and get new culture and have a lovely experience with people. I just want to define that because it troubles me that we have a place where we cannot be ourselves. This time they're not ready for us yet.
You're right, the PDAs, you have got to meet people where they are. If they have got guns and it's illegal, do not freaking hold hands. You're going into their home. Right or not, you're going into their culture. I think it's really important that you recognize that and you ground your people in that, because God knows we do not want to have trouble.
You can have that fun. Exploring and tasting new food and seeing new panoramas and knowing a new culture. If you want to get laid, you would probably go to Spain or Europe.
It's a different kind of tour. I really get that. Certainly, if you're going to be a nomad and be in be in Marrakesh or whatever. I have got friends who have done some of the travel over there and lived in some of those places, and they know the underground places where you can go get laid because if you're going to be there for a few months, you have got to have at least a maintenance man to take care of you and ladies, a maintenance woman, if you will.
That was my old assistant years ago. He's like, "Ken, you need a maintenance man. Trust me, tonight you need a maintenance man. Do not come back unless you have had maintenance." That's really important. To know what the rules are is really important. The least we want to have is somebody that gets themselves in trouble by being stupid. It's a matter of respect, I think, which is really important. Where is your favorite place to take people? That's another one.
Ditch the giant tour buses. Small group travel lets you slow down, build real friendships, and truly experience a destination. #LGBTQTravel
Spain. I love Spain. They're cousins. I love Spain, and I love Andalusia, for example. That's my favorite part.
Really, why? Why is it not?
Finding Authentic Regional Life in Spain
It is so true. If you go to Madrid or even Barcelona, Barcelona is a wonderful city. Actually, we had several tours there and once a year, of course. It's touristy. It's a big city. It's different. Andalusia is the true Spain. Also, there's a mixture between Europe and Africa. You can see that in the architecture and the food, of course, and the way they live their lives. They are so welcoming, and it's crazy hot. It can get really hot. That's why when we go there, it's in spring or autumn or fall. Otherwise, in summertime, it could be really impossible to go around. You can see the real soul of the Spanish people in Andalusia.
I have never been. That's what I mean. I did the tomato festival, La Tomatina. I did. My mother was like, "You're going with my mom." She did not go to La Tomatina. She's like, "You can go yourself." That was silly. It was fun, but it was like, really? It was so silly, but really fun. Of course, we have been to Barcelona and Madrid. I fell in love with Valencia because of just how wonderful it is, but I have not been down further. I appreciate that. There will be a trip there for sure. It has to be. Portugal is going to be my next go-to destination with respect to a home base after Australia.
Problematically, I love Portugal, but prices have gone crazy for housing over the past few years. It has just skyrocketed, and everyone's been going there. For me, I do not want to go where everybody else is going. I want to go where they're not going. When you talk about your favorite part of Spain, that's the part I want to be in because the prices will not have caught up with all the tourist stuff. You're right. You'll get to meet people from this standpoint right here in the heart, as opposed to the pocketbook where the tourists are.
I agree with you. It happens the same in Italy. The north of Italy is rich, and people are very poor, Ken. The south is something else. I'm from the southern part of Italy, so I know that. There's no money there. It's about quality of life. Going outside with friends and staying up till late, just walking on the streets, and yeah, it's another way to appreciate things in life.
I'm going to ask you the question this way. If someone takes a tour with you, what's their biggest takeaway from that tour, from that experience?
Creating Soul-Nourishing Travel Experiences
Connections. The way people can really feel for others. It's not about visiting places. It's not about the experience itself. It's about seeing and feeling another way of living.
That was my impression. It's important because your tours are not for everybody. Your tours, the way I see it, are for people who really do want to have a deeper experience of where they're going. That's not for everybody, nor do we want it to be for everybody. I should not say it that way. More people need to get more in touch with who they are and get grounded. That's how peace is created, how understanding is created, and really where you get knowledge from getting immersed. Am I right that your trips are so much more immersive?
Yes, they are. I choose exactly what the other operators or many other tour operators choose to do while on vacations. We do not go to any clubs. We do not go to new dishes. It's a journey of the soul. That's the definition that popped into my mind.
That's a great way to put it. That's something I think that sets you apart. That's really important. I'm going to ask you. We're going with a much more grounded experience than the typical, let's go there, kind of thing, which can get very tiring very quickly. A lot of us, when we go, we need downtime. What's been one of your funniest moments where things have just maybe either gotten a bit out of hand or silly or just been the most amazing experience that you have had with a group?
In what sense?
What stands out? If I ask you, what was the biggest highlight of any group you have ever had that was like, "If I could do that again, that'd be amazing"?
It's a difficult one.
Travel should be a place where our community feels completely safe, celebrated, and free to be themselves. #QueerTravel #TravelCommunity
I'm asking difficult questions.
I remember once.
Here we go. That one, that tour. How about that one?
We were in Halong Bay, and we were on the cruise. We were on top of the deck, and all of a sudden we saw one guy from our group kneeling down and proposing to his man, and we were all crying. That was so special. Halong Bay is something amazing. When you are there, you look around, and you ask yourself, "Is this really true?" It's amazing. Watching that scene in that moment out of the blue, it was amazing.
If now I'm single and I'm interviewing, for all you're watching, Halong Bay is not a bad place to propose to me. Just saying it is stunning. To think about that, to do that on the boat in the bay, with or even when you get to some of the islands, because there's one that I forget which little one, we got out and we took it to the top of the hill and it was amazing. It is just across the world. It’s incredible. What a great place to propose. Hopefully he said yes.
Yes, he did.
That was really bad. That's awesome. That's great. Does that happen often for you at your tours?
That was the one time. No.
That's absolutely great. What else should people know about you and about what you bring to the table for a traveler?
I want people to be themselves, and I want them to share with the group and have fun and forget all the problems they have at home or at work, whatever. Feel the moment while they're on vacation, while they're doing something, an experience. They need to live the moment.
When someone is, for a lot of people, including me, because we're so type A, rushing, getting things done. For me, I find that when I go somewhere, I need a day or two just to let the energy decompress and just, what's your strategy for getting your people, because I mean, certainly you have people that are spending a lot of money to be with you. They're not low-powered. They're high-powered, energetic people that are coming to be with you. How do you get them to chill out and just relax?
Simple answer. Wine.
I was okay with that. I was like, as a question, like a dummy, it's wine for him.
Breaking the Ice With Shared Moments
When we start with the presentation of the tour the very first day, we pour some great wine, and we drink. From there, people tend to relax and put a smile on their faces. That's the secret. Wine.
That makes so much sense. I just love watching how you lit up on that. That was just fabulous. Francesca, this has been a joy. Tell me a little bit about some of the couple of figures you have got. We're going to put some links. I do not know if we have talked about any special pricing or offers or bonuses or whatever for our pride and that community we have. Let me know now. You do not have to get specific because you might want to make some changes along the way because this will be listed for a long time. Tell us what that might look like.
I thought about giving a discount for your audiences for our Italy tour that will be next October. I guess that would be very interesting for your audiences.
You are the master of understatement. It is, from what I remember looking at before we got on. It is generous. We will let you be surprised because, going to the show notes and seeing and understanding that, and also one reason why I'm not pushing Francesco to give me a number right now is that that number could change up or down. We do not know what year this October is going to be because you could be seeing this in 2032 or 2026.
To that end, let us see what that's going to be for you. Definitely go grab a link that's there. Let Francesco know that you came from Pride Nomad English and from the Pride Nomad Letter because we really want to make sure that he's rewarded for what he does, and certainly you can see the passion in this gentleman. It's there if you want to have an amazing experience that's going to ground you.
Frankly, this has been high power for me, and you're just bringing me right down to, like, she's got a bottle of wine in the kitchen right there, my mom. You never know how the night's going to end up. If I want to bring my mom on a tour, can she come with me, or is it all, is it strictly, maybe just all gay, or how does that work out? Actually, because she might just be, "s***, I want to go with these guys."
Actually, we're open to other people. The important thing is that they're open and friendly.
Good to know. Mommy, you can come on the tour to Italy.
As long as you drink wine.
You do not have to be gay. She said, “Just bring the wine.” She's like, "I'm there." Just go. This has been a treat. I really appreciate that. Will you come back again?
Yes. Anytime.
Cool. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the incredible Francesca Mevoli from Italy.
Thank you very much for your kind words. Thank you for having me.
It’s my pleasure.
Important Links
About Francesco Mevoli
I’m Francesco Mevoli, the founder of Gay Up Travel — a boutique LGBTQ+ travel agency I started in 2021. I grew up in Italy and have lived in France, Germany and the UK, and traveled extensively across the rest of Europe and well beyond, from the Netherlands and Belgium to Morocco and Vietnam.
I’ve spent the last ten years getting to know these places from the inside — not as a tourist, but as someone who lives here, speaks the languages, and has built real relationships with the people who make travel memorable. Gay Up Travel is a U.S.-registered company and a member of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA), serving primarily North American clients.
I built it because I wanted gay men to have what I always looked for when I traveled: a trip where nothing feels like an afterthought. Where the hotel genuinely welcomes you. Where every detail has been thought through by someone who understands what it means to be yourself, fully, on holiday. I personally curate every itinerary, vet every partner, and stay available throughout your trip. You’re not dealing with a call center — you’re dealing with me.
