For over 37 years the Spartacus International Gay Guide has proved to be the reliable companion for holidays and business trips and gained acknowledgement thanks to its serious and independent work. Every gay man knows it, needs it and uses it.

In the 2008 guide there are over 1,200 pages, 23,000 addresses and detailed information for more than 160 countries around the world - it’s indispensable for the travel season!

We caught up with Spartacus’ editor in chief, Briand Bedford, to find out more about the gay guide, its cover models, insider tips to the hottest destinations and where he likes to relax!

The International Gay Guide is now in its 37th edition. What’s been the secret of its success?
We have so many people who help us worldwide. I think the success of Spartacus is that it's seen as a gay community product – where everyone can help us develop and update a guide which the gay community can use.

How has it changed over the years?
Spartacus has become more critical. We do not only publish positive comments – we also say when we find something is bad. We also criticise political systems and governments. Spartacus is now in full colour and extensively researched. Some things have not changed though – like the Spartacus codes.

What are you most proud of about the book?
We are proud to serve the community as we have been doing so for the last 37 years. We hope with our guide to help gay men come together (sorry, excuse the pun) and avoid being lonely. There are so many gay men out there just waiting to meet. Spartacus is all about positive energy.

Spartacus is updated each year. How do you go about checking the resources?
We have helpers worldwide – from airline staff to hotel managers, from sauna owners to artists – all of who send us the updated information for their area. Along with this we receive almost every international gay publication (newspapers, magazines and more). We do a lot of online research and send out several mailings to all the listed addresses in our guide, to check if our information is still up to date.

It’s a big job! How many people do you have working on the publication?
It is a very big job! We have 3 full time employees in Berlin, where the guide is published. In addition we have over 20 advertising sales people who help with the updates and of course the many helpers which I have already mentioned.

"We have so many people who help us worldwide. I think the success of Spartacus is that it is seen as a gay community product"

I have to mention the gorgeous models that grace the covers and entice us in. Where do you get the guys from?
We have a very professional photo department in our company which puts together many photo books, calendars and much more. They are constantly on the lookout for photos and they are the ones who find us our cover guys.

There’s been an explosion in gay travel books. What is it that gives Spartacus the edge over other gay travel guides?
The name Spartacus stands for quality of information, for reliability and the name has been around for 37 years now. People trust Spartacus.

From your own experience, where would you say were the most popular gay destinations?
From my experience the most popular current gay destinations are Berlin, Rome, Barcelona, and Fort Lauderdale, although places like Buenos Aires and Cape Town are also hot favourites.

And what about the next big thing? Where would you say the next gay travel explosion is going to happen?
Insider information leads me to believe that places like Shanghai or Las Vegas are going to become more popular. The gay scenes may be small at present but they have with amazing potential"

As well as the main Spartacus guide, there’s now a separate hotel and restaurant guide! What’s next for the brand?
There is also an international sauna guide. What will be next? A good question. We are still working on it – but you will be the first to hear about it when it comes out!

"Insider information leads me to believe that places like Shanghai or Las Vegas are going to become more popular. The gay scenes may be small but they have amazing potential"

You spend your working life telling us all about the gay places to go on holiday. But where do you like to go and relax?
My favourite beach holiday destination is Torre del Lago in Italy and my favourite city is Barcelona.

Read our review of the 2008 Spartacus International Gay Guide. Want more? Then take a peek at what we thought about the Spartacus Hotel and Sauna Guides!

2008 Spartacus International Gay Guide, by Bruno Gmunder
Publisher: Bruno Gmunder
Published: March 2008
ISBN: 386187783X

Find out all the latest gay travel information by buying the brand new 2008 Spartacus International Gay Guide. Get it online and save some money to put towards the other Bruno Gmunder guides - Hotel and Restaurant Guide and Sauna Guide..