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The New York Times has announced that its annual Travel Show reached a new record of 32,398 participants—the highest attendance in the Show’s history. Attendance included 10,268 travel trade and 22,130 consumer attendees during the three-day event that took place from Jan. 26-28, 2018 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. 2018’s show marked the 15th anniversary of The New York Times Travel Show, the largest travel industry show in North America. Turkish Airlines was this year’s Presenting Sponsor.
The number of participating exhibitors also hit a new record with 600 companies representing over 176 countries, an all-time high. “Each year, more and more travel professionals and enthusiasts attend The New York Times Travel Show and for good reason,” says Maggie Kiselick, vice president of advertising and managing director, The New York Times Magazine. “People rely on the Show to provide both exceptional travel offerings and helpful information to help them plan their trips to see the world. We look forward to hosting even more people at 2019’s show.”
Highlights from 2018 Show included:
Trade Day: The first day of the Travel Show on Friday, Jan. 26 was reserved exclusively for travel industry professionals and members of the media, offering 20 Focus Conferences panels that covered the latest products, services, destination information and trends from travel industry experts.
Keynote Address: Given on Friday, Jan. 26 by veteran travel journalist and editor James Shillinglaw, in conversation with: CEO of Travel Leaders Group Ninan Chacko; Jennifer Tombaugh, President, Tauck; Alejandro Zozaya, CEO of Apple Leisure Group; Andrew Stuart, President and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line; and Guy Young, Global Brand Engagement Officer, The Travel Corporation.
New LGBTQ Pavilion: This year marked the debut of the LGBTQ Pavilion, which featured the latest trends around L.G.B.T.Q.-centric tourism and showcased a wide range of L.G.B.T.Q. travel experts from exhibitors including ManAboutWorld, Out in the Vineyard, Oscar Wilde Tours, Shady Ladies Tours, R Family Vacations, Quiiky-Gay Tours in Italy, Outings & Adventures, Insider Voyagers and the Stonewall National Monument. The pavillion was curated by gay travel expert and ManAboutWorld editor in chief, Ed Salvato.
Taste of the World Pavilion: At this the culinary travel showcase, attendees learned about delicious destinations, attended culinary demonstrations and tasted some of the world’s most savory flavors.
Family First: The Family Pavilion showcased leading players in the Family travel space, including lodges, resorts, destinations, and cruise lines, along with new activities including a Gaga Ball area, arts and crafts activations, and social media engagement opportunities for attendees of all ages.
Star Speakers: The final two days of the Show were open to all attendees and featured various cultural presentations and performances, food demonstrations, and one-on-one conversations with travel experts, influencers and celebrities including travel expert Pauline Frommer, fashion designer Zac Posen and musical artist Action Bronson. The 2018 show also highlighted new seminar topics such as: “Seeing Mexico City and Barcelona Through Their Burgeoning Art Scenes,” with art expert Maria Brito; “The Best Travel Gadgets of 2018,” a conversation with experts of New York Times’s product review website Wirecutter; and “Sustainable and Socially Conscious Travel” with New York Times travel and lifestyle writer Shivani Vora; among many others.
2018 Travel Show Exhibitor Award winners included:
Best in Show
Turkish Airlines
Best New Exhibitor
Hostelworld
Most Interactive
Korea Tourism Organization
The People’s Choice
Puerto Rica Tourism Company
Most Imaginative
Camp Cody
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