NEW YORK – Whether you’re an aspiring or experienced globetrotter, the New York Times Travel Show at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City is the place to be at. The largest travel exhibition in North America invites travel professionals and the public to explore over 500 vendors from 170 different countries around the world. In its 14th year, the Travel Show recorded its highest attendance this year with 30,099 participants during the three day event held during the last weekend of January.
Highlights of this year’s exhibition featured different presentations including a Trade Day conference in its first day, which was exclusively open to travel industry professionals and members of the media. The exhibit also had a “Meet the Experts” area where one can get advice on popular destinations, useful travel tips and many more; a Wellness Travel Pavilion, cooking demonstrations at the “Taste The World Kitchen” booths, and five cultural stages where one can enjoy music and cultural dance performances from around the world.
Having trouble and can’t decide where to travel this 2017? Here are some recommendations from this year’s different vendors:
Edward Malone, Area Director North America, Aruba Tourism Authority
“The great thing about Aruba is that you can do as much as you want, anything as you want or as little as you want. We have it all. Aruba is very special because we really got something for everybody…Great hotels great restaurants, magnificent beaches. Lots to see and lots to do. Like I said, you can do it all
“For a small little island, it’s amazing what you really can do in such a small place. Great weather, it rarely doesn’t rain. The most sunny days in the Caribbean…And on top of it all, it’s the greatest people. We’ve been recognized as ‘One Happy Island’. It comes through with the people and everyone goes back year after year; it’s kind of like their second home.”
Badr Zahzouhi, Franchise Owner, Cruise Planners “A place that I recommend for your travelers is Marrakesh. Why Marrakesh? Marrakesh is one of the oldest capitals of Morocco. It used to be a center of exchange where people from the East would exchange merchandise or purchase merchandise.
“Marrakesh would offer a few things to the tourist which are the culture, the food, the excursions and the originality of the country and the people. People are very kind and very nice…Visit. Come to eat and bring beautiful souvenirs back home.”
Chiara Sari, Vice Consul for Economic Affairs, Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia New York
“Indonesia is an archipelago; it consists of more than 17,000 islands. We have five main islands and many thousands of islands. We are very rich in culture, with a lot of ethnic groups and speak other languages, but we all talk basically Bahasa Indonesia; that’s the one language that unites all those ethnic groups
“[A popular island to visit] is Suluwesi, which is very famous for divers and also surfers. There are a lot of surfers who come to Indonesia to catch the waves. [For example], there are certain areas in Sumatra where they have names for the waves because they have certain characteristics. The surfer would go there and catch the waves.”
For those who prefer domestic travel, Mayor Rick Kriseman recommends why St. Petersburg, Florida is the place to visit.
“We are a city of the arts. So if you are in love with Salvador Dali, other than in Spain, the largest collection of his works are in St. Petersburg at the Dali museum. We have the Museum of Fine Arts, the Holocaust Museum, incredible galleries, wonderful restaurants and even distilleries. We’ve got it all in St. Petersburg.”
“I am fortunate to be the mayor of a city that has so much going on and that has an incredible arts and culture. But it’s really the people that set our community apart. When you come and visit us, you’ll feel like a member of the community; that’s the way we make everybody feel. You’ll feel relax, you can do anything you want in the city and really enjoy yourself.”
The 2017 New York Times Travel Show is sponsored by the South African Tourism, Allianz, MSC Cruises and Visit Florida.
Written By: Tennie Sumague, Eagle News Service US, New York
