Over 39,500 visitors attend Holiday World Show Dublin

Holiday bookings surge at this year’s show in the RDS Simmonscourt

Holiday World Show Dublin, which took place this weekend, saw in excess of 39,500 people make their way to the RDS Simmonscourt for personalised expert travel advice, show-only deals and tips on the top places to travel in 2019. The increase in visitor numbers from 2018 indicates the popularity of this award-winning consumer show continues to holds strong and the continued appetite for a variety of holiday options.

Maureen Ledwith, Director, Business Exhibitions Ltd., organiser of Holiday World Show Dublin said, “Our 2019 show has been the most successful in recent years, welcoming approximately 39,500 visitors through the doors of the RDS Simmonscourt over the last three days. Exhibitors have reported a noticeable increase in footfall this year and we were delighted to see record numbers when the show opened on Friday. The increasing diversity within Holiday World Show is integral in attracting consumers planning their holidays for the coming year.”

The surge in holiday bookings was echoed in the Irish Travel Agents Association’s (ITAA) recent quarterly survey results that revealed that 50% of Irish travel agents saw an increase in their turnover in 2018 compared with the previous year.

At the Holiday World Show 2019, exhibitors commented on the surge in visitors to the Show. Collette Brennan, Sales Manager of e-Travel.ie, commented, “We have had a very busy and exciting show this weekend. For the first time ever, we had a 3D Virtual Reality Experience of our Perfect Day at CocoCay, our new dedicated island which is launching this May.”

Jennifer Callister, Head of Ireland for Royal Caribbean, said, “We have noticed a lot of interest in the Bahamas in particular, with a definite increase in bookings to the Caribbean over the last number of days.”

Covering a wide range of holiday destinations, cruise, and debuting a new dedicated Lapland stand, Sunway also reported on an increase in the value of bookings taken at this year’s show. Kelly Myrtag, Marketing Executive of Sunway, commented, “Friday and Saturday were exceptionally busy compared to last year, and we have noticed that the value of holiday bookings is increasing. Cruise and long haul are receiving a lot of enquiries, particularly Asia, the Caribbean and the US.”

Japan and the USA were big attractions for many visitors this year, while Ireland’s favourite holiday destination, Spain, held the largest stand at the show. The Home Holiday Pavilion also grew this year and accounted for 25% of the exhibitors.

The ‘Talk Travel with Eoghan Corry’ panel discussions also proved extremely popular with visitors as the international award winning travel journalist interviewed industry leaders on topics such as Holiday Trends, Africa, Solo Holidays, Visas and Passports, Irish Attractions, Cruises and Adventure Holidays.