New York Times Travel Show

Tidbits from the NY Times Travel Show

Published January 27, 2015 | By Clark Norton

The Aranui 3 sails the remote Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. Photo courtesy of Aranui 3.

Some of the most interesting things you pick up at a huge travel-trade gathering like this past weekend’s New York Times Travel Show are what I would call tidbits — not big enough for an entire blog post, but nonetheless fun stuff.

Here are a few of my favorites from the show:

* You have to love a company — in this case Lion World Travel — whose eastern USA director of sales’ business card is, quote, “made by hand using the sanitized fibre from the dung of elephants, rhino and other wild herbivores of Africa.”

I didn’t get to meet the director of sales — Kathi Scott of Toronto — but her “100 % natural, 100% African, 110% recycled” paper business card intrigued me enough that I googled Lion World Travel and… Continue reading →

Things I Learned at the NY Times Travel Show

Published January 25, 2015 | By Clark Norton

Crowds at the New York Times Travel Show.

Each winter, the New York Times Travel Show draws hundreds of exhibitors — national tourism bureaus, tour operators, and various travel-related organizations, among others — to meet the public and try to lure them to their destination or onto their tours and the like. It’s the largest such trade and consumer show in North America.

There are also dozens of travel-related talks and seminars you can attend led by veteran travel writers, publishers and broadcasters, some beautifully costumed women dancing on stages representing various nationalities, some free food giveaways, a number of special travel discounts good only at the show, and various other enticements.

With winter slush outside, it’s the perfect time to get people thinking about warm-weather destinations or at least traveling somewhere when the weather gets warm.

I was there this weekend making contacts for StrideTravel.com, the new travel… Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure travel, Baby boomer travel, Countries, Luxury travel, Tours | Tagged Cuba, customized tours, Mongolia, New York Times Travel Show | Leave a comment

Travel Agents Insist: “We’re Still Here!”

Published March 4, 2014 | By Clark Norton

Travel seminars were popular at the New York Times Travel Show held Feb. 28-March 2, 2014, at the Javits Center.

The keynote panel on travel industry trade day at the New York Times Travel Show in Manhattan this past weekend was made up of travel agents and their representatives, and they had one plea to the public: We haven’t gone away!

Apparently a good percentage of the public thinks travel agents have gone the way of the dinosaurs or at least print newsweeklies, on the seriously endangered list.

Stark statistics were presented: while use of traditional travel agents for booking trips is up 18 percent over the past three years, only 13 percent of the public uses them to book leisure trips, and only 16 percent use them on the business side.

The Internet, of course, is the culprit, encroaching more and more on travel agent territory since the late… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, travel agents | Tagged baby boomer marketing strategies, baby boomer travel, New York Times Travel Show, selling travel to baby boomers, travel agents, travel marketing | 4 Comments

According to government and private surveys:

Leading-edge baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1955) and seniors account for four out of every five dollars spent on luxury travel today.
Roughly half the consumer spending money in the U.S.--more than $2 trillion--is in the hands of leading-edge baby boomers and seniors.
Baby boomers (born 1946-1964) travel more than any other age group.
When asked what they would most like to spend their money on, baby boomers answered “travel” more than any other category, including improving their health or finances.