In the high tech world of today it is quite possible to learn a lot about a holiday area even before setting foot there. Watching videos or visiting an exhibition or display about a country or place as a vacation spot is useful. It is important to remember that these are just selling a holiday and will highlight only the destination’s positives.

Many tourist boards and organisations attend annual travel and tourism shows worldwide to showcase their countries. Apart from having brochures and flyers, many stalls have videos and live presentations. Visitors also have the opportunity to talk to representatives of the country. This allows them to get some of their questions answered direct.

Many top holiday areas use these exhibitions to sell their locations to possible visitors. For example, many countries realise the value of having booths and stalls at travel shows.

Some major travel shows that provide a piece of the travel destination for visitors to sample are:

o The Times Destination Travel Show in London Earls Court

o International Travel & Tourism Mart

o World Travel Market

o Indian Travel & Tourism Mart

o Maldives Hotel & Trade Exhibition

o ITB Berlin

Many display areas include:

o Stalls with foods which allow visitors to the exhibition to see and even taste cuisine of the country or region

o Arts and crafts that are sometimes sold or given away as tokens

o The music of the country playing in the background

o Displays of cultural dances

It is important to be aware that only the very best features of countries represented at these exhibitions will be on show. Despite this, the images and items shown usually accurately reflect the offerings of the regions or countries.

Tenerife is a popular holiday destination for example that people who haven’t visited before might want to ‘try before you buy’.

According to public statistics over five million people took holidays in Tenerife a couple of years ago – nearly two million from the UK alone. BAA reports that Tenerife is one of the most popular destinations for tourists flying from its Scottish airports. Increased traffic to and from the UK can be attributed to lower cost air fare offered by several UK based companies. Flights to Tenerife from many European destinations are a mere 3 to 5 hours and acceptable travel time for even a weekend getaway.

Attending a travel and tourism expo or display is a great way to get a feel of various travel destinations like Tenerife, and see which airlines provide Tenerife flights – they provide a good opportunity to ask questions of locals of a place you would like to visit. Taking the entire family to one can help to narrow down your options for your next family vacation.