New travel show dedicated to offbeat wildlife travel set for Harrogate in September
WITH more than sixty exhibitors signed up, a distinguished line-up of speakers confirmed, evening theatre programme and over 6,000 tickets already sold, the inaugural Wildlife & Safari Travel Show, taking place in Harrogate 29/30 September is gaining pace.
Specialist travel companies have jumped at the chance to exhibit at a travel show, dedicated to offbeat wildlife travel, where they won’t get lost amongst mainstream travel companies and where the visitors attracted to attend the show will all be committed to responsible travel values and uncovering experiential wildlife and safari travel opportunities.
Exhibitors range from niche companies like, A Tent with a View and Peru Safari to tailor-made specialists Audley Travel and Rainbow Tours. Exsus Travel, Destinology and Experience Travel Group who are not usually seen at travel shows have also signed up to exhibit.
Exhibiting travel companies have been given the chance to share their enthusiasm with the Show’s visitors in the ‘Love Wildlife Theatre’; Pioneer Expeditions, Wildlife Worldwide, Wild Frontiers, Silversea Expeditions and Bespoke Latin America are some of the companies booked in to give presentations over the weekend’s programming.
Avis has sponsored a ‘Virtual Reality’ theatre with exhibitors having the chance to supply their own VR content to add to the programme of nature and wildlife films being screened, from land based to underwater wildlife encounters, it presents an unrivalled sense of immersion in preparation for the real thing!
Exhibitors are all receiving a client ticket allocation and with the big names lined up to present talks in the WSC Theatre there may be fights over who gets them! Wildlife conservationists such as Niki Rust, zoologist Lucy Cook, authors including Sara Evans and Simon King, wildlife photographers Margot Raggett and Sue Flood and the very different ‘Heavy Metal’ biologist Tom ‘the Blowfish’ Hird all have slots over the Saturday and Sunday.
With a packed entertainment programme it is anticipated that most visitors will want to make a weekend of it – Shearings and Newmarket are both offering special Wildlife & Safari Travel Show weekend Harrogate packages.
Wildlife & Safari Travel Show director Debbee Dale said: “We knew, with the increased public awareness in conservation and responsible tourism, as well as our ever-growing want to explore and experience, that there was a need for a dedicated nature, wildlife and off the beaten track travel show. It’s a growing market and we have been delighted by the reaction the show has received and the positive and encouraging comments from the trade, as well as the amount of fantastic companies already signed up. We’ve still got more than two months to go and exhibitors will increase even more, however cut off is in a few weeks, so any companies thinking about taking part need to decide. Our exhibitors know the visitors to the show will all have a common interest in wildlife and safari travel, a receptive, engaged and enthusiastic audience just waiting to meet them at the show.”
