New York Travel & Adventure Show
Just a sampling of the piles of pamphlets that I couldn’t resist.
New York Travel & Adventure Show Jacob Javits Center, NYC January 28, 2023
I went to the New York travel show on Saturday. Here’s what I found:
The number one most coveted item of the day was the Choctaw Country shopping bag.
Totally serious. The folks at the Choctaw Country tourism booth (Choctaw is a lovely region in Southeastern Oklahoma) were handing out large bags with vibrant floral graphics on front and back. It was the stand-out handout at this huge event, where many exhibitors provide free bags for visitors to haul the piles of brochures, pamphlets, booklets, stickers, maps and more that they gather as they go booth to booth. The Choctaw bag is big, sturdy, pretty, practical. Who wouldn’t want one!
I was at the event just over an hour when I spotted these bags throughout the crowd. Bright and colorful, they popped amidst the drab winter clothes and bland bags most folks carried. I hurried to the Choctaw booth to get a bag of my own. When I arrived, they only had a few dozen left. Word was out! A crowd had gathered. The folks manning the booth were overwhelmed. People were reaching across the table—some shoving—everyone eager to snag a bag.
The Choctaw Country shopping bag.
I got mine. (I was assertive, but not rude.) I made a point to talk to a rep about Choctaw Country. (Good place for fly fishing.) I then dumped all the paper I’d collected so far into my new bag—several pounds, for sure—and continued on my way.
Just like most folks at this event, I couldn’t help myself when I saw an enticing map or a beautiful brochure. I grabbed what I could. I’ll sort through it at home, I thought. But sitting here now, staring at all of it, I’m ashamed of how much I took. Most of this info can easily be found online. Much of it, turns out, is not actually of interest to me. I’ll keep a few maps, the rest gets recycled. Next time I’ll be more judicious. And a wish for future shows: less paper, more QR codes, please.
Other travel show takeaways:
Big crowd. People want to travel, big-time, post-pandemic.
Definitely whet my appetite to explore the world. Fun to chat with the exhibitors: Taiwan one minute, Pakistan a little later, Alaska a few aisles away—then Belize, Barbados, the Bahamas… Croatia!
I liked the official tourism board booths best. Good source of info, and not a hard sell like many of the private outfitters and operators.
Nepal, in the house!
Some of the tours were enticing. An African safari would be wonderful. Same with a bicycle trip. But otherwise, I’m not keen on pre-packaged vacations, all-inclusive resorts, time-shares and such. I prefer to plan my own trip, create my own itinerary, explore, discover… my way.
Pleasant surprise: I didn’t expect so many regional exhibitors—from New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maine. The Catskills, Adirondacks, Dutchess County, Down East… They offered really useful info for day trips, weekends away, adventures of all sorts.
Key moment: Chatting about Fallingwater at the Laurel Highlands Pennsylvania booth. I don’t keep a bucket list, but if I did, Fallingwater would be on it.
Would I go back? To this, or one of the many other travel shows? Sure. Why not!
What now? Well, since you ask… I’m off to the supermarket with my Choctaw Country shopping bag. It will brighten the streets of Brooklyn on a cold, gray winter’s day.