LA Travel & Adventure Show

Details
Parent Category: Expos and Conventions
Category: Previews
Published on Friday, 12 February 2010 05:00
Written by L E Shannon

The largest travel show in the United States, the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show is being held February 13-14, 2010 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The event showcases hundreds of destinations, and exciting activities abound, including a huge scuba pool, trip giveaways, cultural performances on the Global Beat Stage, World Culinary Stage and much more.  The Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show is THE place to plan that ultimate vacation.

The Adventures in Travel Expo, the longest-running series of consumer travel events in the U.S., has merged with the Los Angeles Times Travel & Adventure Show to become The Travel & Adventure Show. The change reflects a new focus on what the travel industry calls "experiential travel," which offers authentic social and cultural itinerary options.

Speakers:

Rick Steves shares Budget European Travel Skills
Pauline & Arthur Frommer discuss Traveling Authentically & Affordably in 2010
Huell Howser, LA’s own PBS Producer & Host of California’s Gold shares his expertise

Travel Talks –
Sailing Around the World at Age 17, with Zac Sunderland and Chris Reynolds
The Best Tips for Getting Travel Deals Online. with Jen Leo (moderator); George Hobica, Johnny Jet & Sam Shank

Other presentations are:

Peter Piper Picked a Pocket: How to Avoid Pesky Pickpockets Around the World, with Kevin Coffey, a veteran police officer

Make Better Travel Photos & Videos with Chris Reynolds

Using Twitter to Travel and The Best iphone Apps for Travelers with Jen Leo

South Africa and the 2010 World Cup, presented by Dean Jacobberger, South African Tourism and Terry von Guilleaume, Destination Southern Africa

Discover Taiwan– Best-Kept Secret in Asia, presented by Mr. Trust Lin, Taiwan Tourism Bureau in Los Angeles

World Expo 2010 & Travel in China, presented by Dawei Wu, China National Tourist Office

Some of the exciting workshops are:

Experience New Zealand… and experience life as it should be – Sarah Westerman, presented by Tourism New Zealand

Travels in Turkey and the Silk Road Countries of Asia – Bora Özkök, presented by Cultural Folk Tours

Welcome to Armenia: Ancient Nation, New Republic – Matthew Karanian and Robert Kurkjian, presented by Armenian American Chamber of Commerce

Discover the Islands of Tahiti – Leila Laille, presented by Tahiti Tourisme

Free activities for attendees include;

Scuba Dive Pool Lessons and Demos – A dip in the Scuba Pool — a 4-foot-deep 18,000-gallon tank — is free to all attendees over the age of 10. Instruction from a certified diving instructor and all necessary equipment will be provided, including towels, wetsuits, masks and air tanks, mirrors and hair dryers. Attendees need only bring bathing suits and a sense of adventure.

Rock Wall – Tenaya Lodge at the Yosemite booth invites all to test their endurance on the rock wall. The wall is 25 feet high and offers different routes and levels of difficulty to accommodate a range of skill levels. Experienced professionals will be on hand to ensure everyone’s safety for this experience.

Ocean Experience: Surf School – Attendees can try out this Indo/Surfboard Simulator that’s great for beginners and pros alike. Players can compete to see who can ride the longest, the wildest or at the highest speed.

Zip Line and Adventure Ropes Course – Attendees can strap themselves into a sturdy harness and fly along with the greatest of ease, a thrilling experience for young and old alike.

Golf Simulator – Attendees can hit a golf ball at a wall-sized screen displaying a computer-generated 18-hole course that looks amazingly authentic. A golf professional offers personalized tips on how to improve one’s score.

Steer Roping – Join some honest-to-goodness cowboys and learn the ropes, literally, as they teach the basics of steer roping, from making a lasso to tossing it ’round the horned head of the bovine quarry.

The Adventures in Travel Expo promotes itself as a one-stop shopping marketplace for consumers and the travel trade to meet, while the Los Angeles Times Travel & Adventure Show has been the largest travel show, with more than 500 exhibitors.

Together, under the new name, they aim to offer a show for "real travelers" (as opposed to simply vacationers) who have an expanded interest in authentic travel experiences. Exhibitor Development is producing the new hybrid.

For more information, visit http://events.latimes.com/travelshow.

LA Times Travel & Adventure Show
February 13-14, 2010

LA Convention Center
1201 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015