About Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show
When winter sets in, holidaymakers head to Olympia London to plan their next trips at Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show. It is a ticketed consumer event, run by Clarion Events, where visitors meet leading and independent specialist travel brands and tourist boards face to face for inspiration, advice and show offers. A sister show runs in Manchester.
Exhibitors include tour operators, cruise lines, adventure and specialist travel companies, hotels and national and regional tourism bodies. Visitors are members of the public, from couples and families planning a main holiday to independent travellers researching a once-in-a-lifetime journey. Many arrive with a trip in mind and ready to book.
The programme is a large part of the draw. Stages such as the Travel Stage and the Meet the Experts Theatre host talks from travel writers and specialists, while the Taste The World stage brings cookery demonstrations, and the show includes cultural performances, book signings and the Wanderlust Visions gallery. That content keeps visitors on site longer and puts them in a planning frame of mind.
For exhibitors, the late January slot is valuable because it coincides with the period when many people book their holidays for the year. Travel stands work best when they create a sense of place, through large-format imagery, video and natural materials, with comfortable consultation areas where staff can sit down with visitors and talk through itineraries. Capturing contact details for follow-up offers is a key part of converting interest into bookings.
Next edition
Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show 2027: what to expect
The London show runs from 28 to 31 January 2027 at Olympia London. The organiser is promoting around 600 travel brands, 90 tourist boards and more than 100 speakers for the event. The Manchester edition takes place earlier in the month, from 14 to 17 January 2027 at Manchester Central, which some exhibitors combine with London.
As a consumer show with a weekend, footfall peaks on Saturday and Sunday, so plan queue management, brochure stock and staffing around those days. Tourist boards sharing space with partners should agree layouts and branding early. Olympia's central London location means tight access for deliveries, so confirm build logistics with the organiser in good time.