Last Thursday, a full day for the travel industry was organised in Stockholm. During the day, Travel News Market 2017 was held at the Stockholm Waterfront Congress centre and in the evening the event continued, in a more festive style, at Café Opera. We were there, of course, and here is our report.
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160 exhibitors
A total of 160 stands were set up with representatives from tourist offices, travel agencies, airlines, hotels and other companies in the travel industry. A new feature this year was that you could book appointments with the exhibitors in advance. We had booked several and had a packed schedule where we ran from one to the other.
When we got home, we realised that we had missed two of our bookings, even though they were exhibitors that we... really wanted to meet. We don't even understand how that could happen. The schedule was tight and time was running out ...
Gathering for travel bloggers
This type of event also becomes a gathering for travel bloggers. Since many travel bloggers are our friends, it's great to meet them! Did you think blogging is a girl thing? The picture below disproves that a bit... Jokes aside. There are many female travel bloggers, but I managed to capture four male travel bloggers in one picture.
Enticing destinations at close range
We are planning a new motorhome trip in Europe (not sure how long) and talked to the representatives of Flanders in Belgium and Holland. We haven't travelled much in these countries, and Belgium offered charming towns, good food, beer and chocolate.
We also took the opportunity to talk to the representatives of Iceland, Ireland and the UK. The all However, the closest destination turned out to be a wine hotel in our own municipality of Solna ...
Enticing destinations further afield
We've been wanting to travel to Israel for a long time and spent a long time at their stand looking at the map. Should you combine Tel Aviv and Jerusalem with the south of the country... or the north? Israel seems to have everything from vibrant cities and historical sights to beaches, vineyards and adventure...
We also became curious about Tunisia. We have hardly thought of that country as a destination before, but now we suddenly realised that here is a country with exciting desert adventures, which is also within reasonable distance.
Industry party at Café Opera
Then it was time for a party at Café Opera, organised by the Dominican Republic in collaboration with Air France-KLM. We hung out with a bunch of travel bloggers and had a very nice evening.
Since I had to take a taxi at 04:30 the next morning (more on that later), I had planned to go home early. But then there was a raffle where you could win a really nice trip to the Dominican Republic, and then we wanted to stay for the draw ... So it was not so early, and no we did not win, but it was still a successful day!
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4000mil says:
Nice to see you on Thursday!
What a shame to miss two meetings. I couldn't find a way to print my appointments from TN's website, so I ended up cancelling all my 1000 confirmation emails and had a handwritten note.
For me it was the other way round. Two of my booked appointments were not on the counterpart's list! But of course it worked out anyway.
11 November 2017 - 7:56
Helena says:
Yes, great to see you! 🙂 It felt really hard when we suddenly realised that we missed two booked meetings ... we do not understand how it happened! It was probably both full up and a lot of impressions that spun to everything ... But otherwise we are satisfied!
11 November 2017 - 9:54
Travelsis says:
Sounds like an interesting day! Tunisia has just as you write a lot to offer, desert landscape, small cute villages, beautiful beaches and good shopping of ceramic bowls. / Pernilla
11 November 2017 - 9:13
Helena says:
Glad to hear that you have positive experiences in Tunisia. We were really curious! 🙂
11 November 2017 - 9:54
Ama de casa says:
Wow, that sounded a bit stressful, but fun! 🙂 Great fun to get tips and meet other bloggers too, of course.
Have a great Saturday!
11 November 2017 - 9:15
Helena says:
Stressful but fun 🙂 Wishing you a nice weekend!!!!
11 November 2017 - 9:55
pilla says:
Sounds like a successful day!
11 November 2017 - 9:30
Helena says:
A real full day with a travel theme 🙂
11 November 2017 - 9:57
Ditte says:
Yes, we missed each other, but we also had a "tight" schedule. There were many meetings. Glad that Israel is now in the "game" again. Was popular during the 70-90s and there is a lot to see and experience where a round trip gives a lot. (Was there in the 80s and 90s and Israel is recommended).
Nice that Tunisia, this old charter destination also gets a boost. I worked there in 1973-74 and then it was a major destination.
I imagine the party was a success at Café Opera, but I'll have to settle for reading about it.
Looks like you were happy with the day too.
11 November 2017 - 9:42
Helena says:
Yes, I have understood that Israel was popular in the past. Feels like an interesting destination, we think! Interesting that you worked in Tunisia! Too bad we missed each other, but maybe we'll see you at some event in the future?
11 November 2017 - 10:00
Charlotte says:
Yes so fun to see you! 🙂 I won their little "liquor package" hehe, always something 😉.
11 November 2017 - 9:52
Helena says:
Yes, great to see you! And congratulations on the win! 🙂
11 November 2017 - 10:00
Liniz Travel says:
Very nice to see you !!!! Hugs
11 November 2017 - 12:49
Helena says:
Likewise! Hugs
11 November 2017 - 19:36
BP says:
Ditte wrote about the fair yesterday. Great fun to see your different angles. Strange though that you managed to miss each other.
We were in Israel in 2013 and as you read, we loved Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. You can't get tired of Tel Aviv - it has everything. Jerusalem's "Old City" is of course a must, but also the new Jerusalem has soooo much to offer. Depending on what you are interested in, I would definitely prefer the southern part, where there is more life. The northern part is rather boring I think.
Tunisia does not appeal at all. This is because all of our friends who have been there were very disappointed, including with the food. And everyone came home with a stomach bug.
When it comes to Belgium and Holland, for me it is Holland that counts. Belgium is very dirty compared to Holland (and the rest of Europe), but the food is of course good.
11 November 2017 - 13:41
Helena says:
Yes, a bit strange that we missed each other. But the fair was big, and I missed some other travel bloggers too. Yes, I do remember that you liked Israel. Thanks for the tips on which part to choose! Tunisia I will not let myself be discouraged by (not too easily anyway), now that I got the urge 😉 Then we will see if we get away, but I hope that both Israel and Tunisia will be done!
11 November 2017 - 19:40
Mr Steve says:
It's a fun event that's a must if you're in the travel industry.
I can't believe I've been somewhere you haven't been. I was in Tunisia in the 1980s. An exciting country with a "thousand and one night" feeling.
However, I felt constantly monitored there. Every morning, two men in suits showed up at the hotel reception where they stayed all day. They came to the hotel in military vehicles.
As well as adventures like sleeping in the desert and camel riding, I had a more dramatic adventure when the clutch on my hire car broke in the middle of Tunis. I made it out, but it was an unnecessarily dramatic experience.
11 November 2017 - 14:36
Helena says:
Interesting that you were in Tunisia Steve! The thousand and one night feeling I like, the surveillance maybe not as much ... 😉 Hope that there is less of it now simply! Some dramatic events are definitely more than you want, but most things usually work out!
11 November 2017 - 19:43
Across the board says:
What a shame to miss two meetings.... Israel was an incredibly cool destination and offered a huge amount of culture. Tunisia, however, I did not like at all!
Eat well tonight 😀
11 November 2017 - 19:49
Johnny Friskilä says:
Absolutely fun to meet, and fun that you captured all of Sweden's male travel bloggers in one and the same picture. Or well, there are probably a few more 😉
I can tell you more about Tunisia at the appropriate time. It's been three years since I was there. It was February and perhaps not the ultimate time of year to go (rain and cold) but there are definitely things to see and do!
12 November 2017 - 11:13