NI’s biggest holiday fair to return with new title sponsor and a new city centre venue
Taking place at the ICC Belfast in January 2025, Holiday World Show Belfast in association with Bookit by NI Travel News is a three-day event that showcases a huge choice of dazzling travel options at home and abroad to more than 11,000 visitors every year.
With the days getting colder and the nights getting longer, people’s thoughts are turning to holidays and what better way to kick off 2025 than to start planning your dream holiday with a visit to the province’s biggest annual celebration of travel and tourism, now celebrating its 32nd year in Belfast.
Holiday World Show Belfast in association with Bookit by NI Travel News will open its doors to the public from 12.30pm to 5pm on Friday January 10, and from 10am until 5pm on Saturday January 11 and Sunday January 12. A dedicated Trade and Media morning will take also place on the Friday from 10am to 12.30pm with registration available at https://holidayworld.registrationdesk.ie/belfast/.
Visitors to the show will have a chance to snap up dozens of exclusive ‘show only’ deals, get the inside track on where to go from operators and destinations, discover new ideas and holiday trends, and receive advice from travel professionals on how to pay less for their holiday. Some lucky guests could even go home with a free holiday – if they win one of the many ‘free to enter’ prize draws that will run throughout the show.
With a new sponsor and new venue on board, Maria Hourican, Chief Executive of Business Exhibitions Ltd, the company which organises the Holiday World Shows in Belfast and Dublin, said she was doubly excited about January’s show.
“Today is a very special day for us as we proudly launch our 32nd annual Holiday World Belfast Show in association with Bookit by NI Travel News,” said Maria. “Since our very first show in Belfast, Jonathan Adair and the team at NI Travel News have always been very supportive, as they have been of the entire NI travel industry.
“As a valuable partner for this year’s show, Jonathan brings with him a vault of knowledge, eagerness and experience of the industry from both a travel trade and consumer point of view – so we are absolutely delighted to welcome him on board with Bookit, an exciting new travel hub that offers members a range of great holiday deals every week – which makes it a very good fit for our own Holiday World brand,” she added.
“Also, after many years at the Kings Hall and then the Titanic Exhibition Centre, we are thrilled and excited to bring the 32nd annual Holiday World Show into the heart of Belfast’s City Centre for the very first time. Having our event at the ICC Belfast will make it so much more accessible to thousands of people in the city wanting to explore their holiday options for 2025 and grab themselves a good bargain in the process.
“With operators and destinations from around the world and closer to home, all under one roof, next year’s show in January promises to be bigger and better than ever, offering visitors a one-stop-shop for all their travel dreams. Visitors will get the chance to do their travel research face-to-face, chatting with sector professionals in a lively, fun-filled environment that’s all about getting into holiday mood.
“There really is something for everyone,” concluded Maria. “Whether you like the thought of relaxing on a sunny beach, a cruise on the high seas, an exciting city break, or uncovering a hidden gem closer to home, you can be sure that Holiday World Show has it covered.”
New show sponsor Bookit by NI Travel News is a membership-based travel hub, created by long-running travel publication Northern Ireland Travel News, that offers members a range of weekly holiday deals and offers, from cruise to ski, family breaks abroad, local breaks, city breaks, long haul family specials and everything in between.
For a subscription fee of just £10 per year, members will receive a minimum of 10 fantastic travel offers straight to their inboxes each week – all hand-selected and supplied by local NI travel agents, providing members with peace of mind that their holiday is protected and their money secure.
Jonathan Adair, Managing Director of NI Travel News, is looking forward to bringing Bookit by NI Travel News to Holiday World Show Belfast for the first time.
“At NI Travel News, we’ve supported the annual Holiday World Show Belfast since it first came to Belfast 32 years ago, so I am delighted to strengthen our relationship further and continue our support as title sponsor of January’s event,” said Jonathan.
“For more than 35 years, NI Travel News has been the go-to publication and online hub for holidaymakers across the province. We have now taken our experience in the travel and tourism industry to the next level by providing our readers with the best holiday deals via our new membership hub – Bookit by NITN.
“With the launch of our new travel agent offers platform to the public, and a brand new venue for the Show, this is perfect time to profile Bookit by NI Travel News. We have exhibited at Holiday World since the beginning, but this is the first time we will be showcasing the best offers from our local travel agents every week. I am looking forward to the new Exhibition in the ICC with all the exciting holiday options on offer,” he added.
Holiday World Show Belfast in association with Bookit by NI Travel News will play host to international tourist boards, destinations, airlines, cruise & ferry companies, hotels and B&Bs, visitor attractions, travel agencies and a vast range of service providers.
Operators and destinations already confirmed include Malta, Spain, Cyprus, Travel Solutions, Air Canada, Cleveland, Oklahoma & Grapevine Texas, Costa Del Sol Living, Tunisia, Hays Travel, Stena Line, Irish Ferries, Barrhead Travel, Camino groups and French camping sites, with the promise of more to be announced over the next two months.
One of the fastest growing areas of the holiday industry is undoubtedly the cruise sector – which is reflected at the show, with a dedicated cruise showcase hosted by local specialist Oasis Travel.
For those who like to holiday closer to home, Holiday World Show Belfast in association with Bookit by NI Travel News also features a wide range of hotels and accommodation providers, visitor attractions and tourism organisations from across Ireland and the UK.
Holiday World Show Belfast in association with Bookit by NI Travel News will take place at the ICC Belfast at 2 Lanyon Place, Belfast BT1 3WH, from Friday January 10 until Sunday January 12, 2025.
Tickets cost £5 for adults; £4 for Senior Citizens and £3 for Students. A special family ticket gives admission for two adults and up to four children for just £10 and a 2-for-1 ticket deal is available online at https://holidayworld.registrationdesk.ie/2-for-1-voucher-belfast/.
All travel trade and media are invited to register and attend the Trade and Media morning on Friday January 10 (10am–12.30pm). To register, visit https://holidayworld.registrationdesk.ie/belfast/.
For more information and all the latest event updates, visit https://holidayworldshowni.com/.