This past weekend, I attended the hugely popular “Boston Globe Travel Show”. This expo brings together dozens of travel agencies, global tour companies, travel writers, and travel show hosts to provide an amazing opportunity for guests to learn first-hand about travel to every region of the world! The expansive floor area provided ample space to wander about and visit each booth. The agencies represented included cruise experts and those offering land tours to Europe, South America, Africa, Australia, Asia, and North America. Vegans and non-vegan travelers can get great ideas for their next travel destination or advice on international dining. Attendees could watch chefs prepared ethnic cooking demos. Performers entertained the audience throughout the two day event. Jamaican, Bermudian, Puerto Rican, and Indonesian dance performances thrilled the crowds!! Guest Speakers throughout the weekend offered tips on how to save money on accommodations and airfare, how to find less traveled destinations which are great for sightseeing or scenic beauty, and how to find the best and least expensive meals while on holiday.

During the morning session, I attended two talks prior to strolling the aisles to visit the tour company booths. Talk#1 was presented by the president of a tour company specializing in China trips. Talk#2 was given by Rudy Maxa who hosts a travel show on PBS “Rudy Maxa’s World” and a radio program “Rudy Maxa’s World”. He gave many tips on what mistakes travelers make and how to avoid them. For example, he suggested a few tips on how to get better last minute airfare rates. When I introduced myself to Mr. Maxa after his talk, he asked to interview me on his “Rudy Maxa’s World” radio program. My interview is taking place next week when I will speak of traveling the world as a vegan!!

After the morning seminars, I eagerly visited every booth in each aisle, picking up brochures for the destinations I would like to visit in the future. Many of the booths ran contests to win a free cruise or exotic vacation. I entered almost all of them. This is another benefit of attending a travel expo!!

To my surprise and joy, one of the booths representing a New England ski resort showed me their town’s dining guide which actually displays a column for vegan meal options! I was ecstatic that many of the dining establishments in a ski town actually offered vegan food!! This would have never been known to me, had I not attended the travel show.

I stopped at the cafe setup for the expo guests. Much to my delight, they offered a vegan sandwich. It was hummus with veggies in a pita rollup. Cliff bars were the option for a vegan snack. I have attended a few other travel expos there in the past. However, this is the first time, I recall seeing any vegan meal offering on the menu!! The world is changing for the better for us vegans!!

The afternoon sessions were now underway. The first workshop was given by a tour company representing tours to Israel. Since this country is on my future travels list, I was anxious to attend and hear about the sightseeing. The photos and descriptions of the historic landmarks were magnificent. They really showcased the beauty and splendor of the landscape and historic sites. Audience Q&A was a part of these travel shows also.

The 2pm speaker did not show up. We were all a bit concerned. He is a popular writer/author and was to give a talk regarding travel writing. After waiting a while, the Boston Globe host asked if anyone in the audience is a travel writer(even inexperienced). I chanted “Yes. I am. I write a vegan travel blog and have authored an EBook on travel advice”. He brought me up on stage where I gave an impromptu talk on blogging, travel writing, and tips for vegan travels!! It went quite well. The audience members asked questions of me and I was happy to share my knowledge and experience regarding travel, travel writing, and the world of vegan travels.

I highly recommend that travelers attend a Travel Expo at least once!! You gain such valuable information regarding travel destinations and can pose questions to speakers, tour companies, or other attendees. The speakers, tour companies, trip contests, cooking demos, international entertainment, and vegan food make it definitely worth your time!! In addition, just as I spontaneously came across information for vegan dining in a New England ski town, similar vegan knowledge could be imparted to you to prepare you for your next travel destination!!