Holiday World Show Dublin, celebrated it’s 35th anniversary this weekend at the RDS Simmonscourt, brought together over 30,000 visitors for expert travel advice, show-only deals and the opportunity to win holiday prizes.
Maria Hourican, CEO of Business Exhibitions, organisers of Holiday World Show, said, “This year’s show was filled with new exhibitors, new energy and excitement. Visitor numbers met our expectations with a lot of people invested in holidays off the beaten track. Our exhibitors were delighted with the amount of bookings and connections that came out of the Holiday World Show, while bringing would-be-holidaymakers closer to the getaway of their dreams, whether at home or abroad.”
New exhibitors like Australia, Fiji, Jamaica, Saint Vincent & The Grenadines, Costa Brava, Visit Czechia and Zambia were big attractions for visitors. Taylah Carter, Aussie Specialist Trainer with Tourism Australia said, “We have been inundated with people sharing their love for Australia and desire to visit. From the beautiful weather, the landscapes and of course the wildlife. With everyone eager to spot a kangaroo or two, what better way to inspire those than seeing the new Kangaroo movie!
Travel industry professionals were impressed by the level of bookings made over the weekend as well as the thirst from the Irish public for travel experiences, with Tom Randles, President of the Irish Travel Agents Association said, “The Holiday World Show is a very important event on the Irish travel agent’s calendar. People are growing weary of the cold and dull winter, and are ready to plan their holidays. 2026 has started strong for the travel trade and there is no sign of bookings slowing down. Interesting trends that we are seeing include intergenerational holidays along with a growing demand from solo travelers for more holiday choices varying from independent holidays to fully escorted tours with many variations in between. The trend towards experiential holidays continues apace with many travelers combining new experiences with pure relaxation on beaches, in spas and in nature. Cruising holidays remain popular as they offer inclusive packages of accommodation, meals and entertainment and often flights too, taking much of the stress out of holiday budgeting.
At the Holiday World Show 2026, the Home Holiday Pavilion was once again very popular among visitors. From Cork to Donegal, outdoor adventures, attractions and accommodation, exhibitors showed off their corner of the country. Maura Murphy, Tourism Development Officer with Mayo County Council said, “The Holiday World Show is a great platform to promote all that Mayo has to offer as a premier destination to visit. It is also a wonderful opportunity to network with the wide variety of tour operators, and tourism promoters and of course our own neighbouring tourism operators and providers. This year Mayo has received a huge positive response from people at the stand, the whole experience has been fantastic.”
Joy Browne, Tourism Manager with Donegal County Council attended the Holiday World Show along with a number of tourism businesses from Donegal and was delighted with the opportunity to showcase the county saying “the Holiday World Show in Dublin is a key promotional activity and an excellent way to kick start our year ahead and highlight the wonderful range of accommodation, activities and attractions we have on offer, to promote our website Govisitdonegal.com and meet with consumers to inspire them to visit Donegal. This year Dublin was very busy and ‘team Donegal’ met with people from all over Ireland interested in travelling to Donegal. The Holiday World Show allows us to reach our target audience, to network and to avail of other travel media opportunities. It is an important annual event in our calendar and we are already looking forward to 2027.”
The Cruise the World Pavilion was also highly sought after, for those wishing to see the world in style, luxury, and comfort. Suzanne Rowe, MSC, said, “This Holiday World Show was amazing, absolutely brilliant; MSC have always been a big fan of the show, and the footfall has been fantastic. To date 2026 has been phenomenal for cruise bookings. We are up 35% on last year.”
This year, the Holiday World Show 2026 brought together over 60 campervan, motorhome, and camping professionals for the All-Ireland Caravan, Motorhome and Camping Show. Here, those looking for a freer way to holiday could climb into caravans, motorhomes, and tents. Sam Thompson, Managing Director of Thompson Leisure Ltd, Ireland’s motorhome dealer, said, “We’ve had a really good experience at the All-Ireland Caravan, Motorhome and Camping Show. There were plenty of people over the weekend, with a really good interest in our products. So we’re very happy to see this market still attracting lots of new buyers.”
And Ireland’s love affair with Spain and Portugal was again going strong at this Holiday World Show. With a variety of professionals representing the many areas and attractions in both countries, the public attending the Holiday World Show 2026 could find any information they needed to enjoy sun, the sea, golf, gastronomy, nature, and culture in both Portugal and Spain or learn more about buying a home in the sun.
For Spain, Borja Bedoya, Events Manager at the Spanish Tourism Office, said: “[The Holiday World Show 2026] was a great success, so we’re very happy with that. I believe we have a lot of interest – you know, Spain sells itself, and a lot of people wanted to know about the destination, and information about Spain, especially Spain For Seniors, food, road trips, and everything in between.”
For Portugal, Carlos Pinto de Oliveira, Director of Visit Portugal Ireland, said: “We’re extremely happy with this edition of the Holiday World Show. There were a lot of people, a lot of interest, a lot of good questions about Portugal, about our products and our destinations. A lot of people who have previously visited our better known destinations who want to explore Portugal further. Overall, we’ve had a very good presence here, at the Holiday World Show 2026.”
Other Holiday World Show 2026 highlights included Travel Talks with Eoghan Corry, as well as stage performances from Slovak Folklore Ensemble Ostroha, Lithuanian Folk Dance Group, traditional Irish musicians from Visit Sligo and Hill Street Family Resource Centre Lunar New Year dance troupe. There was also a dedicated Kids Zone that hosted the Irish Ferries art competition for young aspiring artists.
The Holiday World Show Dublin 2027 will take place from 22nd to 24th January 2027. Visit www.holidayworldshow.com to keep up to date with show announcements.
