Highlights From The 2017 Denver Travel And Adventure Show

The Travel and Adventure Show came to Denver in March 2017, drawing large crowds of travel enthusiasts to the Colorado Convention Center. Since its inception 13 years ago, the show has been hosted by eight major markets in the United States, including Dallas, San Diego, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and others.

Consumers were able to wander the large exhibit hall housing a mixture of travel agencies, service providers, and tourism offices from around the world. Being able to view a company's offerings up close, grab some literature, and ask questions is one of the major draws of this event.

Some of the tourism offices represented hailed from international destinations such as Japan, Thailand, China, and the Cook Islands. On the domestic side, visitors were busy chatting with exhibitors from Alaska; Key West, Florida; Amarillo, Texas; Palm Springs, California; and Laughlin, Nevada.

Cruise providers such as Viking and Amadeus were constantly busy answering questions about their river cruise itineraries. Meanwhile, Celebrity Cruises extolled the virtues of their new Celebrity Edge ocean liner featuring two-story villas with unobstructed views and even butler service.

Part of the fun of attending the show is discovering new and innovative ways to travel. How many, for example, know that you can explore 3,500 miles of the Alaska coast by ferry via the Alaska Marine Highway? What about attending an old fashioned Western chuckwagon dinner complete with singing wranglers at the Lazy B Ranch in Estes Park, Colorado?

Beyond the glitz and glamor of Las Vegas are smaller Nevada towns that have a charm all their own including Laughlin, Mesquite, Primm, and Boulder City.

Celebrity speakers shared their knowledge and experience with the crowds, notably Samantha Brown. Having had huge success with her travel shows, she shared how traveling can "refresh us and give us a new outlook on life."