Holiday World Show Dublin welcomes over 25,000 visitors

Travel professionals received a significant number of bookings at the RDS Simmonscourt.

Holiday World Show Dublin, which took place this weekend at the RDS Simmonscourt, brought together over 25,000 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 “The success of this year’s show speaks to the continued interest in travel within the Irish public, as well as the resilience and innovation of the travel industry in our country, even in the face of unforeseen weather. This Holiday World Show 2025 was yet again filled with energy and excitement, and 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 ”.

Travel industry professionals received many bookings from members of the public, who were once again ready to make their plans for the year with expert advice and show-only deals. Clare Dunne, CEO of the Irish Travel Agents Association, said “For travel agents in Ireland, the Holiday World Show is an essential event each year, and this show has once again proven why. 2025 has started strong for the travel industry, and we have every reason to believe that this upward trend is set to continue. With added routes and offerings from Ireland, we’re also seeing an uptake in holiday trends including multi-generational cruising holidays, solo travel, adventure travel, and home holidays. We’re delighted that the public availed of all the offerings that the professionals in our great industry have on offer, all in an exciting whirlwind of culture and knowledge this weekend”.

At the Holiday World Show 2025, the DiscoverIreland 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. Anna Connor, Tourism Development Officer with Mayo County Council said, “This year has been very, very busy, with a huge interest in our county. It’s been fantastic for us. We got to meet some of our neighbouring counties, some of the tour operators, and it gave us a great opportunity to network. It’s been fantastic”.

The Cruise the World Pavilion was also highly sought after, for those wishing to see the world in style, luxury, and comfort. John Booty, Key Account Manager for Royal Caribbean in Ireland, said: “[This Holiday World Show] was amazing, absolutely brilliant; I’ve always been a big fan of the show. And the footfall here, despite the awful weather on Friday, has been fantastic. Much better what I thought it would be – and, all I’d like to do is, to say thank you very much”.

This year, the Holiday World Show 2025 brought together over 50 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. Shane O’Boyle, Managing Director of Bespoke, said: “This is our first time attending the Dublin show – we’ve done the Belfast show in previous years. We’ve had a really good experience. There were plenty of people in on the two weekend days, with a really good interest in our products. So we’re very happy overall with that”.

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 2025 could find any information they needed to enjoy sun, the sea, golf, gastronomy, nature, and culture in both Portugal and Spain.

For Spain, Borja Bedoya, Events Manager at the Spanish Tourism Office, said: “[The Holiday World Show 2025] 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, including El Camino, 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 and about our products and our destinations. Overall, we’ve had a very good presence here, at the Holiday World Show 2025”.

Other Holiday World Show 2025 highlights included Travel Talks with Eoghan Corry, as well as stage performances from Peru Fusion, Slovak Folklore Ensemble Ostroha and traditional Irish musicians from Visit Sligo. There was also a dedicated Kids Zone that hosted the Aer Lingus art competition for young aspiring artists.

Holiday World Show Limerick 2025 will take place from 8^th to 9^th February 2025. For more information on the exhibitors and activities to look forward to, please visit https://holidayshow.ie.

The Holiday World Show Dublin 2026 will take place from 23^rd to 25^th January 2026. Visit www.holidayworldshow.com to keep up to date with show announcements.