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Niagara Falls
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Travel Expo brings the world to NOTL

 

 

For Niagara-on-the-Lake resident Holmes Hooke, the Travel Expo at the NOTL Community Centre was a chance to explore a variety of travel destinations – all in one place. 

“I like travelling. I love taking photos, listening to foreign languages, visiting exotic places, getting to know people,” Hooke said. “The world is a big, beautiful place to see and beautiful people to meet.”

With information tables and presentations provided by several travel agencies, visitors could ask questions, browse through brochures and learn about various destinations and rates. 

The Travel Expo, held last Thursday, was organized by Aga Tempelaars-Goik of the Empire Travel agency.

Local residents are mostly interested in coach tours, cruising and custom trips, Tempelaars-Goik said.

“They like something tailored specifically to them. Everything that you see here (at the expo) is what really speaks to the market,” she told The Lake Report.

There are many new families in the area who like going on a cruise, family tours or all-inclusive trips, she said, while more mature residents like doing coach tours and cruising on a river or a small ship.

An earlier expo, held in February, attracted more than 100 people show up, which was “fantastic,” said Tempelaars-Goik.

NOTL residents, Robert and Linda Baines, said they booked their trip to Croatia next year through Empire Travel. So did NOTL resident Lisa Kauzlaric, who went on her trip to England through Tempelaars-Goik.

NOTL residents are well-travelled and knowledgable about where they want to go, said Shamsheer Cottar, a business development manager at Goway Travel Ltd.

For area residents, Australia, New Zealand and Africa are the most popular destinations, Cottar told The Lake Report.

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