2014 Boston Globe Travel Show opens to public

With a ceremonial ribbon-cutting, the 2014 Boston Globe Travel Show opened its doors to the public on the evening of Friday, Feb. 7. The ninth annual show will continue through this weekend at Boston’s Seaport World Trade Center.

Attendees had the opportunity to visit nearly 200 booths representing destinations in the Caribbean, Florida, New England, Canada, Africa, Europe, Central and South America, and Asia Pacific. A dozen cruise booking agencies and cruise lines were in attendance; the latter included Celebrity Cruises, Viking River Cruises, Emerald Waterways, and Fantasy Cruises.

Noted travel writer Patricia Schultz, author of “1,000 Places to See Before You Die,” took to the cultural stage to present a slide show and informative tour of 20 worldwide destinations. Her audience of nearly 50 was treated to a journey through a variety of places, including Scotland, Belgium, Norway, Slovenia, Morocco, Ethiopia, Botswana, China, and Indonesia. Ms. Schultz related that when asked to identify her destination, her answer is “the book.”

Two culinary stages featured New England favorites that included cranberry pot roast and oysters, respectively.

The weekend’s show hours are Saturday, Feb. 8 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 9 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at the door for $15. There is no admission fee for children younger than 12 years old.

A beer pavilion, available under separate admission, will highlight more than 50 varieties of beer from 20 breweries in New England and other areas of the U.S. The beer pavilion will be held on Saturday from noon to 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $35 at the door and include admission to the travel show. Admission to the beer pavilion is limited to individuals who are at least 21 years of age.

The full schedule of programs is listed on the Boston Globe Travel Show website, as well as the exhibitor floor plan, a list of giveaways, driving directions, and parking information.