Travel Trends: Bigger and Better

Princeton, New Jersey — The 2006 edition of the world’s largest travel goods show ended on a high note, carrying over into the April/May Post-Show issue of Travel Goods Showcase.

The Travel Goods Show, held in March, experienced a 48 percent increase in attendance, with 2,177 attendees canvassing 130,000 square feet of exhibit space in search of the latest, newest trends. And they’re all covered in the Post-Show issue of Travel Goods Showcase.

Among the noteworthy new trends:

• Women’s bags designed by women, resembling high-end fashion accessories more than traditional business cases and laptop carriers, are a strong new trend. This year’s first-time exhibitors included five new companies founded on that very premise.
• Colors have been rediscovered. Everything from pastels to bright, playful tones to serious, businesslike colors were in abundance.
• Travel hygiene — driven by an awareness of SARS, bird flu, and new outbreaks of measles and mumps — is a new and potentially growing product category. Exhibitors displayed airline seat covers, personal air filters for airline travel, and security-oriented travel guides.
• Personal electronics have become almost everyday essentials, especially for travel. Current-generation bags and totes feature dedicated compartments for cell phones, PDAs and iPods, with routing portals for earphones.

The April/May issue of Travel Goods Showcase includes photographs of many new products, including award-winning items like the luggage line with its built-in scale that helps travelers dodge overweight baggage fees. You’ll also find an analysis of the new travel trends, articles addressing the forces that will change travel in the coming year, and the travel items and concerns that will have the most impact on the traveling public in 2006.

Travel is hot again. Consumers spent a record $19.2 billion on travel goods in 2005, and this year’s figures are expected to eclipse that mark. The Post-Show issue of Travel Goods Showcase distills this year’s travel trends down to their essence, making it a valuable resource for travel writers and product editors who cover travel gear, personal electronics and business accessories. Media representatives should contact the Travel Goods Association at 609-720-1200, x-205 to receive their copies of this special issue.

For more information, see the April/May 2006 issue of Travel Goods Showcase. Contact John Misiano at the Travel Goods Association, 609-720-1200, x-205, john@travel-goods.org to request a copy or obtain further info.

The Travel Goods Association is the voice of the travel goods industry. A national trade association, TGA represents the manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of luggage, leather goods, business and travel accessories, business and computer cases, handbags, and other products for people who travel.