New York City, March 4, 2013 – Not all travelers are alike, yet consumer travel shows continue to have a one-size-fits-all model with booths, brochures and freebies. For today’s young, tech-savvy urbanites who are already seeing the world, the inaugural New York Travel Festival will offer a needed change of scenery by reinventing the consumer travel show.
Scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, April 20-21, this weekend event will combine lively interactive talks on different facets of travel; destination and activity displays, and jaunts to New York City’s various boroughs.
On opening day, April 20, the festival begins at 9 a.m. at Bohemian National Hall, 321 East 73rd Street. This historic Upper East Side venue will feature a who’s who of travel experts, conducting dynamic panel discussions, a game show, tastings, workshops and breakout sessions that will go beyond lecturing.  
Andrew Evans, National Geographic’s Digital Nomad, will deliver the keynote address. Other scheduled guests include:
• Lee Abbamonte, the youngest American to visit every country on earth
• Valarie D’Elia, host of NY1’s “Travel with Val”
• ‘Nomadic’ Matt Kepnes, author of How to Travel the World on $50 a Day. Travel Cheaper, Longer, Smarter
• Robert Reid, Lonely Planet’s U.S. travel editor
Breakout sessions will focus on local/regional travel, as well as five niches: Adventure & Outdoor; Cultural; Food & Wine; Gay & Lesbian and Responsible & Eco/Sustainable. There will also be on-site cooking classes available to VIP ticket holders.
On April 21, Sunday’s portion will allow participants to go on a variety of tours, tastings and other activities organized by an assortment of established tour companies, neighborhoods and BIDs. Context Travel, Scott's Pizza Tours, Urban Oyster, and Turnstile Tours are some of the itinerary providers included in this year's Festival.
Tickets for the New York Travel Festival are $50 per person through March 11, $60 through April 1, and $85 from April 1 until the festival. A standard ticket package will include admission to Saturday’s event and one program for Sunday, plus admission to Sunday night’s (program). Doors will open for Saturday’s event at 8:30 a.m., with the program running from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  
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Produced by RW Social, the New York Travel Festival reinvents the concept of the consumer travel show. For more info visit http://nytravfest.com.