IF you're struggling for holiday ideas, a trip to the holiday and travel show next week is a must.

The USA is now one of the most popular travel destinations for holidaymakers from the north west.

Over 936,000 passengers departed from Manchester Airport this year to travel to the USA – an increase of nearly 8% year on year. To satisfy this growing demand, Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show, Manchester has a dedicated VISIT USA Pavilion for the first time.

The show is being held at EventCity, by the Trafford Centre, from January 15-18 and is dedicated to finding visitors the ultimate holiday with over 150 exhibitors from all over the world.

For those especially interested in America, the VISIT USA Pavilion is in the heart of the North America section and will offer the largest ever selection of North American tourist boards and tour operators, enabling visitors to discover the best of the USA.

Chris Bradford, Product & Commercial Manager for My America Holiday, revealed that the company’s bookings with a Manchester departure have grown by 23% in the last six months.

He said: “We’ve noticed a large increase in bookings from Manchester, which is predominately due to the increase in capacity on the direct routes from Manchester to America. You can now fly direct from Manchester to Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, New York, Miami, Orlando and Philadelphia and we are sure that the VISIT USA Pavilion will prove very popular.”

Northwich Guardian: Statue of Liberty

Manchester Airport has approximately 45 flights a week to the USA including New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Washington depending on the time of year. From March next year, capacity on the Manchester to Atlanta service will increase as Virgin Atlantic take over the route and Delta will be serving a new route to New York. 2015 will also see Manchester being the only airport outside of London to have a direct flight to Miami.

Tour Operator Kuoni revealed that from the North West the USA is the fifth most popular destination after Mauritius, Thailand, The Maldives and United Arab Emirates.

Sam North, Clarion show director, said: “We are very excited about the new VISIT USA Pavilion and are responding directly to a definite trend in the market and a real demand for USA holidays and information in the North West.

"Of course the show offers much more than USA exhibitors but we have seen a definite growing interest from Manchester and surrounding areas in this part of the world.”

USA Exhibitors confirmed to participate in Destinations 2015 include Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Deep South USA, North Carolina, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, North America Travel Service, My America Holidays, Kentucky Travel and United Airlines.

In addition to the exhibitors showcasing destinations from all over the world there is a line-up of celebrity appearances including TV presenter Simon Reeve, travel adventurer and TV Presenter Charley Boorman, and author, cook and TV Presenter Martin Dorey.

Northwich Guardian:

The show promises to be a great day out and a source of inspiration for all passionate travellers. Advance day tickets cost just £8 in advance and kids go free (aged under 16).

Tickets can be booked online at http://www.destinationsshow.com or on 0871 230 7141.  

The show will run alongside the Caravan & Motorhome Show, showcasing the latest caravans, motorhomes and accessories from over 200 exhibitors.