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Text and photo: Helena Bergström

There aren't many travel fairs for the general public in Sweden, so we usually take the opportunity when the Travel Fair and the Senior Festival are arranged in Stockholm. We have visited the fair many times over the years, sometimes as visitors and sometimes as exhibitors or lecturers. For us it is a nice opportunity to find new travel inspiration, meet partners and talk travel with other enthusiasts.

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The Travel Fair and the Senior Festival – two fairs in one

The Travel Fair and the Senior Festival are marketed as two different fairs, but are arranged together. Here, travel companies and tourism organizations come together with exhibitors who target a target group over 55 years of age, with everything from health and leisure to various products and services.

Peter at the Senior Festival and Travel Fair in Stockholm 2026

On our last visit, in October 2026, the fairs were held at the Annex at the Globen in Stockholm. The venue was a little smaller than the Stockholm Fair in Älvsjö, where we had visited the fair in previous years. Even though the fair is not very big, we like it. It is a nice mix of exhibitors, lectures and people who are curious about new experiences.

There were quite a few people there, the atmosphere was good and we met many friends and acquaintances. For those of us who work with travel, it is also a valuable opportunity to meet other travel writers and people in the travel industry.

The Senior Festival is arranged annually in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö. The travel fair is arranged in Stockholm, together with the Senior Festival.

Destinations, tour operators and new ideas

At the Travel Fair, you have the opportunity to speak directly with representatives of different destinations and travel companies. This is something we appreciate. You can ask questions, get tips and perhaps discover destinations that you haven't previously thought much about.

This time we spoke with representatives of, among others, Cyprus and Portugal, two countries we have visited before and would love to return to. We also met several other acquaintances from the travel industry and got a lot of new ideas.

Bland annat blev vi lite extra inspirerade till att se mer av Kina, efter ett samtal med en resebyrå. Det är ju ofta så med resemässor – man kommer dit med vissa tankar och går därifrån med ytterligare några resedrömmar!

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Peter visiting the Cyprus booth.

Uzbekistan offered inspiration from the stage

One of the highlights of our recent visit was Uzbekistan's presentation on stage. The country is close to our hearts after several fantastic trips, and we always find it fun to meet representatives of Uzbekistan.

During the presentation, Uzbekistan's ambassador Rakhmatulla Nurimbetov spoke about the country, and showed an inspiring film with beautiful environments and experiences from Uzbekistan. A little surprisingly, we were invited on stage ourselves at the end of the presentation and got to say a few words about our experiences. Fun!

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We talked about how friendly and welcoming the people are, how safe we have felt during our travels, and the wonderful atmosphere in the restaurants, where it is not uncommon for guests to start dancing. We also took the opportunity to highlight all the beautiful crafts, from silk to ceramics.

Uzbekistan Ambassador Rakhmatulla Nurimbetov

Uzbekistan is a country that has really made a strong impression on us, and it was fun to share some of our enthusiasm. The Uzbekistan stand was also well-attended. At times it was really crowded with all the people who wanted to talk, ask questions and find out more about the country.

Crowded at Uzbekistan's booth.

We have also been exhibitors and lecturers

Vi har besökt Seniormässan i Stockholm ända sedan 2016, och under flera år har vi också deltagit som utställare. Åren 2022, 2023 och 2024 hade vi en egen monter där vi berättade om FREEDOMtravel, träffade läsare och pratade resor med både gamla och nya bekantskaper. Vid ett tillfälle delade vi också ut vårt tryckta resemagasin, som vi gav ut två somrar.

Seniormässan i Stockholm 2022
As an exhibitor at the fair in 2022. Peter's brother Micke and Peter.
As an exhibitor at the fair in 2024. Peter and Helena at the booth.

Vi har dessutom, under tidigare år, hållit flera föreläsningar på mässan. Bland annat har vi berättat om Finland och Åland, spännande öar och städer i Europa och fantastiska naturupplevelser. Det har varit intensiva men väldigt roliga dagar, och framför allt minns vi alla trevliga möten med människor som delar vårt intresse för resor.

In 2022 we lectured about islands, and that year we also wrote about islands in the fair's magazine.
In 2023 we lectured about Finland and Åland.

Visit the Travel Fair and the Senior Festival in Stockholm

We think that the Travel Fair and the Senior Festival are worth a visit for anyone who wants travel inspiration and at the same time discover other exhibitors, listen to lectures and maybe get some new ideas.

It's not a huge trade fair, but it doesn't have to be. We appreciate the opportunity to meet people, talk to representatives of different destinations and get inspiration for future trips. And for us, it's always extra fun to see acquaintances from the travel industry again.

Seniorfestivalen arrangeras varje år i Stockholm, Göteborg och Malmö, medan Resemässan arrangeras tillsammans med Seniorfestivalen i Stockholm. Mässorna i Stockholm har tidigare hållits på Stockholmsmässan i Älvsjö, men 2026 var det i stället Annexet vid Globen som gällde. Aktuella datum, platser, utställare och program inför framtida mässor hittar du på Senior Festival website and Travel fair website.

Seniormässan
Leon Giannaridis, project manager for the Senior Festival and the Travel Fair. Photo from a previous year.

Have you visited the Stockholm Travel Fair or the Senior Festival? Did you find any exciting destinations that you were particularly curious about?

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