“We’ve turned the page.” It’s not yet time for an official announcement--a formal farewell ceremony or a first-class funeral--but it’s as good as over. Like , president of the Union luxembourgeoise des agences de voyages (Ulav), industry professionals are saying goodbye to the Vakanz holiday fair, a once-important annual ode-to-tourism at Luxexpo The Box. Held in January, visitors would ward off the winter blues by anticipating (and booking) summer holidays.
The last edition took place in the pre-pandemic world of 2020, shortly before lockdown. Tour operators have recovered since then, ending 2023 with figures comparable to those of 2019. A ghost of this major annual fair, which over three days used to attract more than 200 exhibitors--from Luxembourg and beyond--continues to lurk online: its website is still active and a registration form is available. “The dates of the show will be announced shortly,” it says, a promise apparently without a future.
The CEO of Luxexpo The Box, , has blamed the cancellation of last year’s Vakanz on the “blurred medium-term visibility” caused, he felt, by fallout from the health crisis. A reappearance was not ruled out, however, perhaps in a revamped or different format. But such a prospect has become remote. After weighing up the pros and cons, tour operators have concluded that it’s no longer worth it, i.e., they can manage on their own (without the event industry and related money spent).
“We’re not losing anything”
“From our point of view, it’s all over,” says Heinisch. “It was a great party, but that’s all it was. We’re in contact with customers every day, and they were the same ones at the show. Ultimately, our turnover is the same with or without Vakanz. We’re not losing anything.” In all, he says, the return on investment wasn’t sufficient.
According to Uval, occupying a stand for the entire weekend cost between €30,000 and €150,000, depending on its visibility. Under these conditions, “you have to work very hard” to break even, comments Heinisch.
In all, Vakanz was held 29 times and will probably never celebrate its 30th anniversary. History will remember that the show broke its attendance record in 2020 with more than 30,000 people. At the time of writing, the organisers have not responded to requests for comment.
This article in Paperjam. It has been translated and edited for Delano.