The New York Times Travel Show saw a significant rise in attendance this year with the highest attendee numbers in the Travel Show’s past eight years. Overall attendance was up 20 percent as compared to last year, with approximately 28,500 attendees in 2015.

Consumer attendance increased by 24 percent over 2014, with trade attendance also up by 11 percent.

Of the show’s more than 500 exhibitors, 130 made their debut in 2015. Additionally, more than 700 members of the media attended the 2015 Travel Show, gaining insights from the Travel Show’s exclusive Trade Day seminars and focus conferences, as well as experiencing two days of consumer events, that featured nearly 250 travel industry speakers and experts.

Speakers who were new to the Travel Show this year included Mark Wells, U.S. Dept. of State coordinator for Cuban Affairs; Paula Froelich, Yahoo Travel editor in chief; Matthew Kepnes, budget travel expert and author; Lee Abbamonte, multimedia travel personality and travel expert; and Ari Charlestein and Howard Rappaport, co-founders of Travel Education Network and travel points experts.

The New York Times Travel Show, www.NYTimes.com/TravelShow