Dundee holiday exhibition was the city's 'sunshine weekend'

People booking for Yugoslavia at the Ramsay World Travel stand — Booking for Yugoslavia at the Ramsay World Travel stand in 1989. Image: DC Thomson.

Grab your suitcase and start packing.

These images take us back to the Evening Telegraph Holiday Exhibition, an annual event that took place in Dundee from 1988 until 1995.

The 1980s and 1990s was a heyday for high street travel agents, which was the only way to book a package holiday before the digital age and smart tech.

It was known as the “sunshine weekend”.

It was the perfect place to plan for the Dundee Fortnight.

There were “offers galore”.

Prize draws and competitions was another powerful pull.

Maybe you won a £150 voucher?

Or a whole Edam cheese with a cheese slicer?

1988

A banner outside Dundee's Marryat Hall reading Holiday 88 and advertising the holiday exhibition — Welcome to Holiday 88. Image: DC Thomson.

Holiday 88 was held on January 16 and 17 in the Marryat Hall.

Admission was free and over 7,000 people attended.

two youngsters meet a penguin mascot — Fun for all the family. Image: DC Thomson.

Dundee’s “biggest and best travel exhibition” was sponsored by the Evening Telegraph in conjunction with leading holiday and travel companies.

These included Barratt Timeshare, DP&L Travel, Executive Travel, Lunn Polly, AT Mays, Ramsay World Travel, Saga and Tayside Transport Company.

people looking at the stalls at the Dundee holiday exhibition — Big smiles in 1988. Image: DC Thomson.

The Tele said the exhibitors would have all the answers to your holiday questions “whether you’re on the lookout for a week in Ardrossan or six months in Melbourne”.

“Don’t be afraid to ask” was the message.

people at the the DP&L Travel stand — DP&L Travel stand. Image: DC Thomson.

“Find out about flying to fantastic Florida – or going Down Under for that trip to see the folks you’ve been promising yourself all these years,” it said.

“Nearer home, too, you can find out about coach tours, special deals for rail travel to British resorts, and much, much more.”

visitors at the Holiday 88 exhibition stands — Holiday 88 exhibition. Image: DC Thomson.

An Evening Telegraph advertising supplement gave details of some of the most popular holiday destinations, from “wonderful Copenhagen” to Bangkok and Yugoslavia.

It also published a checklist for travellers including suggesting bringing over-the-counter medicine in case you “succumb to diarrhoea and vomiting while away”.

1989

The 1989 event was “bigger and better” and moved to the Caird Hall.

Instant holiday booking by computer was a feature of many of the 20 stands.

an elevated view of the stands at the Caird Hall holiday exhibition — The 1989 exhibition. Image: DC Thomson.

There were attractions for all the family including prize draws and competitions with prizes ranging from a bottle of Champagne to a £100 holiday voucher.

You could also win £150 from the Evening Telegraph to spend on a holiday by helping “Eddie McReady” rediscover his “mislaid travel arrangements”.

four older people have a seat in the cafe with a brochure — Enjoying a seat in the café. Image: DC Thomson.

One of the “added attractions” in 1989 was a café where you could “relax with your holiday brochures and plan for the two weeks that lie ahead”.

Holidays to Spain and Yugoslavia were the most popular for Dundonians.

a boy with two staff at the North Sea Ferries stand. — North Sea Ferries stand. Image: DC Thomson.

Did you book with Yugotours?

You could get 14 nights half-board for £179 per person in 1989.

people pose for a pic beside a mannequin in a bikini — Booking made easy in 1989. Image: DC Thomson.

More than 10,000 people attended.

Travel agents Lunn Poly in Reform Street and Thomas Cook in City Square enjoyed brisk business as a spin-off from the exhibition nearby.

1990

Holiday 1990 at the Caird Hall would “show you where to go for sand and sunshine”.

The Evening Telegraph special information stand was running a competition.

First prize was £150 holiday spending money.

Second prize was “a whole Edam cheese” (described by the Tele as being “about the size of a football”) and a cheese slicer from the Dutch Dairy Bureau.

Everyone from Butlin’s to North Sea Ferries were represented.

Another of the stall holders was Ramsay World Travel, which was offering packages for Scotland fans to the 1990 World Cup in Italy with tickets included.

Prices started at £259.

an elevated view of people and stalls at the 1990 Dundee holiday exhibition — Were you there in 1990? Image: DC Thomson.

Anyone worried about diarrhoea from the tap water (see 1988) could visit the WPS Enterprises stand and buy a water filtration and purifying system.

Many of them were “easily portable for personal holiday use”.

Happy travels.

1993

The Evening Telegraph Holiday and Leisure Exhibition in 1993 offered the chance to “put the miserable winter behind you and plan for a sunshine break”

Over 15,000 attended the exhibition.

stalls and people inside the Caird Hall, Dundee, for the 1993 holiday exhibition — The 1993 exhibition at the Caird Hall. Image: DC Thomson.

It was staged over two days at the Caird Hall and featured 24 stands selling everything “from British camping holidays to long-stay breaks on the other side of the world”.

DJ Ally Bally and the Radio Tay Roadshow provided the soundtrack.

A boy gets to choose a sweet from a bag held by a bear mascot — A boy gets to choose a sweet. Image: DC Thomson.

Staff at the Evening Telegraph stand wore yellow Holiday and Leisure 93 sweat shirts and were handing out entry forms for the World Air Routes competition.

You had to answer the clues on slips from each exhibitor in the hall.

a busy scene at the Tele stand — The Tele stand was busy all day. Image: DC Thomson.

First prize was £150 in travellers’ cheques.

Booking a holiday with DP&L Travel gave customers the chance to qualify for a £5 insurance deal and win a year’s free hairdressing appointments.

people flock to the Egypt stand — Egypt was a popular destination. Image: DC Thomson.

Exhibitors at the Caird Hall reported record bookings and inquiries.

Deals included one week in Egypt for £199 and a fortnight in Tenerife for £383.

1994

Thousands shrugged off the January chill and attended in January 1994.

The exhibition was “bigger and brighter than previous years” with 40 stallholders “representing nearly all aspects of the holiday and leisure industry”.

There were badges and lollipops for children and photographs of favourite holiday destinations in Tayside and Fife from the DC Thomson archive were displayed.

Asda hosted a fashion show on both days of the event.

people and stalls at the Dundee holiday exhibition in 1994 — A busy scene at the Dundee holiday exhibition in 1994. Image: DC Thomson.

Players from Dundee and Dundee United FC were also in attendance.

The main prize in the Evening Telegraph competition was a “mystery £4,000 holiday prize” that was provided by SuperClubs and Caribbean Connections.

The Canaries, Caribbean and Florida were proving especially popular in 1994.

There were deposits from just £1 being offered.

Did you book for Bassey? Image: DC Thomson.

Maybe you booked a package trip with Tayside Transport?

There were bus and B&B package deals from Dundee to see Shirley Bassey on her 40th anniversary tour and the West End musical Copacabana in London.

1995

The Evening Telegraph Holiday and Leisure Exhibition took place in October 1995.

The two-day event at the Caird Hall featured over 30 stands and displays.

Over 16,000 attended.

a woman and four kids pose for a picture beside a giant RRS Discovery jigsaw — A giant RRS Discovery jigsaw was a big hit. Image: DC Thomson.

Firms like Ramsay World Travel, AT Mays, Tayside Greyhound, Travelmood and Direct Holidays were “very pleased with the public’s response”.

The Courier said: “The four fashion shows by ASDA, featuring the George range of clothing, drew big crowds, and the impromptu marching display by the cadets of the Angus & Dundee Battalion drew warm applause.

“In the Marryat Hall, the Asda café was busy both days, and the adjacent Cybercafe proved very popular with young and old alike, who took the opportunity to ‘surf’ the internet.”

people browse the Asda stall at the Dundee holiday exhibition in 1995 — The Asda stall in 1995. Image: DC Thomson.

This was the start for the growth of the online travel industry.

Consumers would soon be putting together their own holidays at the touch of a button and the Evening Telegraph holiday exhibition became a thing of the past.

But that was in the future.

Back in 1995 holidays and short breaks in the UK to Blackpool, Southport and Butlin’s in Ayr were proving just as popular as foreign trips for Dundonians.

Spain and Greece were the top foreign destinations, although it’s not known how many people packed a water filtration and purifying system alongside their sun cream.