NEW YORK—The Women’s Travel Fest, founded by Kelly Lewis, women’s travel expert and founder of Go! Girl Guides, will take place from Friday, March 9 to Sunday, March 11, 2018 at the historic Lower East Side Angel Orensanz Center in New York. The annually sold-out conference for women who are passionate about traveling includes jam-packed daily programming featuring individual speakers, group panels, and break out sessions. In its epic 5th year, the festival is thrilled to announce best-selling author Amanda Lindhout as the main keynote speaker.

Amanda Lindhout is a Canadian humanitarian, public speaker and journalist. On August 23, 2008, she and members of her entourage were kidnapped by Islamist insurgents in southern Somalia. She was released 15 months later on November 25, 2009, and has since embarked on a philanthropic career.

In 2013, she released the New York Times bestseller A House in the Sky: A Memoir, in which she recounts her early life, travels as a young adult, and hostage experience. In 2014, the book was optioned to become a major motion picture by Megan Ellison, with Rooney Mara playing the role of Lindhout. Amanda will deliver a keynote talk entitled “Freedom to Forgiveness,” discussing her captivity and her search for compassion in the face of unimaginable adversity.

“This year, in the wake of #metoo and #timesup, we need to continue having discussions that empower us as women, and as women who travel, forward,” said Kelly Lewis, founder of the Women’s Travel Fest. “We are honored to bring Amanda, as well as other powerhouse women in the travel industry, together for this incredible event.”

In addition to Amanda’s keynote, this year’s event has a strong focus on women’s empowerment, with workshops and panels that address topics such as “Sexism in Travel” and “Diversifying the Travel Industry.” Other speakers include Oneika Raymond of the Travel Channel, Kristen Sarah of Hopscotch the Globe, Evita Robinson of Nomadness, Nikki Vargas of Culture Trip and Kathleen Rellihan of Adventure.com.
 
The Women’s Travel Fest is a consumer event that helps women to explore the world and discover deeper meaning in their travels. This year’s festival offers opportunities for smaller break-out sessions on more focused travel segments (How to Pitch Big Brands, Travel Writing, etc.), in addition to a main day event that includes a marketplace and keynotes by some of the travel industry’s leading ladies. The Women’s Travel Fest will go beyond the boundaries of your average travel event, giving women newfound travel connections and empowering them to take on the world  See a full schedule here.

The festival also includes a travel marketplace with vendors & giveaways, lunch, a happy hour designed for optimum networking, and a kick-off party on Friday, March 9th, to help celebrate a weekend of women in travel.

Tickets are on sale now at www.WomensTravelFest.com – join us!

When:  March 9-11, 2018
Where:  Angel Orensanz Foundation
Cost:  $99 -$199 (pre-registration required)
Website:  www.WomensTravelFest.com