Los Angeles Times Travel Show: They got the goods on shopping

Travel is broadening, we are told. The experience of new customs and foods and landscapes is sure to make us better citizens of the planet.

And while we have no quarrel with this worldview, for some of us, travel is about shopping — not to the exclusion of all that other spirit-enhancing stuff, but rather, as a soul-affirming enhancement.

It’s the thrill of a great find — a secret designer outlet store, an antique bracelet, or a great pair of shoes. Most of us deserve only an “amateur” rating when it comes to shopping while traveling, but a series of experts will gather at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Los Angeles Times Travel Show for a panel titled “In the Bag: A Shopper’s Guide to the World.” The event is in the L.A. Convention Center’s West Hall.

The panelists include Sarah Schlichter, editor of IndependentTraveler.com, a website for folks who want to plan their own trips; Booth Moore, the Los Angeles Times fashion critic; and Amanda Jones, a travel writer and photographer.

“As a traveler,” Schlichter says, “I wouldn’t plan a whole trip around shopping, but it is important to me on every trip to find a few unique (and affordable) things to take home for myself and others. I tend to avoid big-name luxury goods and instead look for local crafts and interesting bargains.”

The panelists will convene at the appropriately named Travel in Style Pavilion. And if you can’t make it on Saturday, they’ll be back on Sunday, at the same time and place.

Tickets cost $10 and are available online or at the door.