Selected Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited) - Schedule of Quarterly Financial Information (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2020		Sep. 30, 2020		Jun. 30, 2020		Mar. 31, 2020		Dec. 31, 2019		Sep. 30, 2019		Jun. 30, 2019		Mar. 31, 2019		Dec. 31, 2020		Dec. 31, 2019		Dec. 31, 2018
Total revenue																		$ 415,435		$ 1,302,736		$ 1,237,324
Operating income (loss):
Ongoing operations	[1]	$ (50,274)		$ (6,765)		$ (49,736)		$ (9,400)		$ 141		$ 54,822		$ 46,442		$ (11,236)
Business interruption gain														141						141		602
Legal settlement																(8,500)				(8,500)
Business interruption gain														141						141		602
Corporate activities		(2,785)		(2,645)		(2,468)		(789)		(3,070)		(2,680)		(3,282)		(1,833)
Interest income		64		58		176		79		109		79		83		98		377		369		354
Interest expense		(3,552)		(5,508)		(5,186)		(4,018)		(4,587)		(3,740)		(2,957)		(2,915)		(18,264)		(14,199)		(9,640)
Multi-employer pension plan withdrawal						(462)				(185)				(15,508)				(462)		(15,693)
Other expense		(238)		(210)		(265)		(419)		(394)		(281)		(456)		(455)		(1,132)		(1,586)		(1,744)
Restructuring (charges) recoveries		(1,070)		(11,259)		(260)		(851)		(1,535)		(1,702)		(4,455)		(688)		(13,440)		(8,380)		(1,587)
Legal settlement																(8,500)				(8,500)
Impairment charges				(676)		(114,020)		(88,380)		(5,346)								(203,076)		(5,346)		35
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes		(57,855)		(27,005)		(172,221)		(103,778)		(14,867)		46,498		20,008		(25,529)		(360,859)		26,110		65,009
Income (loss) from continuing operations		(50,448)		(29,769)		(205,899)		(86,131)		(5,315)		31,557		13,364		(17,490)		(372,247)		22,116		47,689
Net income (loss) attributable to Viad (diluted)		$ (50,473)		$ (30,758)		$ (206,278)		$ (86,585)		$ (5,428)		$ 31,416		$ 13,824		$ (17,777)		$ (374,094)		$ 22,035		$ 49,170
Diluted income (loss) per common share:
Continuing operations attributable to Viad common stockholders		$ (2.57)	[2]	$ (1.54)	[2]	$ (10.17)	[2]	$ (4.27)	[2]	$ (0.30)	[2]	$ 1.54	[2]	$ 0.65	[2]	$ (0.88)	[2]	$ (18.55)		$ 1.02		$ 2.33
Diluted income (loss) attributable to Viad common stockholders		$ (2.58)	[2]	$ (1.59)	[2]	$ (10.19)	[2]	$ (4.29)	[2]	$ (0.31)	[2]	$ 1.53	[2]	$ 0.67	[2]	$ (0.89)	[2]	$ (18.64)	[3]	$ 1.02	[3]	$ 2.40	[3]
Previously Reported
Total revenue				$ 63,072		$ 30,863		$ 306,008		$ 321,334		$ 353,743		$ 402,279		$ 285,594
Gross to net correction
Total revenue	[4]			(265)		(796)		(11,350)		(20,593)		(1,234)		(25,815)		(12,572)
As Corrected
Total revenue		$ 27,903		$ 62,807		$ 30,067		$ 294,658		$ 300,741		$ 352,509		$ 376,464		$ 273,022

[1] Represents revenue less costs of services and cost of products sold.

[2] The sum of quarterly income per share amounts may not equal annual income per share due to rounding.

[3] Diluted loss per share amount cannot exceed basic loss per share.

[4] The quarterly financial data for the four quarters of 2019 and the first three quarters of 2020 were adjusted for immaterial errors related to the recognition of revenue of GES’ Corporate Accounts’ third-party services. Refer to Note 1 – Overview and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies for additional information. The Company intends to correct for these errors prospectively in subsequent quarterly filings.