Asia

Virgin Atlantic to suspend Heathrow-Shanghai flights this autumn

The final outbound service from London will depart on 25 October, Virgin Atlantic has confirmed

Top 5: The luxury hotels agents need to have on their radar this week

Our new weekly list of luxury hotels-to-watch has officially dropped, giving agents quick-fix ideas on what to share with clients.

What Race Across the World winner Alfie Watts did next…

The 21-year-old who found fame competing with his best friend Owen Wood in the latest series, is spearheading a new football project in Malaysia next month.

Wendy Wu Tours appoints Sarah Kewley as dedicated BDM for homeworkers

Kewley, who brings experience from a spell with STA Travel, takes up a newly-created ’new distribution’ brief with the Asia specialist

Uniworld unveils £50,000 booking incentive and new brochures

The ultra-luxury river line has released two brochures for 2025 alongside the booking incentive and offered a 10% early booking discount

Disney Cruise Line to offer first Japanese holidays in 2029 with new ship

Disney has confirmed a joint venture in Japan, which will see it operate a branded cruise ship there from early 2029

Wildfires in Turkey's Izmir prompt FCDO alert as 'extreme' temperatures tip 40C

FCDO warns Brits could be told to leave their accommodation by local authorities in the event of extreme danger

Manchester airport gains new three-times-weekly Shanghai service

Inaugural Juneyao Air service to UK to operate on Monday (1 July)

The next big thing agents need to focus on: wellness travel

Agents are being encouraged to register for Synergy – The Retreat Show, set to take place in Bali

Gold Medal ‘to transform travel trade landscape’ with new booking platform

Gold Medal says it will cut agents’ admin with new technology tie-up with Inspiretec that will automate the inputting of booking data

Race Across the World prompts Wendy Wu Tours to hike Japan capacity

Operator adds 17 new Japan departures for the autumn season following a more than 50% increase in Japan bookings over the past eight weeks

Minor Hotels to expand sales team amid Europe and India expansion

The Bangkok-based hotel group is set to add 200 new hotels to its portfolio by the end of 2026

Windstar to return to Alaska and Japan with new ship

The small-ship line last sailed in the two destinations in 2023 prior to moving Star Breeze to be a year-round ship in Tahiti

Air India names Bengaluru its fifth direct route from Gatwick airport

Five-times-weekly service will take off on 18 August

Delhi gets flights boost from London, including Air Canada

Air Canada to operate to Delhi from Heathrow next winter as British Airways increases frequency to the Indian capital

Alastair Donnelly: 'We want to target the right trade partners as we grow our Asian destinations'

Inside Travel Group co-founder tells TTG about the group’s plans to ramp up its trade focus and capitalise on South Korea’s emergence as an in-demand destination

AmaWaterways to expand global fleet with two more river ships

The vessels – AmaSofia and AmaKaia – will launch on 24 May and 3 August 2026 respectively

Singapore Airlines chief apologises as Brit killed in turbulence incident named

Goh Choon Phong said the airline was ‘very sorry for the traumatic experience’ suffered by those onboard flight SQ321 from London to Singapore on Tuesday (21 May)

British passenger dies onboard Heathrow flight hit by 'severe turbulence'

Singapore Airlines has confirmed the death of a passenger on a flight from Heathrow that made an emergency landing in Bangkok

Edinburgh and Glasgow poised to gain new budget Turkey flights

Pegasus Airlines’ new Edinburgh-Istanbul route will take off this summer before SunExpress lands at Glasgow next summer

Travelsphere and Just You to return to China next year after Covid hiatus

Travelsphere was one of the first tour operators to be recognised by the Chinese government and launched its first tour in the country in 1987

Four Seasons to open fourth Japan hotel with ryokan floor

The luxury hotel group will open its first Osaka property in August with a mix of accommodation options

Inside Travel Group recruits new global trade marketing manager

Tom Welland joins the company, which runs the InsideJapan and InsideAsia brands, from ski holiday tour operator Heidi

Family holiday prices ‘stabilising’ despite ongoing economic uncertainty

Biggest year-on-year fall in prices was in Spain’s Costa Dorada, while the biggest year-on-year increase also came in Spain along the Costa del Sol