In depth

Six key cruise talking points every agent needs to be aware of heading into 2026

What made cruise tick over the past 12 months? And what should agents be bearing in mind going into 2026? Six key talking points caught TTG's eye at this week's Clia Forum

How a Christmas elf can help travel agents net a 'cheeky extra booking or two'

How agents are using elf trails, festive coach trips and Christmas charity collections to give something back to their community and boost their local profile

Agent brings coffee shop-come-travel agency back from the brink

Pebbles Travel founder Martine MacDonald and her husband Andy have turned a struggling travel agency-coffee shop combo into a local favourite – here's how they did it

Dame Irene Hays raises 'possibility' of Hays Travel acquiring another OTA next year

In late July 2025, Hays Travel bought Victoria Travel Group to spearhead its expansion into the online cruise selling market

Hays Travel boss bemused by cruise lines' agent-by-agent commission stance

Hays Travel has more than 720 homeworkers, but Dame Irene Hays wants every Hays agent to be paid the same level of commission for cruise bookings

Four tips to getting your luxury travel agency website to show up on Google

Agents must leverage AI to optimise their visibility in online search results, a new report has revealed

Crystal Symphony: everything travel agents need to know about this luxury cruise ship

One of the latest in a series of TTG Luxury Journeys saw agents take to the water with Crystal, sampling some of the finest restaurants and suites at sea as they sailed the Mediterranean

Discounting could create ‘vicious cycle’ for river cruise industry, line's UK boss warns

River cruise could end up looking like a "bargain basement deal" if discounting gets out of control

An agent's guide to booking US World Cup itineraries

The bulk of the matches for the FIFA men's World Cup – kicking off on 11 June – are being played in the US, with Canada and Mexico sharing hosting duties

NYC Tourism targets budget-savvy visitors ahead of 2026 World Cup

The city is seeking to highlight its more affordable side as it prepares to host the FIFA World Cup next year

‘I helped my best friend at Travel Counsellors work through breast cancer – then I was diagnosed too’

Denise Carter and Sarah Jennings were diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer after a routine mammogram last year. Now, they’re urging other women to get tested

'For wildlife, beach and soft adventure, this can't be beaten'

Helen Thomas, founder of Luxury Travel Studio, discovered just why Costa Rica is a hit for families with teenagers on a fam trip with Distinctive Americas

'Meeting customers has always been the best part of the job,' says retiring agent of nearly 50 years

Pens, paper and the humble telephone were the travel agent's tools of the trade when Steven Woodley started his career in high street travel – he tells TTG the story of his career

MSC Cruises' new ship class to hit the water in 2030

The order, which also includes two options, secures capacity at the Papenburg shipyard in Germany well into the next decade with delivery schedules stretching into the 2030s. The first ship will be delivered in 2030.

Each ship will have a maximum passenger capacity of 5,400 and approximately 180,000 gross tons.

Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises executive chair, said: “Meyer Werft’s track record, expertise and proud history make it a true beacon of European shipbuilding.

How to sell this expedition line's new ship in five simple steps

AE Expeditions' third ship will operate initially in a region of Antarctica not commonly visited by expedition vessels before repositioning to the Mediterranean and the British Isles

Revived James Villas brand to go on sale through the trade 'from early 2026'

'Trade will be an essential component of our distribution strategy,' Awaze chief growth officer Jennifer Day tells TTG as brand relaunched after two years

'We're on the cusp of a new dynamic packaging boom – agents should take note'

'After the closures of Travel Republic and Classic Collection, you'd be forgiven for thinking dynamic packaging was history – but nothing could be further from the truth,' writes Steve Endacott for TTG

Wellness trade show adds TTG to advisory board as it enters new phase of growth

The world’s only international trade show dedicated exclusively to wellness travel and the retreat industry will hold its fifth gathering from 29 September-2 October 2026 in Istria, Croatia

Top agency reveals five tips for fam trip success without tour op support

Ben Casey took six agents and two concierge on a self-organised fam trip to Dubai last month

'I'm a Tenerife expert and these are my go-to hotels'

Sarah-Jane Brooks, Personal Travel Consultant in partnership with Blue Bay Travel, shares her inside knowledge about Spring Hotels in Tenerife

‘Who in their right mind is going to do it?’: agents hit out at US’s ‘crazy’ plans for social media checks

The threat of social media checks risks ‘undermining’ momentum for travel to the US, ahead of a landmark year

From WW2 to Covid: agency reveals secrets to surviving 100 years in business

Few agencies can trace their roots back more than a few decades, but Ireland's O’Hanrahan Travel will next week celebrate a remarkable 100 years in business – TTG's Jennifer Morris discovers the secrets to its longevity

Trade can earn up to £1,200 in commission when they sell expedition cruise, new data suggests

The expedition cruise operators which responded to Expedition Cruise Network's latest Insights Report confirm 90% of bookings are priced at £6,000

Watch: Behind the scenes on the TTG Luxury Journey with Crystal

One of the latest TTG Luxury Journeys saw six agents take to the water with Crystal, sampling some of the finest restaurants and suites at sea