Economy

'They've not done us any favours': agencies forced to cut cloth ahead of peaks after latest Budget

Increases in minimum wage will push up costs for high street agencies – again – with one agency boss telling TTG the chancellor's latest measures would cost their business the equivalent of an extra staff member

Discount-led market 'changing consumers' travel buying behaviours', firms warned

Rise of Black Friday and an ever-strengthening lates market could result in risker business practices, Aito delegates told

'We've got to hope this Budget is enough to ensure bookings return next year'

However, with businesses looking at costs going up by £1,000 per employee, some will be weighing up if they can afford the resource needed to convert this business, writes Alan Bowen

Industry blasts rising employment costs and warns Budget risks talent vacuum

Travel reflects on a wide range of changes to business rates, taxes and minimum wages laid out in chancellor Rachel Reeves's Budget

Less than a quarter of businesses set to benefit from chancellor's business rate concessions

Analysis by the Treasury predicts just 23% of businesses will see a fall in their business rate bills

Everything you need to know about the chancellor's Autumn Statement – and what it means for travel

Taxation, business rates, minimum wages, Air Passenger Duty, savings, interest rates and more – everything travel agents need to know about Rachel Reeves's Autumn Statement

Heathrow gets the go-ahead for £33 billion third runway plan – so what happens now?

The government has approved Heathrow’s more expensive option for expansion via a third full-length runway, but development is still a long way off...

What does travel want – and need – from the chancellor's Autumn Statement?

Industry awaits latest Budget with trepidation, and appeals to chancellor not to put travel out of reach of average income consumers

EasyJet bullish about Gatwick package holiday prospects despite arrival of Jet2holidays

EasyJet's boss insists he is unperturbed by Jet2's new base at Gatwick and about having to return slots there to British Airways next summer

Stress appeal of careers in 'booming' tourism sector to young people, urge tourism ministers

Young people need to be attracted to a career in tourism from an early school age to head off a labour shortage, the WTM ministers’ summit was told on Tuesday

Fifa World Cup and 2028 Olympics could reverse drop in US travel demand, WTM told

The WTM Global Travel Report 2025 reveals international visitor numbers to the US are expected to remain around 15% below 2019 levels this year

'My gut is telling me to hold back': wary agents put plans on hold as chancellor's latest Budget looms

Already feeling the pinch from increased National Insurance costs and a rise in minimum wages, the sector braces for make-or-break Autumn Statement

Poll: Is the timing of the Budget going to give agents enough time to plan for peaks?

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will deliver her autumn Budget on 26 November – the best part of a month later than last year's. So will it force agents to put their peaks plans on hold for the moment?

'Travel's just had its annual health check – and the vital signs are good'

The Travel Trade Consultancy's Martin Alcock runs the rule over travel's vitals, finding strength in package demand but worries around consolidation and the increasing dominance of the industry's major players

Agents continue to defy downturn in travel spending but dark clouds loom

Spending growth with agents up by 4.2% in September, and with transaction growth (+18.1%) outstripping all other sectors by more than double

Rise of 'social commerce' set to transform how travel is sold over next decade

By 2033, social commerce – sales via social media channels – will be 10 times the size of Amazon today, Abta Convention delegates told

Barclays data highlights healthy travel spend in August and rising shoulder season popularity

Transactions with agents grew by nearly a fifth year-on-year last month, the highest of any sector

Clia defends cruise's 'vital' £340 million contribution to Scotland in new economic impact report

Trade bodies such as Clia have been lobbying on behalf of the cruise tourism sector in Scotland while the country's government explores giving local councils to charge a cruise ship levy

'As easyJet holidays turns five, I believe it has Jet2 and Tui firmly in its sights'

Five years on from easyJet holidays launching to the trade, is the future orange? Industry insider Steve Endacott gives his take as the operator marks the milestone

Tui boss calls for return of 'seamless' EU borders and tells of big drop in US sales

Tui’s Sebastian Ebel has highlighted a big fall in sales to the US and said it and the EU need to make border control more user friendly for UK travellers

No need for 'aggressive' lates pricing this summer, Tui chief insists

Sebastian Ebel says Tui is well sold in the UK for summer 2025 and will not be as aggressive in late sales pricing as competitors, but signalled bargain prices in the UAE due to the Middle East conflict

Third-party agents help Tui to strongest early summer result for more than a decade

Chief executive Sebastian Ebel has credited the ’proven sales strength’ of both its own agents and partner agencies for its strong showing in the three months to the end of June 2025

US tourism demand has withstood Donald Trump's return – but is it the calm before the storm?

UK visitors to the US went up during the first half of the year – will the market perform so well once people start booking for future seasons?

Lates market fracturing as unrealistic budgets and expectations clash with higher holiday prices

One agent told TTG: ’There’s still a myth around last-minute holidays that prices are always good – that is not the case.’