Essential

NCL's Walk for Wellness fundraiser to return with tougher target

The cruise line will donate thousands of pounds to Abta LifeLine and The Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) Benevolent Fund should agents achieve the mileage set

Thomas Cook auditors fined millions for failings in run-up to 2019 collapse

Cook’s auditors have been fined nearly £5 million for failing to properly investigate the company in the two years before it collapsed, a damning report by a financial watchdog reveals

Intrepid Travel names trade lead Joanna Reeve as new general manager UK and Ireland

’I want to thank the travel trade and our agent partners for their unwavering support,’ says Reeve, who succeeds Hazel McGuire

Doncaster Sheffield airport: government backs £30 million mayoral investment plan

South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard has pledged £30 million to support efforts to reopen the airport by spring 2026

Crystal Ski guests among hundreds evacuated from La Plagne hotel blaze

More than 400 guests, most of them British, were evacuated from a hotel used by Crystal Ski in the French resort of La Plagne following a blaze early on Wednesday

Italy's national rail firm launches €1 billion bid to challenge Eurostar

Avanti West Coast co-owner FS Italiane Group has partnered with Spanish start-up Evolyn with a view to launching high-speed rail services between London and Paris from 2029

Viking claims world first with plans to debut hydrogen-powered ships next year

Viking Libra will have a propulsion system ’based partially on liquefied hydrogen and fuel cells’ and will launch late next year

Azamara enhances brand identity with new onboard programme

The cruise line recently flagged concerns around how it was viewed in the market place and has subsequently taken steps to enhance its onboard programme to deliver ’deeper exploration’ for guests

Emerald Cruises unveils three new ships and reveals plans for Seine debut

Two more superyachts to join the Emerald fleet in 2027, along with a custom-designed Seine river ship

Carnival reveals new short cruise focus ahead of major fleet expansion project

The Carnival Corporation brand is launching ships in 2027, 2028, 2029, 2031 and 2033 and will look to attract more customers who can’t take a week-long holiday as its fleet expands

Virgin Atlantic touches down in Canada after more than 10-year absence

Virgin Atlantic says it is ’here to stay’ after resuming flights to Toronto following an absence of nearly a quarter of a century

Pre-Easter strike action threatens travel to Greece and Italy this week

Greek air traffic controllers will join a 24-hour walkout by public sector employees on Wednesday, while easyJet flight attendants in Italy are also poised to strike on Wednesday

SunExpress adds new Turkish Riviera routes from Glasgow and Liverpool

Lufthansa-Turkish Airlines join venture will operate four weekly flights to Antalya and two to Dalaman from Glasgow airport this summer, as well as three-times-weekly Liverpool-Antalya flights

Watch: Wheelchair-friendly AND luxury? Inside the top Irish hotel making five-star accessible

With its exceptional staff and spacious layout, Anantara The Marker Dublin proves hotels don’t need to compromise on luxury to accommodate guests like my brother.

Heathrow addresses criticism of power outage response with five-point plan

Transport committee hearing told the airport was warned twice about the resilience of its power supply in the days leading up to the meltdown on 21 March

Albatros Expeditions and Polar Latitudes to merge expedition cruise fleets

Two brands to join forces under same ownership group to ’coordinate and combine’ their Arctic and Antarctic expedition cruise operations

Aranui Cruises to launch second passenger-cargo ship Aranoa in 2027

Expedition Cruise Network member and Polynesia specialist reveals plans to expand fleet

Uniworld shares first look at upcoming 'super ship' S.S. Emilie

The luxury river cruise line will debut the stylish new-build in 2026

Golf tour operator clarifies position after CAA Atol 'failure' claim

London-based Golf Travel Centre has criticised the CAA after the authority branded it an Atol ’failure’ despite it still trading and it being in negotiations with the authority over a new licence

Luton becomes Jet2.com and Jet2holidays' second new base launch of 2025

Airline and operator will base two Airbus A321neo aircraft at Luton, where Jet2’s first based flight – to Majorca – took off on Tuesday morning (1 April)

EasyJet to base three aircraft at Southend airport this summer

Carrier’s 10th UK base will create around 1,200 jobs and support 140 direct roles

Thai tourism operations resume as Intrepid launches Myanmar earthquake appeal

Tourist attractions and transport hubs open as normal in Thailand after devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake in neighbouring Myanmar

Seaside Travel's Richard Lowrey-Heywood joins Not Just Travel as BDM

Lowrey-Heywood, whose career in travel has seen him rep for Thomas Cook in Rhodes and work in Jet2’s contact centre, will work with Not Just Travel’s more than 700 franchisees and consultants to help grow their businesses

Marella Cruises orders two new-builds 'designed specifically for the British market'

The two new ships – Tui-owned Marella’s first new-builds – will be delivered in 2030 and 2032