Essential

New trade hub 'to make selling Tui and Marella as easy as possible'

The TuiTradeHub is already available to agents and is divided into two sections – one on the company’s land product and one on Marella Cruises

Celebrity signs shipbuilding deal to expand Edge-series fleet

The Royal Caribbean Group brand has launched Celebrity Ascent, Celebrity Beyond, Celebrity Apex, and Celebrity Edge so far and will unveil Celebrity Xcel later this year

Hays Travel, British Airways and Clia to represent outbound on new govt panel

The government’s Visitor Economy Advisory Council has held its first meeting, with appointees from the outbound industry as well as inbound

Fred Olsen Travel edges closer to 25-branch target with first Kent shop

Fred Olsen Travel’s retail director Paul Hardwick has repeatedly stated he wants to grow the agency’s network to 25 branches by the end of 2025

Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton airport expansions 'poised for govt go-ahead'

Government signals expansion of Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton airports will be approved in the next few weeks, according to national media reports

Brands team up for £100,000 Race Across the World-inspired agent incentive

Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Virgin Atlantic have joined forces to give agents the chance to win £100,000 in marketing and commercial support for their business, as well as a spot on a cruise

Airlines signal readiness to resume flying to Israel following ceasefire

Wizz Air has resumed flying to Tel Aviv, while easyJet will follow from 1 June. Ryanair has also insisted it will return soon, while Virgin Atlantic is looking to do so in the final quarter

Jet2 adds more flights and holidays to Greece and Turkey hailing demand

Airline and operator has further expanded what it claims is already its largest-ever summer programme with more flights and holidays to Antalya, Kos, Rhodes and Heraklion

Ponant acquires majority stake in rival small-ship line

The French cruise operator said it was ’deeply impressed’ with Aqua Expeditions, while stressing the brand would continue to operate as a standalone business unit

Gold Medal launches out-of-date-range holidays to Florida and New York

Agents can now book trips to Florida up until March 2027, as well as holidays to New York until March next year

Hays Travel franchisees join forces to set up new business

Lewis Miller and Andy Holbrook, who met thanks to the both of them being Explorer Travel franchisees, have founded WorldLuxe Travel and joined the Hays Travel Independence Group

Virgin Voyages to pay agents £8,200 commission on sales of new annual pass

After debuting its 2025 Annual Pass last year, the adults-only cruise line decided to unveil its expanded 2026 version early to meet customer demand

Agent launches initiative to bridge gap in 'support and inspiration' for female solo travellers

Not Just Travel consultant Bachelor and experienced solo traveller Katrina Lowes have teamed up to encourage more women to travel solo through their new No Stopping Her initiative

Jet2 to launch eight new routes to Greece for summer 2025

New bases Bournemouth and Luton will each get flights to Crete, Rhodes and Zante, while Bournemouth will also host a Corfu route; Jet2 has also added Kalamata from Bristol

'The market is ripe for change': Virgin lays down £500m challenge to Eurostar

Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, is reportedly ready to place an order for a dozen high-speed trains to end Eurostar’s 30-year monopoly on cross-Channel rail services

Easyjet holidays to take on OTA and DIY sectors with city break blitz

New easyJet boss Kenton Jarvis keen for in-house operator to capture bigger share of the city break market

Ambassador merges with French cruise operator to create new group with larger fleet

The no-fly cruise company will launch its debut fly-cruise programme this winter with sailings from three Caribbean homeports – Barbados, Martinique and Curacao

‘She was a rock’: Not Just Travel's Kristina Janes passes away aged 49

Homeworking outfit pays tribute to Janes, a member of the agency’s corporate team, who died after a short illness aged 49

Brits ready to 'trade up' to five-star 'affordable luxury' in cheaper destinations

Brits willing to swap their traditional three-star hotel stays in European favourites in favour of five-star stays in lower-cost destinations

Abta's annual profits jump by more than 50% despite slight decline in membership

Abta saw profits leap by over 50% in the last financial year, the latest annual report reveals, with no member failures in the 12 months

Lindblad Expeditions aims to strengthen UK market position with dedicated brochure

The expedition line, which launched a collaboration with National Geographic more than 20 years ago, appointed Fred Holidays as it general sales agent in September

Wildfires sweeping across Los Angeles prompt urgent FCDO alert

Wildfires are currently spreading throughout the Los Angeles area, with the FCDO issuing advice to UK visitors

Travel hit by fresh runway closures as UK weathers prolonged cold snap

Several airports, including Aberdeen, Liverpool, Manchester and Bristol, have been affected by this week’s heavy snowfall, resulting in disruption for travellers

Riviera Travel to pay agents commission on wider range of elements in 2025

Starting 1 January, the operator now pays commission on single supplements, upgrades, extra baggage, pre-booked seats and priority boarding bookings