Essential

Govt insists it is keen to avoid 'unnecessary' air fare hikes amid carbon clampdown

Ministers open consultation on how to marry Europe’s emissions trading scheme with global systems to avoid duplication and fare increases

Spain plays down impact of new data laws on UK travel trade

Travel agencies and tour operators in source markets like the UK will not be required to share customers’ data, the Spanish Tourist Office insists

InsideAsia launches small group tour of South Korea

Departures for the Asia specialist’s 10-day Soul of Korea itinerary will get under way in May 2025

Tui to more than double hotel presence in Asia within three years

Tui has vowed to bring the total number of properties in Asia to around 40 within the next three years, with the majority of projects being in China.

Travel Counsellors unveils peaks campaign as December sales surge

Homeworking giant is planning its ’most ambitious’ 10-week marketing drive during peaks after making £17.5 million worth of bookings in the first week of December.

SunExpress opens route to Turkey's Cappadocia and debuts at Glasgow and Liverpool

Turkey’s SunExpress will open a new service from Stansted to Cappadocia and launch flights from Glasgow and Liverpool

Olympic Holidays MD Michael Vinales leaves business after seven years

Vinales joined Olympic Holidays in November 2017 and was promoted to managing director in January 2020

Inspire targeting 'significant' growth with launch of 'one-stop-shop' cruise website

Inspire Europe customers can search different live cruise options according to their preferences on the new website – www.cruisecollection.uk – but must call one of the agency’s 90 homeworkers or ring its call centre to book. The site features 44 lines from across the cruise sector

Jet2holidays to launch new weddings brand to agents next year

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays has teamed up with Perfect Weddings Abroad to launch a weddings brand, with departures starting during the summer 2026 season

Travel's plea to make youth mobility 'a priority' lands with nearly 30 MPs

Some 28 MPs attended a drop-in event at parliament hosted by Abta and UKinbound, part of their ongoing advocacy campaign to highlight the importance of improving youth mobility between the UK and Europe in the absence of posted working post-Brexit

Greenland among eye-catching additions to Intrepid's 2025 programme

The Maldives and the West African nations of Benin, Togo, Senegal, The Gambia and Ghana also feature in the adventure specialist’s new programme, which spans more than 120 countries and 200-plus new experiences

Panache Cruises invests £500k to support UK and US expansion plans

Money will be spent on additional office space for Panache Cruises at Strawberry Fields Digital Hub in Lancashire, and a larger premises in the US as well as more staff on both sides of the Atlantic

Edinburgh to gain second daily JetBlue service next summer with Boston launch

Edinburgh airport has gained another US route with the launch next summer of a JetBlue service to Boston

Holiday Extras founders pass on ownership after 42 years

The remaining stake in Holidays Extras has been sold by founders Gerry and Carol Pack, in a deal that sees them exit after 42 years, with son Matthew heading up the brand and its management team

British Airways launches direct flights to Finland's most northerly airport

TTG joined a group of agents onboard BA’s inaugural flight to Ivalo in Lapland last week

Doncaster Sheffield airport welcomes first flight in two years

An aircraft has landed at Doncaster Sheffield airport for the first time since late 2022 as talks about its reopening continue

EU to take progressive approach to rollout of new border rules

The EU will now take a phased approach to rolling out its new biometric border checks next year after France, Germany and the Netherlands last month said they weren’t ready to

Virgin Voyages hands SJ Walker bigger remit in sales team shake-up

UK sales director SJ Walker’s remit has been broadened so she is responsible for all of the adults-only line’s UK trade distribution while global training manager Luke Day has been promoted to global trade engagement senior manager

JetBlue axes Gatwick-New York flights after three years

JetBlue will not reinstate its Gatwick-JFK service next summer, it has confirmed

Scottish agents set to miss out on business rates relief again

The Scottish parliament has again denied high street agents help with business rates despite extending relief to the hospitality sector

The Adventure People to sell through agents for the first time

The Adventure People is to work with the trade for the first time after designing its own tour itineraries

New Explora Journeys vessel to touch UK soon after debut

Explora III will arrive in Quebec City, Canada, on 27 September 2026 via Southampton following its maiden cruise from Barcelona on 3 August. The vessel will be slightly larger than its sister ship – Explora I and II

Crystal Ski reveals full range of shorter duration breaks

Crystal Ski has hailed good early sales as it confirms its full range of shorter duration breaks on the slopes

Cunard's Queen Elizabeth to undergo 'significant' refit next year

The 2,000-passenger ship, which launched in 2010, will enter dry dock from 25 February to 13 March 2025 at Seatrium’s Admiralty Yard in Singapore