News

UK pushing for deal on EU passport e-gate access to cut airport wait times

Move comes as UK seeks new post-Brexit deal with the EU

Agents to gain access to 'unsearchable' luxury product at exclusive event

Ultra 2026 will connect top advisors with some of the industry’s most sought-after suppliers.

Sales and pricing withstanding ‘later than ever’ booking trend – Advantage

Advantage members’ revenue was up year-on-year during peaks and the first two weeks of May despite nearly 40% of bookings being made for departures within 12 weeks and consumers’ continued quest for value

‘Fail fast, put people first and never tolerate poor service’: industry leaders share the values steering their businesses

Kuoni’s Mark Duguid, easyJet holidays’ Paul Bixby and Princess Cruises’ Eithne Williamson joined a panel discussion at the Advantage conference to share the values that drive their teams

Advantage marks 30 years of service from Julia Lo Bue-Said with emotional tribute

The Advantage team surprised chief exec Lo Bue-Said with a string of messages from colleagues and industry figures at its annual conference in Malta on Thursday

Royal Caribbean reveals Perfect Day Mexico prediction and future destination plans

The family-focused cruise line expects Perfect Day Mexico, scheduled to open in 2027, to be a hit with customers sailing on Caribbean cruises

Adore Holidays boss hints at further retail expansion after buying travel firm

The Essex agency has completed its second acquisition in the space of two months, buying Online Travel Group and its associated brands, including ski specialist Get Skiing

Advantage records five-fold £550 million increase in annual turnover

The consortium welcomed more than 50 new branches to its network during its 2023/24 financial year, who contributed to a £550 million increase in annual turnover, up from an increase of £100 million in the previous year

Agents consistently resolving nearly 90% of clients’ travel difficulties, says Advantage

’After years of uncertainty, travellers want peace of mind – and that’s exactly what the travel agent provides,’ said Advantage Travel Partnership chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said

New digital platform at the heart of Advantage’s first major rebrand for 20 years

New platform will make it easier for consumers to find their nearest independent travel agent, while a brand-new news and resources hub will provide content that ’reinforces Advantage’s position as an industry authority’

Baldwins Travel loses Iata accreditation and 'no longer Advantage member'

The agency, which has 11 branches primarily across the south-east of the country, failed in its bid to have its Abta membership reinstated in April 2025

TTG Media bags hat-trick of prizes at TravMedia Awards

Head of partner content Madeleine Barber picked up the Trade Staff Writer of the Year award for the second year running, but there were also two notable successes for the company

National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions unveils debut European river programme

The newly built 120-passenger Connect ship will operate the cruises between Amsterdam and Brussels and Cologne and Basel

Classic Collection owner ‘confident’ B2B brand can return to profitability

Despite a disappointing start to 2025, Classic Collection owner On the Beach is hopeful the B2B brand will be back in the black in the second half of the financial year

Agents flocking to sell AmaWaterways’ ‘cutting edge’ Colombia ships, says UK chief

The ultra-luxury line recently launched its first ship on Colombia’s Magdalena River with another vessel set to start operating in June 2025

Ascot Travel House blames dwindling sales for imminent closure

NAR UK, the agency’s parent company, will remain trading once the Ascot-based agency closes

Jet2holidays boosts funding for agencies with bricks-and-mortar ambitions

The tour operator has expanded its Scale Up Your Street campaign by increasing the prize money from £100,000 to £120,000 and extending the number of shortlisted agencies

Agents forced to reassure 'anxious' clients about Spain after last summer's protests

Several travel agents have told TTG their clients had to be reassured about travelling to Spain this year, because of perceived anti-tourist sentiments

Heathrow outage: power restored seven hours before flights resumed, report reveals

The outage on 21 March affected hundreds of thousands of passengers

Mexico slashes proposed cruise passenger tax ahead of summer start

Cruise industry lobbying has persuaded Mexico to slash the cost of its planned passenger tax and increase it at a stepped rate between July this year and 2028 amid warnings it would otherwise decimate arrival figures

Travel's gender pay gap widens owing to top-level wage disparities

New research from C&M Travel Recruitment reveals travel’s gender pay gap widened to 13.8% in 2024, largely in part to wage disparities in best-paid jobs

Disney to develop new theme park and resort on Abu Dhabi's Yas Island

Walt Disney has confirmed Abu Dhabi as the location of its seventh theme park, a destination it days is within four hours’ flying of a third of the world’s population

Ambassador, Crystal Ski, Domes Resorts: all the latest travel trade people moves

Ambassador Cruise Line, Domes Resorts, Great Little Breaks and Wavemaker Hospitality have all strengthened their trade sales teams, while there are new faces at Delta Air Lines and Crystal Ski Holidays

'Balkan Holidays lost its way relying on practices from decades ago'

While lamenting its demise, two experts in travel to the region have told TTG the collapse of Balkan Holidays came as a result of a failure to adapt its business model to changing times