News

Doubling Esta fee to $40 'a self-imposed tariff', warns US tourism chief

The US Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or Esta, is set to increase from a current $21 to $40

Crete 'ready to welcome visitors as normal' following wildfire

Around 1,500 tourists and residents were evacuated late last week owing to a fire in the Ierapetra region

Tui launches 2026/27 winter programme with new Lapland alternative and 'value' pledge

Three new concept hotels, new routes to Turkey and Egypt, extra short-, mid- and long-haul capacity and trips to Arctic Lakeland among additions

Specialist line's sales chief: 'Expedition cruise market is at its limit'

The one-ship expedition line often calls into the UK as it repositions its Sea Spirit vessel from Antarctica to Arctic, which gives agents a chance to explore onboard

Hays Travel hires Fred Olsen Travel's operations chief Tricia Birmingham to fill commercial role

Birmingham’s appointment comes three days after it was announced Hays Travel’s group strategy director McAuley will become managing director of World Travel Holdings UK later this year

Poll: was bringing in a curfew the right move for Marmaris’s tourism sector?

A new set of nightlife rules in Marmaris, Turkey, have been introduced but former Anatolian Sky boss Akin Koc isn’t sure they will have the desired effect

Johan Lundgren, Carrier and Mercury Holidays: all the latest travel trade people moves

Moves this week see Johan Lundgren return to a former workplace, while two operators have promoted internally to fill vacancies

Flight Centre confirms two more shop openings as cautious expansion project gathers pace

Flight Centre’s UK boss Joe Beevis said he will open new branches in the coming months but the agency will not return to its heyday of almost 80 UK outlets

Agents offer ‘cut-through’ for luxury cruise line as clients ‘book years in advance’

Expert insights about cruise booking trends were shared during an exclusive event hosted by TTG Luxury and Explora Journeys.

Bereaved agent calls on industry to back bootleg alcohol petition

A travel agent whose 28-year-old daughter died from methanol poisoning while travelling in Laos is backing a petition for the dangers of methanol poisoning to be covered in the school curriculum – and hopes others in the industry will follow suit

Crystal to unveil first two luxury ships after securing financial backing

The cruise brand says the expansion “validates” its position in the ultra-luxury cruise segment.

'Good' number of Crystal customers migrating across from other cruise lines, says new trade chief

Luke Smith, Carnival Cruise Line’s former international and UK sales director, revealed the booking trend during one of his first trade press interviews as Crystal’s sales vice-president, UK and EMEA

Virgin Atlantic commits to Seoul launch despite sales suspension

Virgin Atlantic has paused sales of its new Heathrow-Seoul service due to regulatory issues but says it is committed to the launch date in spring next year

Thorne Travel hopes to shed ‘homeworking’ tag with new venture

The Scottish agency with three branches hopes to attract agents to its Lifestyle Travel Expert programme

Agent persuades Tui to launch Newquay packages – with Prestwick also benefiting

A Cornish agent has led Tui to launch packages from Newquay with budget flights, while Glasgow Prestwick will also see the operator partner with Ryanair

Dormant Teletext Holidays brand revived after four years by new owners

Teletext, which in its previous guise was liquidated in 2021, has been relaunched, with several individuals from its previous iteration joining the new-look OTA

Jet2 to launch flights and holidays to fifth Canary island La Palma

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays will offer La Palma for the first time from next summer with two flights a week from Stansted and Manchester to the Canary island

Travel urged to discourage 'high-emission short breaks' and set up climate justice fund

The Travel Foundation has put forward proposals to help tourism combat climate change, including compiling an official list of destinations most at risk and discouraging short breaks, with ideas to be discussed at COP 30 in November

Can the river cruise sector accommodate any more new lines?

With two more big brands set to join the river cruise market, will extra competition lead to bigger profits for agents and operators – or create an overcrowding crisis?

InteleTravel, Celestyal, G Adventures: all the latest travel trade people moves

Moves this week see InteleTravel ’complete’ its expansion for the year, while Lindblad Expeditions has set up its first-ever UK travel advisory board

Three airports told to improve disabled access but overall UK picture improving – CAA

Heathrow’s Terminal 3, Prestwick and Edinburgh airports are told to improve the way they cater for disabled passengers in the latest CAA examination of UK facilities

Aviation sector warns removal of baggage fees could see air fares rise

Airlines for Europe heavily criticised MEPs’ decision, arguing that the proposal would deprive travellers of ’their ability to decide what service they want to pay for’

Ocean Holidays refinances Covid debt following Hays Travel investment

The US specialist operator confirmed Hays will have no day-to-day operational role following the investment and its four founders will remain its majority shareholders

SunExpress launches East Midlands and expands at Gatwick, Manchester and in Ireland

Turkey’s SunExpress will make East Midlands its 14th UK and Ireland airport next summer, launching services to Antalya, while adding new services to other existing departure points