Opinion

'When chaos reigns, why is it always tour operators left picking up the pieces?'

Summer has only just begun, but already, consumers have experienced severe travel disruption – and tour operators are bearing the brunt of the knock-on effects, writes Aito executive director Martyn Sumners for TTG

'Travel needs more visible male allies to play their part'

The case for an inclusive and sustainable industry is plan and simple for everyone to see, writes Women in Travel CIC founder and managing director Alessandra Alonso ahead of the International Women in Travel and Tourism Forum and Awards later this month

Advantage chief: 'Travel must come together behind a single aim'

‘During Covid, many industry leaders talked about never wanting to be in the same position again should there be another crisis – so where are we now, and what have we learned?’ asks Julia Lo Bue-Said

'The Balearics street drinking rules are a classic government own goal – and totally unworkable'

’Local police in San Antonio have enough to do over a busy summer tackling real crime; these headlines paint a picture of swat teams swooping on innocent tourists sipping a can of beer in the evening heat,’ writes Ibiza local Martin Makepeace for TTG

'We're putting agents at the heart of our Eurovision partnership'

Royal Caribbean International expects to host around 100 agents at Eurovision in Malmo this week; vice-president EMEA Ben Bouldin tells TTG why the partnership was the perfect opportunity to get the trade involved

'More and more agents are concerned about sustainability in tourism'

Ahead of Abta’s Delivering Sustainable Travel Conference on 15 May, head of events Sulamith Waldmeier offers a flavour of what to expect on the day - from overtourism to the ’say-do’ debate

'Agents have to work harder to show Google their content is truly valuable – here's how'

Google’s algorithm change means agents have to work harder to show the search engine that their content is truly valuable, writes We Are Llama’s Mags Sikora for TTG

'We've moved the dial on youth mobility – it's vital to travel's future talent pipeline'

Any failure by the UK government to negotiate a youth mobility framework with the EU risks turning off the industry’s future talent pipeline, Abta’s director of public affairs Luke Petherbridge writes for TTG

'How agents can recognise the signs of "Holiday Head" in their clients'

Holiday Head makes us open to new experiences, cultures and people – but it can have a darker side, Safer Tourism Foundation chief executive Kathy Atkinson writes for TTG

The Homeworker: 'I'm living my best life now I've returned to travel'

Emma Gibson started out in travel in the 1980s aged 14, but while the skills she learned stood her in good stead during a varied career, it wasn’t until she returned to the industry last year she finally found balance – and fulfilment

‘It's a win – but we're still short-changing the people of Sri Lanka’

After leading a successful campaign to have the Foreign Office soften its travel advice for Sri Lanka, Experience Travel Group chief executive Sam Clark tells TTG why he believes so strongly in the country’s cause – and why there is still more to push for

The Homeworker: 'Please – don't call me a homeworker!'

One-time TTG UK and Ireland Travel Agent of the Year, Jo Shayler-Tarrant, gets something important off her chest in TTG’s latest Homeworker column

How can agents plan ahead to ride out the next inevitable crisis?

We Are Llama’s Phil Bloomfield looks at how industry marketers in the industry can face up to – and get ahead of – the inevitable unpredictability that travel faces

‘Travel's voice has been heard, but don't expect too much from Wednesday's Budget’

Abta’s director of public affairs, Luke Petherbridge, looks ahead to Wednesday’s Budget – the last before a general election

'Celebrities can shine a light on the fragility of sensitive destinations'

Expedition Cruise Network chair Martin Johnson hails Susan Calman’s voyage to Antarctica with Scenic, and says it could serve as a model for travel to promote its offer alongside its responsible tourism and sustainability credentials

'Bali's new tourist levy is another opportunity for agents to shine'

Pata chair UK and Ireland, Chris Crampton, tells TTG that while the £7.50pp fee will ultimately be an annoyance, it’s a chance for agents to demonstrate their expertise and service

Should agents have a share of the TV ad spotlight with supplier partners?

Should travel brands include travel agents in their calls to action among their advertising? Heath Heise from We are Llama takes a look at the benefits and drawbacks

Seven sustainability trends agents can't afford to ignore

TTG’s sustainability partner TerraVerde warns 2024 will be the year sustainability standards go from ’nice-to-haves’ to strict rules, while agents will need to demonstrate and practise carbon literacy ever-more frequently – and confidently

'Despite its problems, Boeing's 737 Max is here to stay'

With the airline industry showing no sign of withdrawing its faith in the Boeing 737 Max, despite the airliner’s latest near-disaster, Gary Noakes assesses the future for Boeing’s troubled

‘We don't send our guests to war zones – but we can give partners there hope’

‘Regent has over the years pioneered travel to lesser-trodden paths around the world – and despite the complex situation in places like Ukraine, Israel and Palestine, we will never abandon our partners on the ground’

The Homeworker: ‘Homeworking doesn’t equate to alone-working’

Out of This World consultant Ben Casey shares his tips on how not to go it alone in the world of a homeworker travel agent

Forget ‘make do and mend’ travel marketing and build your brand to last in 2024

Travel marketing in 2023 was ’make do and mend’ with a reliance on discounts and digital ad spend. Andrew Shelton urges agents to build their brand to last in 2024.

The Homeworker: 'Travel is never "just a holiday", it's precious time spent with loved ones'

InteleTravel agent Sarah Stephens reflects on how travel helped her and her husband Patrick come to terms with, and get respite from, the loss of their daughter Violet, and how her loss has informed her career as an agent

'Flight 100 proved SAF's readiness, not necessarily its long-term viability'

TTG’s Sarah Dennis reflects on the first 100% SAF-powered long-haul flight, its success as proof as concept and the questions that remain around how SAF supply will be ramped up