Opinion

'I lived on Hanoi's streets as a child – now I'm fighting to end human trafficking'

This year, the Intrepid Foundation has been named the Travel Industry Awards by TTG’s official charity partner – Do Duy Vi, co-CEO of one of Intrepid’s partners – the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation – explains how agents can help the foundation make a difference on the streets of Hanoi where he grew up

TikTok: 7 tips to get the most out of the platform agents can no longer afford to ignore

With TikTok users spending upwards of 90 minutes a day on the platform, on average, We Are Llama’s Marta Safin explores some of the ways savvy agents can use it to their advantage

Abta: 'It’s clear many of the industry’s priorities have been heard'

One month to the day since Labour took power after 14 years in opposition, Abta’s director of public affairs Luke Petherbridge assesses the party’s actions since forming a new government – and what its priorities mean for travel’s prosperity

‘Jasper is Canada in a nutshell – after the wildfires, it will open its arms to your clients’

Earlier this year, TTG’s Gary Noakes headed to Jasper in Canada – he reflects on the impact of the recent wildfires that have ripped through parts of the town and the national park, and what agents can do to help the destination recover

The Moroccan charity changing worlds – one young girl at a time

Education for All Morocco is one of several beneficiaries of the Intrepid Foundation, this year’s Travel Industry Awards by TTG charity partner. Board member Samira Govers El Hachioui tells TTG why its work is so important to Morocco

'Our market leaders have tanked package prices, and we're all suffering'

’Package prices in July and August have tanked. Our market leaders are to blame, and we are all suffering,’ writes Sunvil chair Noel Josephides for TTG

‘Operators can be pivotal in travel's fight against climate change’

Nobody caught up in the wildfires that swept across Rhodes last summer will forget the devastating scenes, which prompted the largest evacuation effort in Greece’s history.

What's driving the resurgent M&A interest in the travel sector?

After the travel industry was forced to all-but shut down during the Covid-19 pandemic, Houlihan Lokey director Thomas Barnard explores the factors driving the industry’s resurgence – and renewed interest in its prospects

'Can your business really afford NOT to seek a quality mark like B Corp?'

To B Corp or not to B Corp? Writing for TTG, We Are Llama’s John Pritchard weighs up the pros and cons for travel of seeking B Corp certification as the standard becomes more common

'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