UK and Ireland

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

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

The outage on 21 March affected hundreds of thousands of passengers

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

Escape to the country – checking into a refurbished gem of a hotel

Looking fresh from a recent £1.6 million refurbishment of all guest rooms and riding high on scooping the AA Award for Small Hotel Group of the Year 2024, Mallory Court is a gem of a countryside hotel.

For the reworking of its 19 guest rooms and suites, the hotel took inspiration from some of the building’s art deco features, deftly combining some countryside inspiration with a nod to the influence of that most stylish of eras.

What's happened to the family market this year? And will it come back?

The family market has long been a staple for many travel agencies, but a drop off in forward bookings for the summer from families has left agents stumped – and concerned

Gatwick ready to accept stricter noise limits in bid to secure second runway

Gatwick has accepted a series of limits on noise pollution in a bid to secure the government’s permission to bring its standby runway into regular use, and also pledged to increase the number of passengers accessing the airport by public transport to more than 50%

European ministers agree phased approach to new biometric border rules

The European Commission said the EES will be rolled out over a six-month period to avoid teething problems, but has not set a new date for the launch

UK and EU ready to make concessions to establish youth mobility framework

UK government no longer ruling out an agreement with EU on youth mobility

Heathrow hopeful of having third runway up and running by 2035

Airport working ’at pace’ to deliver expansion plans to government by he summer

Doncaster Sheffield airport: government backs £30 million mayoral investment plan

South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard has pledged £30 million to support efforts to reopen the airport by spring 2026

Italy's national rail firm launches €1 billion bid to challenge Eurostar

Avanti West Coast co-owner FS Italiane Group has partnered with Spanish start-up Evolyn with a view to launching high-speed rail services between London and Paris from 2029

Universal names Bedford as the site of its first European theme park

Universal Destinations & Experiences has chosen a former brickworks south of Bedford for the location of its first theme park in Europe, with a planned opening date of 2031

Watch: Wheelchair-friendly AND luxury? Inside the top Irish hotel making five-star accessible

With its exceptional staff and spacious layout, Anantara The Marker Dublin proves hotels don’t need to compromise on luxury to accommodate guests like my brother.

Luton airport given green light to almost double passenger numbers

The government has given Luton airport permission to increase its capacity from 19 million annual passengers to 32 million by 2043, despite the Planning Inspectorate recommending the proposal be rejected on environmental grounds

Heathrow addresses criticism of power outage response with five-point plan

Transport committee hearing told the airport was warned twice about the resilience of its power supply in the days leading up to the meltdown on 21 March

The Chancery Rosewood accepting reservations ahead of autumn debut

The ultra-luxury brand will open its second London property in Mayfair later this year.

Competition on cross-Channel rail routes moves a step closer

The rail regulator has said there is room for new entrants to use Eurostar’s maintenance facility, removing an impediment for more operators on cross-Channel routes

The COO set on taking Maybourne on a global mission

The London-based luxury hotel group is embarking on a rebranded global mission

MPs to weigh airport expansion plans against green commitments at inquiry

The House of Commons’ environmental audit committee has launched an inquiry into whether airport expansion plans can go ahead without jeopardising existing environmental targets

New Channel Tunnel train operator hopes to challenge Eurostar

A new train operator has been set up with hopes of launching services to Paris and Brussels via the Channel Tunnel

Hays Travel branch the latest to leave the high street – why are agencies moving shops?

By relocating its Bishop Auckland store, Hays Travel has followed in the footsteps of rivals such as Tui and Barrhead Travel

How agents worked through the night to save holidays during Heathrow shutdown

Agents have been working around the clock to save their customers’ journeys after a ’significant’ power outage shut down Heathrow

Royal Caribbean to host agents on Icon ship visits in Barcelona

The family-focused line will soon unveil a ship visit programme with a difference where agents will be flown out to Spain to experience Allure of the Seas and Legend of the Seas

Five ways to sell responsible travel (without mentioning the S word...)

Taking small but tangible steps, holding suppliers to account and navigating the implications of selling animal attractions were among the main discussion points at TTG’s Sustainability Festival 2025