Travel industry news

SPAA chief decries lack of govt backing for apprenticeships, rates relief and SAF production

SPAA president Jacqueline Dobson took on a range of topics during her address at the SPAA’s annual dinner on Thursday (27 February)

Inside Travel Group launches Agent Insider programme with £25,000 trip incentive

’We’re prepared to put our money where our mouth is,’ said head of trade sales Gabo Quiros, with the group also offering 10 agent places on InsideJapan small group tours

'Hybrid' agency Experience It Now Travel targets 100 more homeworkers in 2025

The Sussex-based agency took on more than 100 homeworkers in 2024, and hopes to repeat the feat this year while also growing its retail estate

EasyJet holidays to support Manchester-Cape Verde launch with agent fam places

Five agent fam places up for grabs with year-round holiday departures starting from 28 October

Celebrity, Silversea, Sani-Ikos: all the latest travel trade people moves

Moves this week see Celebrity Cruises restructure its senior management team, while there have been high-profile retirements at Silversea and Fred Olsen Travel

Three trends agents can – and should – look out for heading into spring

As another frenetic peaks draws to a close, TTG’s Ilaria Grasso Macola explores some of the trends that have shaped the trade’s busiest sales period of the year – and could shape their fortunes for the rest of the year

Gatwick second runway approved in principle but final decision deferred to autumn

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander has granted provisional permission for Gatwick airport to bring its standby runway into daily use, but a final decision will now be made in the autumn

Norse Atlantic to offer fewer destinations after another year of losses

The low-cost long-haul outfit, formed out of the ashes of Norwegian Air’s long-haul operation, plans to lease out four aircraft to an Indian carrier resulting in it being able to serve fewer destinations from the UK

Gatwick expansion: transport secretary signals support for second runway plan

Heidi Alexander confirms government’s backing for airport expansion, with a decision on a second runway at Gatwick due on Thursday, but reiterates growth must be balanced against environmental realities

Gatwick expansion: when is the decision due and what's at stake?

It’s a big week for Gatwick, which will find out whether the government will support its plans to almost double passenger numbers by bringing its standby runway into permanent use

Gold Medal brands launch fam trip hub for agents to share knowledge

Gold Medal and dnata UK B2B brands have launched an online hub for agents to share their experiences of fam trips

Agents: your chance to be heard and be paid as part of the TTG Insights Panel

TTG Media has launched its Insights Panel for all travel agents to share their views to help their businesses succeed and be paid for their opinions and expertise

Join Abta’s latest Sustainable Travel Conference

Time-poor youngsters turning to agents to book TikTok-inspired trips, says Tui boss

Tui Group CEO Sebastian Ebel reveals what he’s learned about younger people’s holiday purchasing habits from his own children

Fred Olsen Travel boss Steve Williams to retire after 36 years

Williams, the agency’s managing director, will be succeeded by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines chief executive Samantha Stimpson on an interim basis

When to open a second shop? Agency owners share their tips

Whether you’ve exhausted your local client base or have the talent at your disposal to spread your wings, TTG caught up with nine agents who know what it takes to get a second branch off the ground

Netflix and Amazon Prime 'inspiring Tui's differentiated product strategy'

Chief executive Sebastian Ebel says being able to guarantee the quality of its product was giving the operating ’one big advantage’ over rivals like Jet2holidays and easyJet holidays

Scottish agency creates sensory room for neurodivergent children

Moorelands Travel has turned a former vault into a sensory room equipped with toys, lights, bean bags – even a projector

Norse Atlantic to launch budget Gatwick-Bangkok route this winter

Up to four-times-weekly flights will get under way from 26 October 2025, with return fares leading in from £295pp including taxes.

Bangkok will become Norse’s first UK route to Asia; it currently flies transatlantic from Gatwick, and also to South Africa. "The introduction of this service marks a significant expansion of the airline’s operations in the UK market," it said.

Oslo-headquartered Norse has operated to Bangkok from the Norwegian capital since 2023, and will also serve the Thai capital from Stockholm this winter for the first time.

Tui to take on Ticketmaster with new app deal

Tui has struck a deal with entertainment ticket and activity specialist Fever, targeting customers looking for things to do at weekends

Strikes set to disrupt flights to Italy and Greece this week

Pilots and air traffic controller strikes in Italy and Greece will take industrial action next week, disrupting services from the UK

New HS2 station to massively boost rail connectivity at Birmingham airport

The new high-speed rail link will cut the journey time between the airport and central London from 70 minutes to less than 40 minutes

Govt 'seeking reciprocal overseas worker deal with EU'

Sir Keir Starmer is reportedly drawing up plans to offer the EU a youth worker programme deal, meaning travel firms can post seasonal workers overseas again

Air Canada increases Dublin schedules to Vancouver and Montreal this summer

Air Canada has used a relaxation of Dublin airport’s capacity restrictions to increase frequencies to key destinations this summer