Travel industry news

Sunday trading, keeping it local and being 'in it for the long-haul': eight Hays Travel conference takeaways

Hays Travel hosted its 2024 retail conference in Turkey’s Belek this week, celebrating past successes and future plans, which include capturing more new-to-cruise sales, hosting more partnership events and investing in technology to support online lead generation

Glasgow, Aberdeen and Southampton airports to expand under new owner

The new owner of Glasgow, Aberdeen and Southampton airports promises more routes and investment at each

Tui bosses given vote of confidence to press ahead with transformation

Tui has confirmed new three-year contracts for its group chief executive and finance boss, allowing them to continue with a wide-ranging effort to transform Tui’s business

Budget to push up Hays Travel's business costs by more than £6 million

Dame Irene Hays says increases in minimum wages outlined in the Budget will mean ’a significant hike in salaries’

Air India absorbs former rival carrier and confirms Singapore Airlines stake

Air India Group has completed the latest stage of its privatisation revamp, absorbing former rival Vistara and confirming Singapore Airlines involvement

Third of holidaymakers looking to travel pros for inspiration – Abta

New data from Abta’s 2024/25 Holiday Habits research highlights how consumers value not just agents and operators’ service and support, but their ’extensive knowledge’

Balkan Holidays promotes Lynsey Jones as part of trade team shake-up

The specialist, which has also recruited two new regional sales manager, insists trade remains a ’crucial’ sales channel

Has travel hit ‘peak package’? Or is there more to come?

With Atol authorisations hitting their highest levels ever, Gary Noakes dissects the latest round of Atol renewals – and explores where the industry has hit ‘peak Atol’

Positioning Majorca as a luxury destination has 'failed' – tourism chief

But Visit Palma managing director Pedro Homar is hopeful new technology solutions could help the popular Balearic Island reduce crowding

AmaWaterways and Inspire Travel among 10 new Aito members

Association ’well on its way’ to achieving its target of growing to 150 members by 2030

Travel told to ramp up investment in AI infrastructure to halt lag in adoption

WTTC chief Julia Simpson called for governments at WTM London to kick start investment, regulation and infrastructure to ensure travel can become a leader in innovation with AI

Industry fears another ‘Trump slump’ following historic election win

More than half of the nearly 250 respondents to a snap TTG poll on Trump’s re-election said they believed a new Trump presidency would affect UK visitation to the US

Inbound chief insists Trump re-election ‘won't stop US travellers visiting UK’

Joss Croft, UKinbound chief executive, is upbeat about the future of US-UK travel following the historic US election result this week

Tui ramps up Thailand winter sun offering with new ex-UK flights

Tui will add 6,000 extra seats this winter and a further 9,000 next year from Gatwick and Manchester airports

‘More to Japan than cherry blossoms’, tourist board insists in message to agents

Agents will be fundamental in positioning Japan as a year-round destination and to avoid overcrowding, Japan National Tourism Organisation boss Airi Motokura tells TTG at WTM London

Low-cost travel era ‘evolving into era of value travel’

A panel of experts at WTM London said post-Covid prices were moderating, and that low-cost travel was not dead

Strong summer for British Airways helps offset Aer Lingus strike headwinds

British Airways delivered a more than €300 million financial boost for parent IAG this summer, offsetting challenges for Irish stablemate Aer Lingus and helping the group record a 15.4% increase in operating profit

Tap into top insights at latest Abta Travel Trends event

Customer booking patterns, top tips on marketing strategies and how to utilise artificial intelligence are some of the insights that will be shared at the Abta Travel Trends conference later this month.

Tenerife looking to attract ‘more affluent’ tourists in 2025

Tenerife Tourism Corporation chief executive, Dimple Melwani, said tourism numbers have increased from 2019 to 2023 but revealed the island is looking for ‘new visitors’

Sri Lanka tourism chief: ‘We're a safe, year-round destination’

Buddhika Herwawasam, chair of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, told TTG UK arrivals constituted 20% of all international visitors this year so far

Greece urges cruise lines to do more to tackle mass tourism

It comes as the country refocuses efforts to disperse tourists and encourage visitors to Greece throughout the year rather than in just the summer and the shoulder seasons

Majorcans ‘live off tourism’ argues tourism chief amid protests

Susanna Sciacovelli, director of the island’s tourism board, highlighted the confusion that can arise from using the word ’overtourism’ in media reports

Tourism minister pledges to amplify outbound sector's voice at government level

Speaking to TTG at WTM London, tourism minister Sir Chris Bryant pledged to invite more outbound industry members onto a key government committee, saying he wants to listen

Destination Travel ‘aiming to change town’s booking habits’ with new shop

Shevaun Joy and Lisa Manditsch launched Destination Travel in 2009 – a year after the previous agency business they worked for closed down