Travel industry news

Budget 2024: What does the travel industry want and need from the chancellor today?

The travel industry has laid out what it would like to see in Wednesday’s crunch Budget (30 October) as chancellor Rachel Reeves prepares the new government’s first taxing and spending plan

Aspen Travel owner ready to sell up after more than 30 years

Brendan Clancy, who recently turned 70 and is looking to retire, is seeking buyers for his Greater Manchester-based retail and online business

6 reasons why understanding neurodiversity is good for business

As October draws to a close, so too does the end of ADHD month. But the work to understand and accept neurodiversity should be year long

Travel Counsellors offers agents live hotel booking capability

Travel Counsellors has upgraded its Phenix system to allow live hotel bookings and to show real-time availability as it searches for more accommodation partners

Olive Lounge Travel to expand to second premises and host first conference

Yorkshire agency will return to having a second premises, more than three years after shutting its Barrowford branch, and will whisk around 20 members of its team to Marrakech for an in-house educational

InteleTravel rescinds P&O Cruises 'no book' notice after talks

It follows talks between the line and the homeworking agency late last week

Barrhead, Blue Bay and Intrepid chiefs to join TTG/PwC Agenda panel

Jacqueline Dobson, Alistair Rowland and Hazel McGuire will offer their insights during TTG and PwC’s final Agenda 2024 briefing of the year

'Tourism has a unique ability to build bridges of understanding'

Gary Noakes catches up with WTM London exhibition director Juliette Losardo to find out what’s in store for delegates this year

Barrhead Travel founder Bill Munro passes away aged 80

The former Scottish banker is hailed as one of travel’s biggest names as he revolutionised the concept of high street travel agencies in the 1970s

10 ways agents can – and should – prepare now to make the most of peaks

With the obvious caveats of climate change, conflict and consumer confidence, the mood is – guardedly – optimistic after several difficult and dreary Januarys.

A good summer, calmer economic outlook and oodles of capacity has given agents and operators good reason to think 2025 could be just like – or even better than – the good old days of 2019.

'I fell into travel 33 years ago – I wanted to be a policeman!'

The 28-branch agency’s new director has climbed through the ranks – travel consultant, branch manager, sales manager, regional manager and latterly head of retail sales

Youtravel axes all bookings from 1 November onwards owing to FTI collapse

All bookings with travel dates from 1 November onwards would be cancelled as no final decisions have been made regarding Youtravel’s future

Former travel boss launches coaching for SME execs experiencing loneliness

Penston’s practice is set up to help senior executives manage loneliness and develop a clearer visions for their organisation

Climate protest stops Advantage cruise from calling at Amsterdam

Ambassador Cruise Line changes port of call ahead of Extinction Rebellion protests

EasyJet holidays expands portfolio with two new destinations

Tour operator easyJet holidays has added the Tunisian island of Djerba and the Norwegian town of Tromso to its roster

'The travel industry should be for everyone, but not anyone'

’So long as we are open to great people and to doing things right, there is always hope and excitement,’ writes Travel Counsellors’ director of franchise sales Matt Harding for TTG

Virgin Voyages, Travelopia, Flight Centre: this week’s travel trade people moves

This week has seen another departure from Virgin Voyages’ sales team, and a shake-up at Travelopia. Elsewhere, a familiar face to many agents makes a return with Ramble Worldwide

Tui runway skid 'avoidable' despite 'catastrophic' nose wheel failure

The failure of a wheel bearing on a Tui flight, which skidded off the runway at Leeds Bradford airport in 2023, was not to blame for the incident, investigators have concluded

Travelbag expands into Hertfordshire with third new shop in a year

New Harpenden branch will be officially opened on Thursday (24 October) following openings in Marlow and Cobham earlier this year

Birmingham airport: operations resume after suspicious vehicle prompts evacuation

All-clear issued at around 3.30pm on Wednesday (23 October) after operations were suspended while officers from West Midlands Police attended the scene

November launch for new EU border rules would have been ‘carnage’, Lords told

A House of Lords committee has been told of chaos if the EU Entry-Exit Scheme had been introduced in early November, with no communication or, in some cases, the necessary technology

Thomas Cook's sale to Polish travel group approved by CAA

Poland’s eSky has sealed the deal for the purchase of Thomas Cook, extending its Atol in the process

Airlines' struggles to renew fleets could push up air fares, new data shows

The number of new aircraft deliveries is below demand, new figures from Cirium show, meaning potential expansion headaches for airlines and upward pressure on fares

Govt promises fewer delays and less pollution with airspace revamp

Department for Transport opens consultation on biggest shake-up of airspace use for 70 years in a bid to cut congestion and pollution