Balkan merits praise for closure timing A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
The news of Balkan Holidays’ decision to close its UK operation came as a shock to many in the trade, although the responses from agents suggested many no longer delivered the volumes they once did for the Bulgaria specialist. Balkan has been a mainstay of the travel trade during the 25-plus
years I have been reporting on the industry, and its Atol number – 252 – is testament to its longevity. Yet as we have reported in recent years, increasing costs and competition continue to present challenges for smaller specialist operators, and it appears those challenges were insurmountable on this occasion (page 5). Balkan’s management is to be commended for the way it approached the closure, with nobody left out of pocket and customers overseas able
to complete their holidays. Nonetheless, its departure from these shores marks the end of an era (pages 4 and 5).
At the opposite end of the Atol scale, the UK’s largest licence holder, Jet2holidays, gave a
quarterly update to the markets this week and confirmed a continued trend towards late sales. The update suggested Jet2 is largely on track to fill the extra capacity it put on for 2025, though it also noted the late-booking trend made it harder to make profit predictions for the financial year. The industry is being buffeted by multiple crosswinds which make forward planning ever-more complex – and that’s before you consider incidents like this week’s Iberian power outage or the recent Heathrow shutdown. But hopes remain that large and small operators alike can still navigate a path to a positive summer.
vi Lucy Huxley, editor-in-chief, Travel Weekly Group CONTENTS NEWS
Carnival Cruise Line to confirm UK plans 4 Trade rues loss of Bulgaria specialist 4 Balkan’s UK closure ‘marks end of era’ 5 Imagine hires Roberts; A&K trade goals 6 Call for CPR training; Hays signs McCall 8 comment
COVER star John Stewart Travel
agent Joel Grant relaxes in Cyprus on Cover Stars trip supported by Jet2holidays page 22
Photo: Alex Maguire Gordon McCreadie: Luxury reshaping 12
NEWS YOU CAN USE Product
Classic Collection, Jet2, Newmarket 13 Olympic Holidays, Tui, Travelpack
Disney Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Inspiring Travel, Ambassador, Cunard
FRONTLINE agent diary
Helen Parry: April had highs and lows 20 close-up Inside Travel, Fred Olsen Travel, Howard Travel 21
FRONT COVER AND THIS PAGE: Paul Philpott; Carnival Cruise Line; Caroline Perron; Steve Dunlop
travelweekly.co.uk FOLLOW US: @travelweekly 14 16
WHAT LUCY DID THIS WEEK
OCarried out the first interview with A&K Travel Group’s new UK managing director Debra Fox and heard all about her plans for A&K and Cox & Kings.
OCaught up with Visit Gibraltar, Imagine Cruising and Royal Caribbean to discuss new projects on the horizon for the trade.
OSpent the weekend testing my daughter on her Spanish speaking ahead of her first GCSE!
cover stars Joel Grant, John Stewart Travel
22
competitions Win a China fam with Wendy Wu Tours 24
DESTINATIONS canada
Quebec: Festivals and outdoor adventures await
in summer in Canada’s eastern province 26
Calgary: Saddle up for the Stampede 32 Road Trips: Top spots to visit in shoulder seasons for second-time visitors
active & adventure holidays Morocco: From deserts to cosmopolitan cities, this
BUSINESS NEWS
‘Extend UK’s ETS’; EES rollout update 46 Trading Standards on PTRs reform:
travelweeklyuk @travelweeklyuk 1 MAY 2025 3
›CTSI opposes government proposals 47 Airlines cautioned on Heathrow fees 48
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