TTC unites brands under Trafalgar Andrew McQuarrie
TTC Tour Brands has revealed Trafalgar is undergoing the “biggest change” in its 80-year history as it takes on the products previously offered by sister brands Insight Vacations and Costsaver. Kelly Jackson, managing director
of TTC Tour Brands for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said agents would be able to book via Trafalgar’s expanded portfolio from the final quarter of this year, ahead of the key Black Friday booking period. She added: “Instead of having to
navigate the three brands, they can come to Trafalgar and choose from a much broader portfolio with over 600 itineraries across 75 countries.”
The move will be supported
by Trafalgar’s “biggest-ever brand investment” in 2027. It will be communicated to the trade via a live webinar on September 3 at 10am, alongside shop visits, sales manager sessions and new eLearning modules. A dedicated resource centre,
the Your New Era with Trafalgar hub, is now live on the TTC Agent Portal (TAP) ahead of system enhancements. “We really want to grow brand
awareness, especially in the UK market,” said Jackson. “Hopefully, after four months of active training and agent engagement, agents will feel very comfortable with the new expanded Trafalgar portfolio. We really want to go big in peaks.”
Operators assess Nepal situation after flash floods
Travel Weekly reporters
Operators continue to closely monitor the situation in Nepal following last week’s catastrophic flash floods, with some amending itineraries in affected areas. The death toll in Nepal had
topped 1,000 by Tuesday, with almost 4,000 missing, including 33 British nationals, many of whom were on pilgrimages with Nepalese companies. Most of Intrepid Travel’s 26
itineraries featuring Nepal are due to operate as planned. Joanna Reeve, UK and Ireland
general manager, said: “Where flooding, landslides or damage to
6 3 SEPTEMBER 2026
transport routes means we cannot safely operate an itinerary, we are making changes or cancelling departures. So far, around 10 trips have been affected. We haven’t seen significant cancellations. “We’ve had some calls looking for
reassurance, but many travellers are taking a wait-and-see approach.” She reported an “incredible”
response to The Intrepid Foundation’s emergency appeal. More than £120,000 has been raised so far, with Intrepid matching donations up to £100,000. “There is a strong sense of
resilience and determination to support communities,” she said. “Tourism is a vital source of
Instead of having
to navigate three brands, they can come to Trafalgar and choose from a broader portfolio
She said the decision represented
the biggest change for Trafalgar since it was founded in 1947, marking a new phase following recent moves into river cruising and small-group travel. Agents can offer clients five travel
categories – tours, small-group tours, river cruises, rail journeys and group sales – across three value tiers: Saver, Classic and Premium. “We’re bringing the portfolio
together, but we’re not making the experiences all the same,” Jackson stressed, noting Premium retains the elevated hotels and dining associated with Insight Vacations, while Saver reflects the Costsaver range. Existing itineraries, pricing and experiences remain unchanged for 2027 departures. Jackson revealed consolidating
under Trafalgar followed extensive research showing it was the “strongest brand”. For existing 2027 bookings, everything remains identical, while new bookings will state “operated by Insight Vacations” or “operated by Costsaver” where relevant. Jackson added: “Instead of ‘Kelly
from TTC Tour Brands’, going forward I’m ‘Kelly from Trafalgar and [sister brand] Contiki’.”
A mud-covered village in Nepal’s Trishuli River valley last Thursday
income. When the time is right, continuing to travel responsibly to unaffected areas will play an important role in supporting local livelihoods.” “We’ll be encouraging [travellers]
to continue considering Nepal.” Brendan Phelan, Exodus
Adventure Travels sales director, said the operator’s Nepal season starts later this month, so no customers were directly affected. “Itineraries [are being] adjusted away from affected areas, so our advice to agents is to reassure customers of this,” he said. Exodus launched an appeal to
support the relief effort and has so far raised more than £26,000. The operator is matching donations.
Chris Roche, The Adventure
People chief executive, said his company’s Everest Base Camp and Annapurna treks are going ahead as they are not in the affected areas. He noted “some caution” about
Everest Base Camp bookings, which was “completely understandable”, but no cancellations yet. Neil Sealy, Exoticca’s UK and
Ireland managing director, said: “Our Nepal itineraries don’t go to the areas affected by the tragic floods, so none of our customers are affected. “It’s a bit early to see whether new
bookings have been affected, but we haven’t had any requests for changes or cancellations.”
travelweekly.co.uk
PICTURE: Shutterstock/Azwadafraz
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