Trade still needs close eye on the news A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Many were looking forward to the bank holiday weekend for some additional respite, but the trade still needed to keep a close eye on the news headlines. On Saturday, the government announced a consultation on contingency plans to ensure airline operations could continue amid ongoing concerns around jet fuel supply (back page). The news was welcomed by industry representatives keen to
reassure and give consumers confidence to book, but the nuance of the proposals’ implementation will be key to ensure agents, operators and their customers are not disadvantaged. On Sunday, there was sad news in relation to the Dutch expedition ship Hondius, with the confirmation of three deaths and an investigation into
a potential virus outbreak that may have originated off the vessel (page 8). The news is tragic for those affected and untimely in a period where confidence is fragile. But agents will be well-placed to reassure potential customers that serious incidents remain mercifully rare in the sector as a whole. On Monday, news emerged of a further escalation in hostilities around the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Gulf region, which was again unwelcome following a period of relative calm. All in the trade will be willing a swift de-escalation and signs of a more permanent resolution and stability. Exclusive research carried out for Travel Weekly suggests underlying demand remains firm, but
greater certainty and reassurance around cost and geopolitics will be key to releasing the brakes holding back bookings for many (page 5).
n Lucy Huxley, editor-in-chief, Travel Weekly Group CONTENTS NEWS
‘AI driving new wave of travel fraud’ 4 Gulf tourism sector ‘riding out crisis’
4
COVER star Hays Travel’s Telford
branch manager Laura
Longhurst explains how trip to Madeira put a smile on her face after the hardest year of her life page 24
Photo: Thomas Reader
NEWS YOU CAN USE Product EasyJet, Exodus, Trafalgar, Contiki
Abercrombie & Kent, Just Go Holidays 14 Seabourn, Royal, Amadeus, MSC
12 16
‘Consult trade on contingency plans’ 5 Greece bookings; Murray/Hays deal 6 Idle Travel reveals location of new store; NITGB secures funding and recruits Downs 8
comment Amanda Matthews: Unite to fight fraud 10
WHAT LUCY DID THIS WEEK
OHad great meetings with Accord Marketing, G Adventures and Celestyal Cruises about their plans for the year ahead.
OHad a call with Justine Roberts CBE, founder of Mumsnet – one of the UK’s leading online communities – ahead of her speaking at our next Inspiring Women lunch.
OTook my daughter to the cinema to see The Devil Wears Prada 2 – “That’s all!”
FRONTLINE agent diary
Jennifer Lynch: This is a defining period 22 competitions Win trips to Australia and Cambodia 26
DESTINATIONS
design breaks Fashion: From haute couture in Paris to sari fittings in India, put a new spin on a tailor-made holiday 28
caribbean
Summer: Top tips to sell the region in its less-visited off-peak summer season 38
Barbados: A first-time visitor to the Caribbean revels in the sights, sounds and tastes of the island’s south coast 32
BUSINESS NEWS
Photo special from the inaugural Travel Weekly Inspiring Women Fashion Forward pages 18-21
FRONT COVER AND THIS PAGE: Winter Park Photography 2018; Island Safari; Steve Dunlop; Shutterstock/Zamurovic Brothers, Pshevlotskyy Oleksandr, 13 Phunkod; Swissport/Oliver Roesler
travelweekly.co.uk FOLLOW US: @travelweekly
Analysis: Heathrow expansion doubts 46 Booking Holdings counts cost of war 47 Jet2 update; Air France-KLM results 47 Analysis: War and election challenges 48
travelweeklyuk @travelweeklyuk 7 MAY 2026 3
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