Signs point to positive prospects for all A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR


I write this week’s column as we prepare for our annual Travel Weekly Industry Leaders’ Dinner in London. The event, for 50 invited guests, will feature a roll call of chief executives, directors and presidents of many of the UK’s largest travel companies, and will include an exclusive preview of the 2026 Travel Weekly Insight Report ahead of its publication. As always, the evening will feature candid conversations about the challenges and opportunities facing the industry, including a continued shift to a later-booking market, but I feel sure I will leave feeling positive for 2026. It is not just the reports from the industry’s biggest hitters that give me grounds for confidence, but also the bullish tones sounded by many of those on the frontline.


Already this year we have run a string of good news stories about agencies expanding their footprints, whether through new retail openings or growth in homeworking divisions. And as Advantage commercial chief John Sullivan noted in a Travel Weekly webcast last week, those channels are becoming increasingly less distinct, with many agencies recognising the opportunity to develop a multi-channel approach to target consumers wherever they feel most comfortable. Underpinning much of this growth are strong trade relations, which give more cause for optimism.


As we report this week, some agents feel more can be done to fine-tune how operators support their partners (page 5). But with an increasing roster of firms doing their utmost to back the trade, signs are positive that sellers and suppliers can grow their businesses in tandem in the year ahead.


Lucy Huxley, editor-in-chief, Travel Weekly Group CONTENTS NEWS


COVER photo Industry apprentices and young agents pose in Knysna, South Africa, during a special fam trip hosted by Contiki in


partnership with Atas last November-December


pages 6 and 10 Photo: Jesse Hartig


Abta updates guidance on price rules 4 Cape Verde gastro advice a ‘radical step’ 4 Agents challenge operator’s practices 5 Wendy Wu Tours target; Leaders course 6 Hays manager’s jump; NCL Champions 8 Special Report National Apprenticeship Week: Industry hails success of pathway into sector 10 in the picture Cruise.co.uk’s ski conference, Austria 12 comment


Steve Dunne: T&Cs need human touch 14


NEWS YOU CAN USE Jet2, Tui, Virgin Atlantic, Acacia Africa 15 First Class, Ramble Worldwide Amadeus River Cruises


WHAT LUCY DID THIS WEEK


OHad a great planning meeting with Royal Caribbean looking ahead to the launch of Legend of the Seas this summer.


OCaught up with G Adventures’ Brian Young, fresh from being named Unsung Hero at the Globes, and heard about his next challenge – a 100km charity trek of the Camino Trail.


OAttended a parents’ ‘formal’ at my son’s Cambridge college and had to be on my best behaviour meeting the master!


Your Stories Gilli Knight, founder of Travel Den, on aim to reach £10m-£15m turnover 22 competitions Win trips to Croatia, Greece, Asia


DESTINATIONS romance


Valentine’s Day: Six of the best loved-up locations for a romantic getaway 28


Greece, Cyprus & balkans Cyprus: Suggest clients look beyond the beaches to discover culture, cuisine, royalty and romance


16 18


FRONTLINE agent diary Jennifer Lynch: Peaks seems less relevant amid later bookings 20


FRONT COVER AND THIS PAGE: Steve Dunlop; Shutterstock/KrakenPlaces, Samuel Borges Photography, DedMityay; Tourism Whitsundays


travelweekly.co.uk FOLLOW US: @travelweekly


27


32


Corfu: Revamped resort offers a peaceful base for exploring this Ionian island 39 Albania: Tales of intrigue in Tirana 43


BUSINESS NEWS CAA to introduce flight emissions rule 46 Tui Q1 results; Jet2/Tui Musement deal 47 Euro airports ‘face investment shortfall’ 47 Ex-Baldwins owners’ directorship ban 48


travelweeklyuk @travelweeklyuk 12 FEBRUARY 2026 3


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52