CMA clampdown is a major headache A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR


There is always a buzz in the Travel Weekly office in the days leading up to the Globe Travel Awards, and that is certainly the case as I write this week’s column. The biggest night in the leisure industry calendar takes place on Thursday, and the Great Room at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House hotel will be packed to the rafters after the final remaining tickets sold out last week. As always, the Globes will be an amazing showcase of the


partnerships that underpin our industry, and you can follow all the action from the night on our social channels and on travelweekly.co.uk. But once the celebrations are over, the minds of our travel agent and supplier guests will swiftly return to this crucial trading period and the opportunities and challenges in the market.


One of the most pressing challenges currently facing the trade is the need to swiftly implement plans to avoid falling foul of CMA guidance, which stipulates prices seen by consumers must include costs including fees and taxes in destination (page 5). The authority outlined its views as recently as last November, so the speed with which it has followed up with threats of enforcement action (Travel Weekly, January 8) is hugely concerning and appears to suggest a worrying lack of appreciation for how the industry works. Transparency for consumers is clearly a positive thing, but the fluid nature of pricing in the sector and the logistical challenges of advertising a price higher than the one invoiced for means the new rules continue to vex even the industry’s most experienced legal minds.


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


Peaks bookings ‘kick in’ despite storm 4 Trade reports mixed sentiment for US 4 Firms urged to comply with CMA rules 5 Aito trade manifesto; SHG sales blitz 6 Ramble boosts team; MAN flights cut 8 comment


Globe travel Awards 2026


Watch this Thursday evening’s glittering


ceremony unfold online: Q Visit travelweekly.co.uk


Q Search for #TWGlobes Q Follow @travelweeklyuk on Instagram


Q Visit Travel Weekly UK


on Facebook or LinkedIn Q Look out for full


coverage in the next two editions of T


ravel Weekly


FRONT COVER AND THIS PAGE: Gambia Experience; Shutterstock/Hazel Plater, Marso, Ople Witsanu, Vensto, Rawpixel.com, muratart; Paolo Codeluppi; Steve Dunlop


travelweekly.co.uk


Amanda Matthews: My top tips to help agents maximise their sales during peaks 10


NEWS YOU CAN USE Product


Jet2, easyJet, USAirtours, HF Holidays 13 Newmarket Holidays, Just You Princess Cruises, Hurtigruten


FRONTLINE agent diary


Helen Parry: The merits of festive travel 22 Your Stories ‘I imitate Whoopi Goldberg,’ says Natasha Crossley 24


FOLLOW US: @travelweekly


14 17


WHAT LUCY DID THIS WEEK


ORecorded a webcast with Azamara Cruises before the line unveils trade engagement plans.


OWas excited to see the engraved gold trophies arrive in the office ready to be presented to the trade’s favourite suppliers at this week’s Globe Travel Awards!


OStarted physio to repair a small tear in my hamstring tendon which is stopping me from running and playing hockey. Not happy . . .


competitions


Win cruises in Alaska and the Med, a long-haul trip and place at Jet2 forum 28


DESTINATIONS Ski & Snow


Italy: Hit the slopes in next to no time across the varied ski resorts of South Tyrol thanks to easy access from nearby Bolzano Airport 30


winter sun The Gambia: Herons, kingfishers and vultures are just some of the birdlife that abounds in this welcoming destination 34 Cape Verde: Mix adrenaline rushes on a quad bike with awe-inspiring stargazing on peaceful Boa Vista island 40


›’Overseas taxes difficult to price in’ 46 ›Start of probe into Hays unconfirmed 47 ›Advantage chief on new pricing rule 48


BUSINESS NEWS CMA targets travel sector:


travelweeklyuk @travelweeklyuk 15 JANUARY 2026 3


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