Unpacked, by TTG

Fuel Crisis Special: Will Summer Holidays Actually Happen?

Thu, 07 May 2026 10:07:50 GMT

What does the fuel crisis really mean for summer holidays abroad this year? Is there even a fuel crisis? And how are agents reassuring customers (and maintaining bookings)? Join us for this special episode as we take a deep dive into the big question dominating both the travel industry – and national press: will summer holidays overseas actually happen this year?

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News in Brief: Fuel surcharges, Greece's 'loophole', and defending Inteletravel

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:51:03 GMT

The TTG team debate whether other EU nations will follow Greece’s lead in pausing biometric border checks to avoid summer travel chaos, analyse the fuel surcharge landscape as operators move to protect summer demand amid global economic uncertainty and and discuss why suppliers have been busy defending InteleTravel this week.

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EU border rules: a summer of chaos ahead?

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:14:58 GMT

On this latest epsiode the TTG news team are joined by Abta's director of public affairs Luke Petherbridge and Suzanne Cumpston, sales and commercial manager, Sam Smith Travel as they explore the impact of the EU’s new biometric border rules and what it means for summer travel. Early signs suggest we may see significant disruption at some airports, but how widespread will this be? Can we expect European airports and ports to offer a smooth process by summer, or is this just one more headache that the travel industry – and holidaymakers – need to be braced for?

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News in Brief: Iran-US ceasefire – what does it mean for travel?

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:18:19 GMT

The US-Iran ceasefire has huge repercussions for travel (and the wider world!). So how has the industry reacted to the news? What does it mean for this summer and for the lates market? And where are holidaymakers now likely to be heading – or not heading! – to over the next few months? The TTG news team dissect what the ceasefire means for the UK and Ireland travel industry.

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Can Dubai win back the tourists?

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 15:03:59 GMT

Moving beyond the headlines to understand what the situation in Dubai is like right now, what clients are saying about travelling to the Middle East, how long it will take for travellers to feel comfortable travelling there again, and what it means for the future of the Middle East as a transit hub. Plus where else are travellers heading to this Easter and which other holiday hotspots are being impacted by the Middle East crisis and war on Iran?

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News in Brief: The 'Katie Price Travels' controversy and a travel agency's headline-grabbing efforts to rescue clients in Middle East

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 13:53:57 GMT

The TTG news team discuss the controversy around Katie Price Travels; the launch of a new social media-led travel agency; why one Scottish travel agent is launching a charter programme 700 miles south of its HQ; Royal Caribbean's latest UK deployment move; and a Welsh agency's headline-grabbing efforts to rescue clients stuck in the Middle East.

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Does travel actually care about sustainability?

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 16:30:32 GMT

The TTG team are joined by an agent and operator who both specialise in selling sustainable holidays for an honest and frank conversation about whether the travel industry is embracing change fast enough, if there is a genuine desire to alter behaviours (or if travel firm are more interested in good PR) and whether customers even care about sustainability anyway...

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News in Brief: Live from the Jet2holidays Conference

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 07:30:00 GMT

On this second episode of our special edition News in Brief podcast, TTG's Daniel Pearce and James Chapple join Jet2holidays' Alan Cross and Jade Evers for a recap of the conference, plus why is Jet2holidays focusing on the luxury market? And Alan gives his take on what the current Middle East crisis means for the travel industry this summer.

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Special episode: What does the Iran conflict mean for travel ?

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 20:33:52 GMT

What does the Middle East crisis mean for travel? This week’s podcast is a special episode as travel agent Sam Ballard joins the TTG news team and reveals he has a client in the UAE literally "watching missiles fly overhead". How are agents looking after their customers at this time? What's been the impact on cruises in the region? And what are the wider implications of this crisis for the travel industry?

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News in Brief: £100k booking, handcuffed homeworkers and is Mexico safe?

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 16:06:50 GMT

The TTG news team discuss a £100,000 cruise booking; why homeworkers are apparently being “financially handcuffed”; Sabre’s new AI agent technology; the Foreign Office's warnings on Mexico and the “powerhouse outfits” which luxury agents wear to win over their clients.

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Luxury travel: is there an accent bias?

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 16:14:52 GMT

This week the conversation centres around the experiences of travel agent Leander Lynch, who was trolled for her accent after a video she posted on Facebook went viral.

Leander joins editor in chief Sophie Griffiths and luxury reporter Emma Dooney as they explore different prejudices within the industry, and how agents can deal with online backlash.

Social media expert Lotte Gossage also joins as a guest speaker, sharing her own experiences in the luxury sector and how she combats negativity online.

Can an accent really put off – or attract – clients? Are some accents more “premium” than others? Are there other biases in the sector? And how can agents combat this?

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AI in travel: friend or foe?

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:23:23 GMT

On this week's episode we unpack how artificial intelligence is reshaping the travel industry and debate whether AI is ultimately a threat or a powerful ally to travel agents, featuring Travel Counsellor Marie Rowe as our guest.

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Is this the biggest sales trend of peaks 2026?

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:58:09 GMT

As the peak season gathers momentum, the travel trade is seeing clear patterns emerge in what’s selling well, how clients are booking, and where demand is shifting. In this episode, the TTG team are joined by an award winning travel agent as they explore how well sales are going, and the (unlikely) trend that seems to be emerging. But is it really the biggest sales trend of peaks 2026?

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Trump’s latest power plays: should travel be worried?

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 09:09:21 GMT

Editor in chief Sophie Griffiths and cruise and content editor Harry Kemble are joined by Travel Counsellor and cruise specialist Emma Otter to explore the implications of the US military intervention in Venezuela and arrest of its president alongside President Trump’s increasingly concerning threats about wanting to annex Greenland, discussing what it means for the travel industry and whether the global uncertainty is impacting peaks and customer intent for holidays.

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Have Christmas travel ads lost their sparkle?

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

On this second episode of Unpacked by TTG, Editor-in-Chief Sophie Griffiths and Luxury Reporter Emma Dooney are joined by marketing expert Andrew Shelton as they explore how travel advertising has changed, whether TV ad campaigns are still influential, how travel brands typically now engage consumers – and the ways in which travel agents can tap into this. Plus Andrew shares memorable stories from the front line as well as trends/changes we might see this peaks.

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Hit or miss: Will Peaks 2026 live up to the hype?

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 12:06:47 GMT

On this first episode of Unpacked by TTG, Editor-in-Chief Sophie Griffiths and Content Producer Tom Parry take a deep dive into latest consumer data around travel intent ahead of the all-important peaks period and ask guest Martin Alcock, director of the Travel Trade Consultancy the question everyoje in travel wants to know: Will peaks 2026 live up to the hype?

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