Is this the UK’s most fun staycation? December 5, 2025 Adam Bloodworth checks into Mad Swans, the UK’s most provocative new British countryside staycation. This piece is published in City AM The Magazine, Winter edition, distributed at major Tube stations and available to pick up from The Royal Exchange. I love nothing more than a staycation in the British countryside – but let’s be honest, the [...]
‘Why I’ve spent £50m to take my company global’ December 3, 2025 The chief executive of a travel company has revealed why he has decided to spend £50m on acquiring a Canadian counterpart. Steve Byrne, who leads Manchester-based Travel Counsellors, told City AM how his firm’s first international deal to buy The Travel Agent Next Door (TTAND) will help boost its growth on top of its planned [...]
The best short haul Christmas break is not where you think December 2, 2025 Vilnius in Lithuania blends modern Christmas traditions with a strong heritage for the festive season. Daniel Edward gets into the spirit Vilnius is this year’s European Christmas Capital and with three daily flights from London, it’s an easy festive getaway. So I hopped on LOT’s evening flight from London City Airport to join the city’s [...]
From seaside to snow: this Croatian festival is arriving in the Alps December 2, 2025 Twenty years ago Nick Colgan and his wife Charlotte put on a party in Croatia. It went well, and was instrumental in helping establish the country’s coastline as one of the European party capitals. Their venue in Tisno has since hosted over a dozen festivals, and these days Love International, Outlook, Defected and Dimensions are [...]
On the Beach shares rocket as firm gears up for record summer December 2, 2025 On the Beach is getting itself ready for a record summer season as consumers hold on to their overseas holidays despite feeling the squeeze. The travel retailer said its Winter bookings were 15 per cent ahead of last year while bookings for next summer were “encouraging” and likely to be the highest yet. Chief executive [...]
The Bangkok hotel that finds perfect calm amid the chaos November 20, 2025 Bangkok is rarely quiet. The Thai capital barrels forward at full volume: Woks hiss and clang in open-air kitchens, tuk tuks chase traffic like motorised dragonflies, and scaffolding sprouts where centuries-old ruins once stood. The streets pulse with unfiltered life. Anthony Bourdain once likened it to “being inside an electronic rice cooker with the lid [...]
‘Hey you guys!’ A Goonies 40th anniversary pilgrimage to filming locations in Oregon November 18, 2025 The Goonies turns 40 this year. And so does lifelong fan Damien Gabet. To celebrate their birthdays, he visits the film locations in Oregon The first time I travelled to the States in 2009 I was so excited I thought I might die. I wanted to see where Disney and donuts came from so badly [...]
Forget Dubai: why Abu Dhabi should be your next Middle East pitstop November 17, 2025 There are amazing beaches and fantastic restaurants, but Abu Dhabi is fast developing into an international hub for culture, with the first Louvre outside of France and a soon-to-open Guggenheim. Here’s what to see and where to stay if you’re swapping Dubai for Abu Dhabi on your next visit to the Middle East. WHY NOW? [...]
Now is the perfect time to visit Tbilisi Georgia – here’s what to see and where to stay November 6, 2025 A destination hotel occupying a stately Brutalist building is one of a few things making Tbilisi Georgia unmissable, says Kamila Erkaboyeva There’s long been a whisper on the street that Tbilisi is Europe’s coolest capital, but without direct flights from the UK, it’s been out of reach for a long weekend. Thankfully, British Airways launched [...]
6 of the biggest travel trends for 2026, revealed at World Travel Market November 5, 2025 World Travel Market unites representatives from most countries in London for a four-day event to discuss the latest news and developments from across the sector. Here, event director Chris Carter Chapman shares the six major trends he’s noticed at the event, from America falling out of fashion to the rise of demand for Asian holidays. [...]