Travel with Katie Butler of Total Travel: A busy start to the year and a celebration of the travel industry
January continues with a real sense of momentum and it is hard to comprehend that the very long month is almost at an end. Enquiries have been flowing in and it’s a brilliant feeling helping our customers find their dream summer holiday.
Like many industries, travel has its own calendar of awards evenings, which recognise the work that goes on behind the scenes to deliver memorable holidays and experiences.
One of the most respected events is the Globe Travel Awards, which took place in London earlier this month. These awards are particularly significant because they are voted for by travel agents across the country, giving them a strong industry-wide credibility. The ceremony brought together many of the leading names in travel, from airlines and tour operators to cruise lines, hotels and specialist providers. The event was held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in central London and attracted a full house of more than 1,200 guests. The evening was hosted by broadcaster Jonathan Ross alongside Travel Weekly editor-in-chief Lucy Huxley, with live performances from Beverley Knight and Tine Tempah adding to the atmosphere.
One of the standout successes on the night was Jet2, with Jet2.com and Jet2holidays collecting several awards between them, including the much-coveted Best Trade-Friendly Brand for the sixth year on the bounce. This particular accolade is highly prized as it reflects how well a company works with travel agents on a day-to-day basis, from support and training through to communication and reliability.
The Globe Travel Awards cover a broad spectrum of travel styles, reflecting the wide range of holidays now available. Short-haul and UK breaks were recognised alongside long-haul adventures and luxury experiences. Jet2holidays was named Best Short-Haul Operator, while Great Little Breaks took the award for Best UK Holidays Operator. Inghams was recognised for activities-based holidays, highlighting the continued popularity of walking, skiing and specialist leisure breaks. Cruising featured strongly, with Royal Caribbean International winning Best Mainstream Cruise Company, Silversea Cruises taking the luxury cruise title and Riviera Travel being named Best River Cruise Company. Expedition cruising also had its moment, with HX Expeditions receiving the award for Best Expedition Cruise Company, reflecting growing interest in more adventurous and educational voyages.
Further afield, Emirates was named Best Long-Haul Airline, while Wendy Wu Tours collected the award for Best Long-Haul Specialist, underlining the appeal of escorted touring to destinations such as Asia. G Adventures was recognised as Best Adventure Operator, and Newmarket Holidays took the title for Best Mainstream Touring Company. Rail travel was also celebrated, with Rocky Mountaineer winning Best Rail Company, and the all-inclusive holiday sector was represented by Ikos Resorts, which secured Best All-Inclusive Resort Operator. In the hotel category, Grecotel was named Best Hotel Chain.
There were also new categories introduced this year, including Supplier Representative of the Year, which was won by Lloyd Morris of Riviera Travel, acknowledging the importance of personal relationships and support within the industry.
As always, I’ll end with a snapshot of what was booking last week. May 2026 continued to lead the way, accounting for 12 per cent of all bookings, with June close behind in second place on ten per cent. Late bookings also played a significant role, making up around a quarter of total new bookings, showing that many of you are still happy to make plans at shorter notice. In terms of destinations, the Canary Islands remained firmly in favour, with Tenerife topping the list based on passenger numbers. Turkey followed in second place, continuing its strong appeal for value for money, while family favourite Majorca completed the top three.