November 2024: Recent M&A work, Travel Fundamentals and the launch of our charity partnership

The temperature outside might be dropping, but the travel sector is heating up as it looks ahead to 2025.

With October’s Budget speculation finally turning into fact, this month’s edition of Travel Fundamentals dissects how everything from rises in National Insurance to Capital Gains Tax changes will impact the industry.

In other news, we were delighted to support African Pride with its recent sale to First Class Holidays. We have been working together since 2017, so this was a really proud moment for our team.

And speaking of partnerships, we took another step on our B Corp journey with a wet and windy Thames-side walk in support of The Wickers Charity, kicking off what promises to be an exciting year of giving back - you can read more about this below.

For those who missed out on the TTC Insights Travelcast this month, we’ve got you covered. The latest episode covers ATOL updates, market trends, and a timely regulatory round-up.

We've had the privilege of supporting African Pride and Knighton Reeve during their acquisition by First Class Holidays. From crafting an IM and collaborating with legal teams to managing the due diligence process and leading negotiations, we were with them every step of the way. We were thrilled to see Directors Liz and David achieve the result they wanted.

<< Find out more about our successful collaboration with African Pride in our news & insights post >>

Catch up with all the latest from the travel industry in our monthly webinar. TTC's Martin Alcock, Simon Brodie and Sarah Winship cover key topics, including an in-depth analysis of ATOL authorisation data, current trading and economic updates and a travel regulation round-up.

Here are a few takeaways from the webinar:

1. Leading travel brands like On the Beach, Carnival, Saga, and TUI are riding a wave of positivity, with promising bookings fueling their confidence for the months ahead.
2. ABTA Holiday Habits Report supports other data sources that say people are spending the same or more on holidays and are cutting back on other things.
3. ABTA's findings also highlight a strong appetite for international travel, with 68% of those surveyed planning to venture abroad in the next year.
4. Our deep dive into recent ATOL renewal data unearthed five major trends, including a record-breaking number of ATOL-protected travellers and a growing divide in expectations between large and small operators.

<< Download the webinar recording to find out more >>

The much anticipated recent Autumn Budget introduced changes to Air Passenger Duty and National Insurance Contributions that will impact both consumers and businesses. On a positive note, the clarity around Capital Gains Tax and Corporation Tax gives business owners the stability needed to plan for the future. Although overall consumer confidence and spending have recently dipped, the travel sector remains remarkably resilient.

<< Read this month's edition of our Travel Fundamentals >>

We recently launched our partnership with The Wickers Charity with a walk along the Thames. The collaboration with the charity deepens our commitment to supporting our community and bettering ourselves as a B Corp. The Wickers Charity provides a variety of workshops and programmes, offering free opportunities that many youths would not typically have access to. In this post, we share more information on our new partnership and what the next year will look like.

<< Read about our new partnership here >>

If you loved this content, you can find a whole lot more over on our news & insights page.

About Travel Trade Consultancy

We’ve spent years helping travel companies do their best work. Some of the biggest travel businesses in the world trust us to solve their regulatory, strategic or financial problems.

We’ve helped travel start-ups launch, tour operators improve operations, and airlines get off the ground.

Plus, our 44 years spent working for the UK travel regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, means we bring a unique perspective to the table along with our know-how.

If you think we might be able to help your travel business, reach out to us at [email protected] - we'd love to chat.