High-profile agent ceases trading
A travel agency owned by Sandy Murray, the well-known organiser of the annual ABTA Yorkshire Ball, has ceased trading after 20 years.
ABTA confirmed that Sandy Travel, based in Normanton, Wakefield, had gone out of business. The one-shop agency had specialised in cruise and long-haul holidays.
An ABTA spokesman said it was working with Sandy Travel "to ensure holidays can still go ahead with minimum inconvenience to customers".
A message on the ABTA website informed customers that bookings had been passed to the tour operator and would not be affected.
However, it added: "In some exceptional circumstances there may be a problem, so you must contact the tour operator to confirm your booking."
The spokesman said this was a standard term used in all retail failures and was intended to ensure customers were in contact with their tour operators in case they need to be informed of matters such as a flight change.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt