Patrick Whyte

While there is no specific mention of the big Gulf airlines, they would likely be a target for any new measure designed to rein in supposed anti-competitive practices. European airlines, alongside those in the U.S., have long said the likes of Emirates and Etihad have an unfair advantage. European airlines surely welcome any new rule that attempts to level the playing field.

Chief executive pay at Europe's biggest publicly traded travel companies appears to have converged in 2016 with few bumper deals compared with previous years. It could just be a coincidence or might have something to do with the deteriorating economic climate and geopolitical issues.

Kayak's new ad blitz isn't the world's most political ad campaign but it is still good to see a company unafraid of standing up for what it believes in.

Cities across Europe are wising up to the potential problem of too many tourists. Those tasked with marketing an "at risk" destination are going to have to work harder to spread tourism over a wider area in order to dilute the potential negative impact.

Business-to-business travel companies might not be as attractive as their business-to-consumer siblings but they can still command a hefty price tag. CarTrawler is one of Ireland's best-known travel tech companies, and a new owner would likely look to push the company into new areas.

Party manifestos should be treated with a healthy degree of skepticism. Still it is revealing to see what the priorities are and perhaps more importantly what they decide to leave out.

TUI Group has a big job on its hands during its move away from country-specific brands, but the prize is a substantial one. If it manages to create a global superbrand it will make it much easier to expand into new areas and markets.

Zhou's comments point to more deals for companies outside China, similar to the one for Skyscanner, and with plenty of money to spend it looks like it could be a very busy few years.

Although the number of people actively reconsidering changing their plans is small at this stage, you'd expect it to increase if and when a ban comes into force.

Paul English was pretty candid about the limitations of his initial idea and equally excited about the potential of tapping into the corporate travel world. The "travel agent in your pocket" approach was never going to be big for the average consumer and targeting businesses seems much more sensible.