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10 Largest Travel Companies In The World

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Travel, while rewarding, can also be stressful. With so many options for flights, hotels, and rental cars, and so many variables that can quickly go wrong, it’s all too easy for a relaxing vacation or a productive business trip to quickly become harrowing and unnecessarily expensive.

Because of this, individual travelers and companies who require their employees to travel have been hiring experts to plan trips and handle unexpected hurdles for them for decades.

Now, thanks to the internet, travel companies have shifted to also providing tools for travelers to book their own trips with the same access, discounts, and assurance they’d receive if they hired an agent to do it all for them.

If you prefer to have someone do it all for you, though, many of these organizations still provide live service via their travel agents as well.

There are a number of these travel companies around the world, and in this article, you’ll find a list of the top ten ranked by sales revenue in 2019.

Expedia Group Jobs ( Overview )

Booking Holdings Jobs ( Overview )

American Express Jobs ( Overview )

BCD Travel Jobs ( Overview )

Carlson Wagonlit Travel Jobs ( Overview )

Flight Centre Jobs ( Overview )

Fareportal Jobs ( Overview )

10 Largest Travel Companies in the World

Expedia Group . Seattle, Washington , U.S.A.

2019 Sales Revenue: $107.9 billion

Founded in 1996, Expedia Group is an online travel company that uses its online platforms to help travelers find flights, hotels, and other travel services without having to hire a travel agent . It has three business segments through which it serves individual customers, creates partnerships with businesses, and generates advertising revenue.

Expedia started out as a division of Microsoft. In 1996, Microsoft launched the website that is now Expedia.com as Microsoft Expedia Travel Services, one of the first online travel agencies. In 1999, Expedia was spun off into a public company.

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Booking Holdings . Norwalk, Connecticut , U.S.A.

2019 Sales Revenue: $96.4 billion

Formerly The Priceline Group, Booking Holdings was founded in 1997 with the launch of Priceline.com, an online travel website that used a bidding model for pricing. It then began to expand its portfolio by acquiring travel companies and changed its name to Booking Holdings in 2018.

Today, Booking Holdings operates through six brands: Dutch startup Booking.com, the company’s original Priceline platform, Singapore-based accommodation booking program Agoda, car hiring platform Rentalcars.com, travel search engine Kayak, and restaurant reservation provider OpenTable.

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American Express . Jersey City, New Jersey , U.S.A.

2019 Sales Revenue: $34.1 billion

American Express Global Business Travel (referred to as GBT) is an organization that works with businesses to help them organize and manage their travel programs.

GBT helps clients easily find the best deals, book flights, hotels, and meeting venues, manage the risk that comes with their travel programs, and support travelers as they go in case their flights get canceled, or they run into other snags.

Even though GBT started as a part of American Express and has kept its name, the company is now a joint venture between American Express and several other investors.

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BCD Travel . Utrecht, Netherlands

2019 Sales Revenue: $27.5 billion

Similar to GBT, BCD Travel offers travel consulting and management services to companies. BCD Travel operates in 109 countries and boasts a global client retention rate of 98%.

Founded in 2006, BCD Travel was born when BCD Group, a privately owned travel company that owns BCD Travel, purchased and combined TQ3 Travel Solutions Management Holding GmbH, The Travel Company, and WorldTravel BTI.

BCD Travel is based in Utrecht, Netherlands, but it also has its headquarter locations in Atlanta, London, and Singapore. It has one subsidiary, global meetings, and events agency called BCD Meetings and Events.

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Carlson Wagonlit Travel . Minneapolis, Minnesota , U.S.A.

2019 Sales Revenue: $24.8 billion

Originally called Carlson Wagonlit Travel, CWT is a travel management company that was founded in 1994. It serves businesses by providing business travel, meeting, conference, exhibition, incentives, and event management services.

These services are called CWT Energy, Resources and Marine, CWT Meetings and Events, CWTSatoTravel, CWT Solutions Group, and RoomIt by CWT.

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Flight Centre . Montvale, New Jersey , U.S.A.

2019 Sales Revenue: $16 billion

Flight Centre Travel Group is a travel agency that serves both leisure and corporate travelers. It was founded in 1982 in Sydney, Australia, and just 13 years later, the company opened locations in the U.K. and Canada.

FCTG arrived in the Americas in 1995 when it opened up a Flight Centre store in Canada, and it expanded into the U.S. in 2008 when it acquired Liberty Travel and into Mexico in 2015 when it acquired Koch Overseas de Mexico.

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Internova Travel Group. New York City, New York, U.S.A.

2019 Sales Revenue: $7.46 billion

Internova Travel Group was founded in 2008 and owns a variety of travel companies and agencies in over 80 countries. Its main markets are the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Mexico.

Internova owns over 6,000 travel agencies and represents over 65,000 travel advisors. Internova’s services include luxury leisure and premium corporate travel products, hosting, franchising, and meetings and incentives advisory.

American Express . New York City, New York, U.S.A.

2019 Sales Revenue: $6.93 billion

American Express Travel is an online travel booking platform that allows customers to plan and book their vacations. Unlike the similarly named American Express Global Business Travel, it is a subsidiary of American Express Company.

While you don’t have to have an American Express credit card to use these services, customers who have cards earn points on their purchases, and American Express Platinum cardholders avoid a variety of service fees and access bonuses such as vacation package discounts, dining credits, and room upgrades.

American Express Travel also offers live travel agents available 24/7 to help customers with any travel snafus or questions they may have.

Direct Travel. Centennial, Colorado , U.S.A.

2019 Sales Revenue: $5.8 billion

Direct Travel is a travel management company that focuses its efforts on middle-market customers. It offers corporate travel, meeting and event, and leisure travel services.

Founded in 1980, Direct Travel has over 60 locations in the U.S. and Canada. Since its founding, the company has acquired several leisure travel companies, one of which, Satrom Travel and Tour, Inc., became Direct Travel Personalized Experiences in 2016.

Fareportal . New York City, New York, U.S.A.

2019 Sales Revenue: $5.34 billion

While its services are travel-related, Fareportal is first and foremost a technology company. It has five travel brands that it powers through its software and flight booking technology.

Fareportal operates in North America, Europe, and Asia, offering online booking platforms for both leisure and corporate travelers, 24/7 trip booking services, and live travel agents available to help customers in a variety of locales and languages.

Fareportal partners with more than 600 airlines, one million hotels, and hundreds of car agencies to provide customers with the best options available.

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Abby is a writer who is passionate about the power of story. Whether it’s communicating complicated topics in a clear way or helping readers connect with another person or place from the comfort of their couch. Abby attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she earned a degree in writing with concentrations in journalism and business.

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Top 10 Travel Companies in the World by Sales in 2020, Travel Industry Factsheet

The Current State of the Travel Industry

As economic prosperity rises all over the world, the top 10 travel companies in the world are contributing to stellar growth and driving critical innovation by leveraging technology in a modern travel industry.

How big is the travel industry?  As the economy for travel and tourism becomes more lucrative for a global audience, the travel industry grows as well. The global travel industry has grown from USD 6.03 trillion in 2006 to USD 8.27 trillion by 2017, growing at a CAGR of 2.9% — making the travel and tourism industry one of the world’s largest industries in the world in terms of global economic contribution (direct, indirect and induced).

• Discover who are the top 10 travel companies in the world by sales in 2020?
• A complete ranking and breakdown of 20 of the top travel companies in the global travel industry right now.
• Travel and tourism industry trends and stats you should know.

BizVibe is already helping the top travel companies in the world connect. Connect and track the latest news and insights from these companies.

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Travel Industry Trends and Stats

• Convenient booking remains the biggest trend in the global travel industry.
• Solo Travel: Leisure travel is no longer just a family affair.
• The travel and tourism industry generated 10.4 percent of all global economic activity last year.
• The travel industry is the second-fastest-growing sector in the world, ahead of healthcare (+3.1%), information technology (+1.7%) and financial services (+1.7%), and behind only manufacturing.
• Last year, travel and tourism increased its share of leisure spending to 78.5 percent.
• Three in five travel companies say they offer customer service via chat.

Top 10 Travel Companies in the World by Sales in 2020

Who are the top 10 travel companies in the world by sales as of 2020? The following is a list of largest adventure travel companies and top travel agencies ranked by sales generated in USD billion.

1.    Expedia Group

What is the best travel agency? That’s a hard and subjective question to answer, but if you were to go by the best travel agency in the world in terms of sales, then your answer is Expedia Group. Expedia Group is an American online travel shopping company for consumer and small business travel. The company is mainly known for its travel fare aggregator websites where you can drop in and book all your travel needs from flights, car rentals, and even hotels. Expedia is also a metasearch engine to search up and plan your entire travel plans.

Expedia is a travel technology company that brought in sales of USD 99 billion last — making it the leaders in sales among the top 10 travel companies in the world on this list. In addition to the main expedia.com website, the company runs multiple websites from the best travel companies including Travelocity and trivago.

• Founded: 1996
• Expedia Group Headquarters: Bellevue, Washington, USA
• Expedia Group Sales: USD 99 billion
• Expedia Group Number of Employees: 24,000

Expedia Group Products and Services

• Classic Vacations
• Expedia CruiseShipCenters
• Expedia Local Expert
• Expedia Partner Solutions
• Hotwire Group
• Travelocity

2.    Booking Holdings

Number 2 on this list of the top 10 travel companies in the world is the American company Booking Holdings Inc. The company is known for operating travel fare aggregator websites and travel and tourism search engines such as its flagship booking.com, as well as Priceline.com, Agoda.com, Kayak.com, Cheapflights, Rentalcars.com, Momondo, and OpenTable. Booking Holdings generated sales of USD 92.7 billion last year, with nearly 90% of its profits coming from booking.com and outside the USA. Book Holdings is truly a global travel company that is expected to continue generating stellar sales within the global market.

• Booking Holdings Headquarters: Norwalk, Connecticut, USA
• Booking Holdings Sales: USD 92.7 billion
• Booking Holdings Number of Employees: 24,500

Booking Holdings Products and Services

               .

• Cheapflights

3.    American Express Global Business Travel

American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) is 3 rd on this list of the top 10 travel companies in the world. GBT is a corporate management travel company operating under a 50% ownership stake from American Express. GBT is known as a business travel management company, major corporations use GBT’s services to manage corporate travel and meetings programs, providing services and support to business travelers.

Last year, GBT brought in sales of USD 33.7 billion — making it one of the top travel companies going by sales figures.

• Founded: 2016
• American Express Global Business Travel Headquarters: Jersey City, New Jersey, USA
• American Express Global Business Travel Sales: USD 33.7 billion
• American Express Global Business Travel Number of Employees: 17,400

4.    BCD Travel

BCD Travel ranks 4 th on BizVibe’s list of the best travel companies by sales figures in 2020. BCD Travel is a provider of global corporate travel management and the largest travel company in the Netherlands. Currently, the company operates in over 109 countries and last year generated USD 27.1 billion in sales. BCD Travel’s parent company is BCD Group, a privately held Dutch company focused on travel services and corporate travel management.

• Founded: 2006
• BCD Travel Headquarters: Utrecht, Netherlands
• BCD Travel Sales: USD 27.1 billion
• BCD Travel Number of Employees: 13,800

BCD Travel Products and Services

• Travel management
• Travel consulting, meetings and events

5.    CWT

Formerly known as Carlson Wagonlit Travel, CWT ranks 5 th on this list of the top 10 travel companies in the world by sales in 2020. CWT is a travel management company that manages business travel, meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions, and handles event management. The company is known for running a top tier B2B travel management platform, offering business travel, technology, and meetings and events management across 145 countries.

Last year, CWT generated sales of USD 25 billion — making it one of the top travel companies in the world in terms of transactional sales.

• Founded: 1994
• CWT Headquarters: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
• CWT Sales: USD 25 billion
• CWT Number of Employees: 18,000

6.    Flight Centre Travel Group

6 th on BizVibe’s list of the top 10 travel companies in the world is Flight Centre, the largest retail travel agency in Australia.  Flight Centre is headquartered in Brisbane and was founded in 1982. Flight Centre operates over 2,800 stores and offices under various retail and corporate brands in n Australia, New Zealand, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, South Africa, Hong Kong, India, China, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, and Mexico.

Last year, Flight Centre generated USD 16 billion making it one of the top travel agencies in the world by sales numbers. 50% of the company’s sales come from leisure and 50% from business.

• Founded: 1982
• Flight Centre Headquarters: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
• Flight Centre Sales: USD 16 billion
• Flight Centre Number of Employees: 20,600

7.    Travel Leaders Group

Ranking 7 th on BizVibe’s list of the top 10 travel companies in the world is the Travel Leaders Group, a multi-unit travel industry company headquartered in New York City that has more than 7,000 company-owned, franchised and affiliated travel agency locations in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Mexico. The company has more than 52,000 travel agents worldwide and last year generated sales of USD 7.12 billion — making it one of the best travel agencies around. USD 3.73 billion in sales come from 52,000 hosted agents.

• Travel Leaders Group Headquarters: New York City, New York, USA
• Travel Leaders Group Sales: USD 12 billion
• Travel Leaders Group Number of Employees: 4,000

8.    American Express Travel

American Express Travel is a full-service global travel and lifestyle network and 8 th on this list of the top 10 travel companies in the world by sales. Last year the company generated sales of USD 6.27 billion. In March 2014, American Express announced that it signed an agreement to create a joint venture for business travel and spun off its corporate travel business like American Express Global Business Travel

• Founded: 1915
• American Express Travel Headquarters: New York City, New York, USA
• American Express Travel Sales: USD 6.27 billion
• American Express Travel Number of Employees: 5,000

9.    Direct Travel

Direct Travel is a leading travel management company, DT creates personalized solutions through an agile approach to corporate travel, meetings & events, and leisure. The company ranks 9 th on BizVibe’s list of the top 10 travel companies in the world due to its stellar sales figures — generating USD 5.4 billion in transactional sales last year.

DT sells directly to consumers for corporate travel, meetings and incentives, group travel, and leisure vacations., with 87% of its sales coming from its business segment; 8% from leisure, and 5% from all other avenues.

• Founded: 1980
• Direct Travel Headquarters: Centennial, Colorado, USA
• Direct Travel Sales: USD 5.4 billion
• Direct Travel Number of Employees: 2,000

10.  Corporate Travel Management

Rounding out BizVibe’s list of the top 10 travel companies in the world in 2020 is Corporate Travel Management, a global provider of innovative and cost-effective travel solutions spanning corporate, events, leisure, loyalty, and wholesale travel. CTM provides local service solutions to customers around the world, through a blend of CTM owned and operated offices and a network of independent partner agencies. Last year, CTM generated USD 5 billion in sales — making it one of the top travel companies in the world by sales numbers.

• Corporate Travel Management Headquarters: Denver, Colorado, USA
• Corporate Travel Management Sales: USD 5 billion
• Corporate Travel Management Number of Employees: 725

This is BizVibe’s list of the top 10 travel companies in the world in 2020 by sales. These companies are changing the way businesses are pushing the boundaries in the global travel industry and are leveraging technology to push travel agencies and corporate travel management to new heights.

Reach out to the top travel companies on BizVibe today.

Top Travel Companies by Sales in 2020

The following is BizVibe’s complete ranking of the top travel companies in the world by sales figures in 2020.  This list of travel companies are paving the way for success in the travel industry, connect with them on the BizVibe platform to track the latest news and insights from these companies.

The Future of the Global Travel Industry

What’s the future of the global travel industry? As economic prosperity rises throughout the world, the travel industry will be flooded by people from all over the world, and businesses are going to be at the forefront of this growth pushing their services to meet demand. Expect the top 10 travel companies in the world to continues pushing the industry to new heights. The main thing to keep in mind going forward as more people travel from all over the world is that the future will be about more travelers and easier to reach places

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Top 10 largest travel companies in the world

The top ten largest travel companies in the world come from a variety of sectors, including airlines, hotels, cruises and online travel agencies. In this article, their listing is based on their market value using data from the S&P platform IQ. Of course, among the leading companies is Airbnb, which although it entered the New York Stock Exchange in 2020, managed in the last days of September to exceed the capitalization limit of 100 billion dollars. The list also includes large hotel chains such as Marriott International and Hilton Worldwide.

The Boeing Co. holds the first place of the list. Its’ market value is about 125 billion dollars. In a recent forecast, Boeing projects steady growth and greater sustainability for Europe’s commercial aviation fleet over the next 20 years, as the vast majority of the existing fleet is replaced with more fuel-efficient models. European carriers will need 8,705 new airplanes valued at €1.25 trillion through 2040, according to the 2021 Commercial Market Outlook (CMO), Boeing’s long-term forecast of demand for commercial airplanes and services. Also, the Boeing Company announced on the 29th of September the appointment of Kuljit Ghata-Aura as the new president of Boeing Middle East, Turkey and Africa (META).

Airbnb holds the second place of the list with 105,8 billion dollars market value. The Airbnb short-term rental platform, founded in 2007, was hardly hit by the pandemic, losing about 80% of its turnover in a matter of months. Fortunately, this summer recovered dynamically as new trends were revealed. Zoom and other technologies that enable remote working have created a new class of workers. Based on this trend, the company saw its revenues increase.

In the third place is Booking Holdings and in fourth place is another aircraft manufacturer Airbus, while the top five is completed by Oriental Land, a Japanese company with more than 60 years of presence in the field of leisure and tourism. The market value of Booking Holdings is 95,8 billion dollars, while the market value of Airbus and Oriental Land is 88,3 and 51 billion dollars respectively. The Oriental Land’s net sales at the 3rd quarter of 2021 were 137,113 million yen from 59,149 million yen at the second quarter of 2021.

Marriott International holds the 6th place of the list with 47 billion dollars market value. Marriott International has recently announced that has signed 22 new hotel agreements in South Asia – comprising India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Nepal – in the past 18 months, expecting to add more than 2,700 rooms to its fast-growing portfolio. Marriott International currently is the hotel chain with the largest number of rooms in the South Asia region and expects to continue its solid growth with these new signings.

Hilton Worldwide holds the position number seven of the list with 36,6 billion dollars market value. Hilton has announced that it will cut its environmental footprint in half and double its social impact investment by 2030. In other words, Hilton Worldwide is in the process of reducing carbon emissions by 61% and water waste by 50%.

Southwest Airlines, Las Vegas Sands and Amadeus IT complete the list with the top 10 largest travel companies in the world. The market value of the Southwest Airlines is 28,9 billion dollars, while the market value of Las Vegas Sands and Amadeus IT is 28,7 and 27,3 billion dollars respectively. Las Vegas Sands Corporation is an American casino and resort company based in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The company was founded in 1988 by Sheldon Adelson, while the revenue reached 3.612 billion dollars in 2020.

Lastly, Amadeus IT Group is a major Spanish IT provider for the global travel and tourism industry. The company was founded in 1987 and reached 5.578 billion euros revenue in 2019.

This report/news/ranking/statistics has been prepared only for general guidance on matters of interest and does not constitute professional advice. You should not act upon the information contained in this publication without obtaining specific professional advice. No representation or warranty (express or implied) is given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this publication, and, to the extent permitted by law, CEOWORLD magazine does not accept or assume any liability, responsibility or duty of care for any consequences of you or anyone else acting, or refraining to act, in reliance on the information contained in this publication or for any decision based on it.

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Largest travel companies by market cap

This is the list of the largest travel companies by market capitalization. Only the top travel companies are shown in this list and travel companies that are not publicly traded are excluded. The ranking and the market cap data shown on this page are updated daily.

What is the market capitalization of a company?

The market capitalization sometimes referred as Marketcap, is the value of a publicly listed company. In most cases it can be easily calculated by multiplying the share price with the amount of outstanding shares.

CompaniesMarketCap is receiving financial compensation for Delta App installs. CompaniesMarketCap is not associated in any way with CoinMarketCap.com Stock prices are delayed, the delay can range from a few minutes to several hours. Company logos are from the CompaniesLogo.com logo database and belong to their respective copyright holders. Companies Marketcap displays them for editorial purposes only.

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15 biggest travel companies in the world: when will they recover their 2020 losses.

In this article we will list the 15 biggest travel companies in the world . Click to skip ahead and see the 5 Biggest Travel Companies in the World .

Traveling is not only a form of enjoyment, it is also good for your health. Whether a person decides to spend the summer, winter or simply a short weekend break in a foreign country, travel always has a positive effect on the mind and body of a person. Everyone who hears the word travel first thinks of a break from everyday obligations, getting up early and city noise. But a vacation is much more than just a walk down the main street of an unknown city or a visit to a museum. Every time we travel somewhere, we enrich our experiences and learn things that cannot be read in a tourist guide, because a visit to a new city and a new country brings with it getting to know people, their way of life and customs, culinary specialties and all other things that make a nation special and different. Social interaction in an unknown city contributes to relaxation, and acquaintances with new people or locals often turn into friendships, especially nowadays when maintaining contact through social networks is easier than ever.

Travel also has a good effect on the human body and gives excellent results in treating stress and depression, helping to restore energy. The key to happiness has always been hidden in experiences, not in material things. Travel is food for the soul. People love to see and enjoy beautiful things and places. For many, it is enough to go to places they have already visited or to take a short break somewhere in the vicinity. This provides a respite from current preoccupations and gives strength to move on.

You are able to see places that you thought did not exist, learn something about their history, maybe learn a word of a foreign language. Every new place and experience enriches your lives. Today, many things are available online, but learning from the locals the history, how they live, what are the customs, culture and other specifics of a place can allow you to gain new views of the world. Traveling can also be seen as a challenge for several reasons, starting with not knowing the language, eating unfamiliar food and losing the everyday comfort that everyone is used to. Each trip is a new experience by which we break established habits. By overcoming them, we become stronger, more resourceful and more satisfied with ourselves. If you enjoy traveling you might want to consider checking out the 10 Best Places to Visit in USA in February .

Those first experiences in life are always remembered. That first time is always somehow special. Full of uncertainty, thinking about how it will be, where it will be, will everything go according to plan, do we have a plan at all? Because of the excitement caused by adrenaline, we feel alive, and that is why a little extra adrenaline is not a bad idea. Traveling always awakens in us that feeling of the first time. Going to the still unknown, an undiscovered place that we may already know a lot about from various literature or we have heard from others or we know almost nothing about, but we want to see how it is there. There is nothing more beautiful than packing and going in an unknown direction, where a new adventure awaits us! As Mark Twain said - travel is fatal to prejudice, inhumanity and limited perceptions. You may regularly watch the news and what is happening in the world on TV, but only when you go there, on the spot, can you really understand what the problem of that country is, or what is really beautiful there. First-hand experiences are irreplaceable.

It may sound counterintuitive but travel industry managed to grow almost continuously until the coronavirus pandemic. The number of international tourist arrivals worldwide stood at 600 million in 1999, increased to 800 million by 2009, and has been steadily climbing to 1.2 billion through 2019. We don't have the precise figures for 2020, but it is expected to fall below the 400 million level in 2020 because of the pandemic. US residents cut down their domestic travel by 70% this summer and international travel by 90% for the same reason. Some analysts are so pessimistic that they don't expect air travel demand to recoup its losses until 2024. We actually disagree. We believe air travel will come back with a vengeance in 2022 because of pent-up demand. That's probably why travel stocks like Booking Holdings (BKNG) trade near their 52-week highs.

Precisely because everyone loves adventure and travel, travel companies always have a lot of work, so here is a list of 15 biggest travel companies in the world!

15. Omega World Travel

Through more than 45 years Omega World Travel has established a superb record of providing comprehensive domestic and international travel management services to organizations of all types. Omega is one of the largest business travel management companies in the U.S., with $1,47 billion in sales. It has 530 employees. President and CEO of the company is Gloria Bohan. She launched Omega World Travel in 1972 as a small-town storefront travel agency. Today, Omega is the top woman-owned business in the U.S. This company offers comprehensive service configurations to corporations and governments, including technology tools and other travel services and it owns Cruise.com, an online cruise seller, and TravTech, a wholly owned technology company.

Pixabay/Public Domain

Frosch ranks 14th in our list of the biggest travel companies in the world. Frosch was founded in 1972. In 1977, Richard Leibman acquired sole ownership of the agency from the Frosch family. In 1998, Richard was joined by his son, Bryan who today serves as the company’s President & CEO. In 2004, Lara Leibman joined the company as Executive Vice President. The company has $2,25 billion in sales and 1180 employees. Frosch owns Frosch Rewards & Incentives, Frosch Global Conferences & Events and Frosch Student Travel.

Pixabay/ Public Domain

13. Travel and Transport

Travel and Transport, Inc. was founded in 1946. It is headquartered in Nebraska, US. Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the company is Kevin M. O’Malley, President and Chief Operating Officer is Timothy J. Fleming and Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer is Michael P. Kubasik. The company has sales of $3,53 billion and 1737 employees.

12. AAA Travel

AAA Travel ranks 12th in our list of the biggest travel companies in the world. Whether it's a family vacation or cruise, a romantic getaway, or a business trip, AAA can get you there in style, with great member savings. You'll get hotel discounts, discount car rentals, and vacation packages that meet your needs and budget. President and CEO is Marshall L. Doney. They have sales of $4,13 billion and 4655 employees.

11. Fareportal

Fareportal ranks 11th in our list of the biggest travel companies in the world. Fareportal is company founded in 2002. With their strong knowledge and experience in the air travel booking vertical, including corporate travel management and automation of wholesale distribution of complex international airfares, today they operate in North America, Europe, and Asia. CEO and Founder of the company is Sam S. Jain. Fareportal has sales of $4,95 billion and 3899 employees. CO-CEO of the company is Werner Kunz-Cho and CFO of the company is Kenneth West.

10. Corporate Travel Management North America

Corporate Travel Management North America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Corporate Travel Management Ltd. It offers direct sales to corporate customers and consumers, including business travel, leisure travel, loyalty point redemption and meeting and event services. Brand portfolio includes Corporate Travel Management (CTM), Event Travel Management, Air Fulfillment Services, Allure Travel by CTM, CTM Loyalty Solutions and MTravel, which is CTM's hosted, commissioned agent program. It has sales of $5 billion and 725 employees. CEO is Chris Thelen and CFO is Anne Rudd.

06photo/Shutterstock.com

9. Direct Travel

Direct Travel ranks 9th in our list of the biggest travel companies in the world. Direct Travel is one of the most respected companies in North America and around the world, providing corporate travel, meetings and events, and leisure services. The company was founded in 1980. It is led by industry visionary Ed Adams and CFO of the company is John Coffman. It has sales of $5,4 billion and 2000 employees.

8. American Express Travel ( NYSE: AXP )

The company was founded by Henry Wells, William G. Fargo and John Warren Butterfield on March 28, 1850 and is headquartered in New York. It engages in the provision of charge and credit card products, and travel-related services. President of the American Express Travel is Audrey Hendley. It has sales of $6,27 billion and 5000 employees. Chief Executive Officer is Stephen J. Squeri.

7. Travel Leaders Group

Travel Leaders Group ranks 7th in our list of the biggest travel companies in the world. Travel Leaders Group is a multi-unit travel industry company headquartered in New York City that has more than 7,000 company-owned, franchised and affiliated travel agency locations in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico and other countries. It was founded in 1996. Chairman of the company is Michael Batt, Chief Executive Officer is Ninan Chacko. The company has sales of $7,12 billion and 4000 employees.

6. Flight Centre Travel Group

Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) is a large retail travel agency in Australia. It was founded in 1982 by Graham Turner and Geoff Harris, and is headquartered in Brisbane. FCTG operates under multiple names in Australia, New Zealand, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, South Africa, Hong Kong, India, China, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, and Mexico, and licenses its name in a further 80 countries. Executives of the company in US are: President - Dean Smith, CFO - Peter Stone. The company has sales of $16 billion and 20600 employees.

Please continue reading and see the 5 biggest travel companies in the world .

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• Market cap of leading online travel companies worldwide 2023

As of September 2023, Booking Holdings was the online travel company with the highest market cap worldwide. As of that month, Booking Holdings - the leading online travel agency (OTA) worldwide by revenue - recorded a market cap of roughly 112.8 billion U.S. dollars. Airbnb and the Trip.com Group followed in the ranking, with a market cap of around 91.1 and 23.2 billion U.S. dollars, respectively.

Market cap of leading online travel companies worldwide as of September 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

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Top 10 Tour Operators in the World in 2021 by Revenue

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China Tourism Group Duty Free Corp Ltd, Expedia Group Inc, The Walt Disney Co, TUI AG, and REWE Group are the top 5 tour operators in the world in 2021 by revenue. Cumulatively, the top 10 tour operators in the world employed a total of 598,239 people in 2021. In terms of the geographical split, 5 out of the top 10 tour operators in the world are based in Asia, while 3 are based in Europe, and 2 are based in North America. China Tourism Group Duty Free Corp Ltd (China Tourism Group), formerly China Tourism Group China International Travel Service Corp Ltd (CITS), is one of the leading tour operators in the world by revenue. China Tourism Group operates group and individual tours, business travel, sports activities, leisure tours, sightseeing tours, study tours, conventions, and special-interest tours. It also provides individual booking services and online tourism and travel agency services. It also invests in real estate properties for tourism business development. The company operates in China, Macao, Cambodia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. China Tourism Group is headquartered in Beijing, China. The United States of America-based The Walt Disney Co is another leading tour operator in the world by revenue. The company reported revenues of $6,410 million with average revenue growth of 3.10% in the fiscal year ending 2021 (FY2021). It produces and acquires television programs, live-action films, and animated motion pictures. The company owns and operates theme parks and resorts, and television networks and channels; develops and publishes books, comic books, and magazines; sells products related to Disney themes, and delivers an English language learning curriculum for Chinese children. It owns and operates stores in North America, Europe, and Asia, and employs 190,000 people.

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• Top 10 Car Rental Companies in the World in 2021 by Revenue
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The Inbound Report

Covering the Inbound Tourism Industry Since 1996

The Top 20 companies that Dominate the World of Travel Agencies?

July 24, 2018 by Tom Berrigan

Some of the revelations that come with a review of review of the numbers in the list include the following:

—Online travel agencies Expedia and Booking Holdings (formerly the Priceline Group ) saw their domination of the travel agency business grow. Expedia’s sales were up 21.5 percent over 2017 to $88 billion, while Booking’s brands increased sales by 20.7 percent to $81.6 billion. Together, the two OTAs generated as much turnover as did the rest of the companies in the Power List ’s Top 20. (The Travel Weekly annual listing includes travel companies with at least $100 million in annual sales,)

—Overall, nearly every company on the list increased sales, although there were 10 fewer on the list than there were in 2017 (49 vs. 59), a reflection, in part, of continued consolidation in the industry—the most significant being last July’s merger of Travel Leaders Group and Altours .

—The unique positioning of some companies—doing both international outbound and inbound—keeps some receptive tour operators busy. Three U.S.-based operations of Japanese companies illustrate the point: JTB Americas (No. 17 on the list); H.I.S. USA Holdings (No. 28) and Kintetsu USA (No. 45). H.I.S. underscored the importance of the receptive sector during the past year with its acquisition of the largest receptive tour operator in Canada, Jonview Canada .

TW ’s Notes on Methodology: To qualify for the Power List, a company had to have a minimum of $100 million in sales in 2017. For purposes of this survey, sales are defined as gross sales of travel products worldwide, whether to consumers or to corporate travelers; the company must be the merchant of record on the transaction from a supplier’s perspective.

At least 15 percent of the sales volume must have been generated in the U.S.

Early this year, the questionnaire was sent to companies that had appeared on the list in previous years; had been in the news because of acquisitions or had grown for other reasons; or had contacted Travel Weekly believing they qualified.

As has been the case for years, Travel Weekly requested that gross sales volume be certified by a company’s owner, CEO or CFO. In a small number of cases, certification was made by an executive at the vice president level but with financial oversight.

While all cooperating listees did certify sales (or made them public), it must be kept in mind that even those numbers are difficult to verify because the great majority of travel sellers are privately held and under no obligation to disclose financial data.

Also, there is no commonly accepted standard for calculating sales volume, and there is no clearinghouse in the U.S. that tracks nonairline sales, as the Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) does for airline sales.

Where possible, Travel Weekly sought to confirm accuracy in the figures by referring to other data and to articles published in the past year. We also reviewed responses for consistency and used whatever resources we had at our disposal to ensure accuracy.

The survey on which these rankings were based also included questions involving sales figures, ARC sales, travel-related subsidiaries, percentage of sales from business and leisure, corporate structure and others.

Interested in More? To review the entire Travel Weekly Power List feature material, visit:

www.travelweekly.com/PowerList2018

To compare this year’s Power List with that of last year, visit:

https://www.travelweekly.com/PowerList2017

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10 Largest 2021 Travel Acquisitions Ripple Across Industry

Dennis Schaal , Skift

December 27th, 2021 at 2:30 AM EST

Big names drove many of the top 10 travel mergers of the year. But among the largest deals, aircraft lessors, rail manufacturers and an online travel agency used the pandemic to scoop up infrastructure and technology to shore up their positions.

Dennis Schaal

Pandemic opportunities fueled much of the mergers-and-acquisitions activity in travel this year, as buyers pounced on favorable valuations and sectors set for strong recoveries.

Among the top 10 deals were three that involved infrastructure or services for planes and trains, and the dealmakers were companies that your average traveler never heard of.

The biggest such deal saw Dublin-based AerCap, already the largest aircraft lessor in the world, acquiring a U.S.-based rival, GE Capital Aviation Services , for $30.7 billion in November. That deal, which saw GE grabbing $23 million in cash and a 46 percent stake in the merged companies in a bet on an aviation recovery, was roughly five times larger than the number two acquisition of the year.

In that second-biggest acquisition, France-headquartered Alstom bought UK-based Bombardier Transportation, a rail car manufacturer, in a $6.2 billion (euro 5.5 billion) deal that closed in January 2021.

lnterestingly, both sellers General Electric in the AerCap deal, and Bombardier, then-parent of Bombardier Transportation, in the transaction with Alstom, viewed the transactions as enabling them to return to their core businesses, an energy equipment and services provider for GE, and business jets for Bombardier.

The third infrastructure-services deal was the 10th biggest travel-related acquisition with Siemens Mobility acquiring rail software maker Squills for $650 million.

See the chart below to view the top 10 deals.

Hotels and real estate were in play as Blackstone and Starwood Capital executed the third largest travel-related acquisition of the year and took control of Extended Stay America for $6 billion. One might characterize Extended Stay America as a merger and acquisition football — When the deal closed in June, it was the third time Blackstone has been owner of Extended Stay America.

In another major hotel deal, the fifth largest travel acquisition of the year, Hyatt bought Apple Leisure Group for $2.7 billion in November, extending Chicago-based Hyatt’s reach further into Europe and the all-inclusive sector.

The fourth largest deal of the year had Certares, Knighthead and Apollo winning an auction to lead U.S.-based Hertz out of bankruptcy in a roughly $4.7 billion deal.

The sixth-largest travel acquistion announced or closed in 2021 was the only Asia entry with Tata Group intending to take Air India private for $2.4 billion.

It wasn’t a particularly active mergers and acquisitions year for online travel agencies, but one, Booking Holdings, announced late in the year two billion-dollar-plus acquisitions, Swedish flight-tech provider Etraveli Group for $1.8 billion (seventh-largest deal) and hotel wholesaler and distributor Getaroom for $1.2 billion (eighth largest).

Expedia Group was a seller. The online travel agency sold its once-rising star Egencia , the corporate travel agency, to American Express Global Business Travel for a 14 percent stake in the world’s largest travel management company, worth about $750 million, and a long-term hotel distribution deal. That was the ninth-largest travel acquisition of the year.

We didn’t consider special-purpose acquisition company deals in our top 10 because they are transactions executed by shell companies with no operations. If we had included them, then Altimeter Capital Growth 1’s merger with Singapore’s Grab, the ride sharing and food delivery superapp, would have been in the mix in a $4 billion transaction.

Travel’s 10 Biggest Merger and Acquisition Deals of 2021

Source: Skift, financial filings

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Tags: Blackstone Group , booking holdings , corporate travel , expedia , extended stay america , grab , hotels , hyatt , online travel agencies

Photo credit: Pictured is an AerCap a320neo. The aircraft lessor participated in the largest travel acquisition of 2021.

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The 15 Best Tour Operators in 2022

These are the companies Travel + Leisure readers trust to provide them with travel expertise and memorable experiences.

Note: If you’re looking for our most recent recommendations, check out the 2023 list of our favorite tour operators .

When it comes to an itinerary, Travel + Leisure readers want more than a string of photo opportunities — and the right tour operator makes all the difference in creating a trip of a lifetime versus one that simply checks off a list of sights. This year, our readers were especially drawn to companies that utilize local expertise and experience to thoughtfully design trips that will entertain as well as inspire.

Every year for our World's Best Awards survey , T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Readers rated tour operators and safari outfitters based on their staff and guides, itineraries and destinations, activities, accommodations, food, and overall value.

The top picks were noted for their deep knowledge of destinations and guides who "go the extra mile." One reader who has been traveling for more than five decades said a trip with Classic Journeys (No. 2) was the "very best" they had experienced. Others noted attention to pandemic safety details, while one who went to Norway was charmed by a "wonderful surprise dinner in Bergen out on the water that was fantastic."

Tour operators that seamlessly navigated the logistics of a trip also came out on top. Quasar Expeditions (No. 9) was noted "for really planning out every detail" so that "all you have to do is show up and have a great time." Meanwhile, of TCS World Travel (No. 10), a guest said: "You never lift a finger and just spend your time actually exploring the destination." They even added that they "learned so much" along the way.

Among the five companies on this year's list that weren't on last year's were two women-only tour operators that cater to travelers of all ages. AdventureWomen (No. 14) has multiday tours designed by women from Bhutan to Yellowstone National Park, while Explorer Chick (No. 15) has everything from day trips — like glassblowing in Baltimore and cave rappelling in St. Louis — to full itineraries in Machu Picchu and the Galápagos. One reader said her Everest Base Camp trip with AdventureWomen was filled with "like-minded women" who "bonded so well," while another said she felt it was a "safe tour group for women."

No matter which tour they chose, readers were most taken by the people they met along the way, as one said of Trek Travel (No. 13): "By the end of the trip, a group of strangers felt like longtime friends." Find out which other companies round out the list of the best tour operators below.

1. DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co.

A tour with DuVine goes far beyond just riding a bike — it's a way to really see the character of a destination. Case in point: even those who say they're not necessarily cycling fans have been converted. That's part of what helped the tour operator — which runs trips in Europe, the U.S., Latin America, and Africa — skyrocket from No. 14 last year to this year's top spot. Its "top-notch biking equipment" and "challenging but doable itineraries" didn't hurt either. One reader was especially taken by a guide picking figs off of a local tree in Puglia for an extra energy boost during a tough climb, as well as another guide singing to the group after dinner. As another reader put it simply: "They exceed your expectations."

Score: 99.12

More information: duvine.com

2. Classic Journeys

Score: 99.04

More information: classicjourneys.com

3. Artisans of Leisure

Score: 98.38

More information: artisansofleisure.com

4. (tie) Black Tomato

Score: 98.33

More information: blacktomato.com

4. (tie) GeoEx

More information: geoex.com

4. (tie) Wilderness Travel

More information: wildernesstravel.com

7. Inside Japan Tours

Score: 98.14

More information: insidejapantours.com

8. Kensington Tours

Score: 98.03

More information: kensingtontours.com

9. Quasar Expeditions

Score: 97.84

More information: quasarex.com

10. TCS World Travel

Score: 97.78

More information: tcsworldtravel.com

11. Butterfield & Robinson

Score: 97.33

More information: butterfield.com

Score: 96.95

More information: tauck.com

13. Trek Travel

Score: 96.90

More information: trektravel.com

14. AdventureWomen

Score: 96.11

More information: adventurewomen.com

15. Explorer Chick

Score: 95.87

More information: explorerchick.com

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18 TOP TRAVEL AGENCIES IN THE WORLD: A Complete List

As economies around the world get better, the top 19 Top travel agencies in the world are helping to drive great growth and important new ideas by using technology in the modern travel industry. So the travel companies we chose play a big part in making the travel industry grow.

But why are we talking about the best travel companies?

Answer: It’s hard to travel by yourself or with your family to a place you don’t know much about if you don’t know anything about it. Also, you can get into a lot of trouble. So there are travel agencies that can help you avoid problems you might face. So, here is a list of the best travel agencies in the world to help you out.

Also, you could save some money if you booked your trip through a travel agency. They would also show you the must-see spots in your vacation spot because they know everything about it.

Table of Contents

List of Top Travel Agencies in the World

Which travel agency is the best in the world? Here is a list of the top ten highest-earning travel agencies, based on how much money they made in sales (in billions of US dollars). This list includes both travel agencies and corporate travel management companies.

Expedia Group, Inc. is an American company that helps people and small businesses plan and book trips online. Last year, Expedia Group, which owns many websites like Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Vrbo, Trivago, Orbitz, Travelocity, CarRentals.com, and Hotwire.com, made $107.9 billion in sales.

More than 40% of transactions across the group’s consumer OTA brands were made on mobile, and the total number of app transactions grew by more than 40% from the previous year.

Founded in: 1996

Headquarters: Bellevue, Washington, USA

2. Booking Holdings

Booking Holdings Inc. is an American travel technology company based in Norwalk, Connecticut. It was founded in Delaware and has its headquarters there. It owns and runs a number of travel fare aggregators and metasearch engines, such as Booking.com, Agoda.com, Priceline.com, Rentalcars.com, Kayak.com, Cheapflights, Momondo, and OpenTable. It runs websites in about 200 countries and in 40 different languages.

Booking Holdings is still number two on the Travel Week Power List for 2020. In 2019, the company booked $96.4 billion in gross travel.

Booking Holdings Headquarters: Norwalk, Connecticut

Booking Holdings Employees: 24,500

Booking Holdings Sales: $92.7 billion

Booking Holdings Founded: 1996

3. Absolute Travelers & Tours:

The company was started in 1992, and since then it has offered a wide range of travel services, such as school trips, college tours, skiing trips, and other types of travel.

You could make changes to your trip with the help of this travel agency. So that you can choose from the choices they offer travellers. These kinds of deals seem great because you don’t have to stick with a certain group to have fun. Instead, you can do whatever you want while you’re on vacation, and they’ll make sure you get what you want.

They came up with different offers, like a luxury trip or an adventure trip. And you can pick any of them based on what you like. With this travel company, you could choose any place to go on vacation. They almost cover every part of the world, but they don’t go to the places with the harshest weather.

Founded: 1992

4. BCD Travel

BCD Travel is a company that manages corporate travel around the world. BCD Travel offers travel management services in as many as 109 countries. Last year, the company made a total of US$27.5 billion in sales and employed almost 14,900 people around the world. The BCD Group includes BCD Travel.

BCD Travel Headquarters: Utrecht, Netherlands

BCD Travel Employees: 14,000

BCD Travel Sales: $27.1 billion

BCD Travel Founded: 2016

5. Cox and Kings:

Cox and Kings is one of the travel companies that has been around the longest. Richard Cox started it in 1758 in the Indian city of Mumbai. During that time, India was ruled by the British, but when the British left in 1947 and went back to England, this company decided to stay in India because it had successfully set up its base there. From that point to now, it has grown a lot.

This travel company is one of the oldest ones, and it has been helping travellers for a long time. Because of this, you can trust it a lot. This company has more than ten places around the world where it is based. And you could go on a world tour through this company because it offers vacations in almost every place in the world. This company always tries to treat everyone who travels with them with kindness.

Founded: 1758

6. American Express Global Business Travel

The third best travel company in the world is American Express Global Business Travel (GBT). GBT is a corporate travel management company that is owned by American Express to the tune of 50%. GBT is known as a business travel management company. Large companies use GBT’s services to manage their corporate travel and meetings programmes. GBT also helps business travellers with services and support.

Last year, GBT made $33.7 billion in sales, which makes it one of the best travel companies based on sales.

Founded: 2016

American Express Global Business Travel Headquarters: Jersey City, New Jersey, USA

American Express Global Business Travel Sales: USD 33.7 billion

American Express Global Business Travel Number of Employees: 17,400

7. Direct Travel

Direct Travel is a leading travel management company that made $5.8 billion in sales and bought more than six companies, including Professional Travel, which was ranked 31st on Travel Weekly’s 2019 Power List with $404.8 million in sales.

Direct Travel Headquarters: Denver, Colorado

Direct Travel Employees: Unknown

Direct Travel Sales: $5.8 billion

8. Corporate Travel Management (CTM)

Corporate Travel Management, a global provider of new and affordable travel solutions for corporate, events, leisure, loyalty, and wholesale travel, is the last company on TWS’s list of the top 10 travel companies in the world in 2022. 

Customers all over the world can get local service solutions from CTM. This is done through a combination of offices owned and run by CTM and a network of independent partner agencies. Last year, CTM made sales of USD 5 billion, which makes it one of the biggest travel companies in the world in terms of sales.

CTM Sales: USD 5 billion

CTM Founded: 1994

CTM Number of Employees: 725

CTM Headquarters: Denver, Colorado, USA

9. American Express Travel

American Express Travel also stayed on the 2022 Power List. The eighth-ranked company, with sales of almost $7 billion in 2019, stayed there as well. Last year was a busy one for the company. They increased the value of their air and hotel programmes, added new booking options for card members, and bought LoungeBuddy and Resy, two digital platforms.

American Express Travel Headquarters: New York City, New York

American Express Travel Employees: 5,000

American Express Travel Sales: $6.27 billion

Also Read: 31 Best Places to Visit in North America | Famous Tourist Places 2021

10. Travel Leaders Group

Travel Leaders Group is a multi-unit travel company with its headquarters in New York City. It has more than 7,000 company-owned, franchised, and affiliated travel agency locations in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Mexico. The company has more than 52,000 travel agents all over the world, and it made USD 7.12 billion in sales last year, making it one of the best travel agencies out there. 52,000 hosted agents make sales worth USD 3.73 billion.

11. Flight Centre

Flight Centre Travel Group is a travel company in Australia. It began in the year 1982. 30 percent more money was made by businesses in 2019 than in 2018. Last year, the successful agency made $16 billion in sales. It works with nearly 20,800 hosted agents, who made $56 million in sales.

Flight Centre Headquarters: Brisbane, Australia

Flight Centre Employees: 20,700

Flight Centre Sales: $16 billion

12. Classic Journeys

Classic Journeys is a travel company that was started by Edward Piegza in 1995 so that he could do what he loved: travel. Different tourists have different tastes. There isn’t a traveler who doesn’t want to learn about the culture and realness of the place they are visiting. This travel agency makes sure that the traveler learns as much as possible about the place they are going, right down to the city’s core.

Many people who work for the company have been to different places and want to know them well. So, this makes the company the best guide you’ve ever had to any city you choose for a vacation. They make trips to the places you want to see that are unique to you.

13. Butterfield and Robinson

George Butterfield started this company in 1966 because he wanted to take students on a bike trip with his family. The only way they planned to see the area was by bike. That would have been a great trip, which is why they are now taking thousands of people with them.

This is another very old travel agency that has been helping people for many years. And it seems like everyone is happy with their service, which is why they are so popular with travelers. The best thing about this company is that they offer the best way to travel by bike, on foot, or even by boat. So that everyone could feel good the whole time.

14. Intrepid

Two friends in Melbourne, Australia, started a business in 1988 and ignored all the distractions that came their way. It is now one of the most well-known travel agencies. The two friends were Darrell and Manch. They came up with the idea for this business while they were on an adventure trip in Africa. Instead of an A-C bus, they chose a modified ex-council truck and filled it with friends, trek gear, beers, and other things.

They planned the trip in three different ways: basic, original, and comfortable. They give you the freedom to choose how you want to travel. Once you’ve chosen the style, you don’t have to worry about anything else. They’ll make sure you have the best trip possible.

15. Trek Travel

It is one of the top travel agencies in the world. John Burke started Trek Travel because he always wants to see the world in a different way. So, in 2002, he opened this business.

You might have guessed from the name of the company that they let every traveler trek on places to learn more about them. They think that bikes are the best way to get around and really see a place. This company does more than just plan trips. It also plans events. So, if you want to have a birthday, anniversary, reception party, or even a wedding at a destination, this company can help you plan it. They will make sure that your event is celebrated in the best way possible.

16. Journeys International 

Robin Weber Pollak started Journeys International in 1970. It is known for giving tours that focus on the culture of the place and how people there live. They have shown how “ecotourism” and “adventure travel” should be done.

The name of the company makes it pretty clear that this travel agency is best known for international trips all over the world. It is a company based in the United States that helps people plan some of the best vacations they can ever remember. 

They will not only give you amazing trips, but they will also make sure that each traveler gets the same amount of help so that everyone knows everything there is to know about the place. They also have great adventure and vacation activities like hiking, surfing, and many others.

Above are the reasons why this one called one of the top travel agencies in the world.

17. Gray & Company

Cari Gray started this company in 2009 after working in this field for two years. As soon as she saw that private tours needed to be more high-tech, she was ready to take the lead. Now, her company is the best travel agency, and she is proud of that. If you like to take risks, try one of their high-end walking or biking trips, which is what they do best.

The best travel agency in the whole world is this one. It is also the most reliable, and its only goal is to give travelers the best of the best. They have different trips that come in different packages, so the prices for each package are different. This makes the company appealing to every one, since everyone can afford it.

18. Artisans of Leisure

Ashley Isaacs Ganz opened the travel company Artisans of Leisure in 2003. She is a respected member of the travel industry because she knows all the problems travelers face and understands what they want. She has been all over the world, and now she wants other people to know everything there is to know about travel at its best.

People know that the company specializes in private and custom tours. They make sure that every tour has an expert guide so that you can feel the benefits of tailor-made trips. A lot of travel magazines have written about this company. If you want to learn about the city’s culture, you should use this company to plan your trip.

19. Thomson Family Adventures:

Thomson Family Adventures is a travel company that is best known for taking families to amazing places on amazing trips. They did not take much time to become one of the top travel agencies in the world. They have a great facility for people who are travelling with their families. And they make sure that the trip is comfortable for everyone in the family, no matter what age they are.

They make sure that the trip is fun for the kids in every family. So, they came up with some great ways for kids to have fun trekking. You can even bring your child, and any other family member can do the same. So you don’t have to worry about your children.

This travel agency is known for giving adventure vacations, but they also make sure everyone stays safe while having fun. You can choose from a lot of different packages, and most of the prices are different.

Founded in: 1998 Founder: Judi Wineland and Rick Thomson came up with the idea.

Conclusion:

These are 19 top travel agencies in the world. Why not just leave? Go to any of them to plan your next trip, and have a great vacation. Also, Travel World Fashion has a lot of important travel information and lists of the best places to go.

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Should I Use a Travel Agent? Our Travel Expert Says It Makes All the Difference.

The new age of travel agents know how to find deals, book off-the-beaten path adventurous trips, and get you out of any jam. Here are our travel expert’s favorites.

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I’ve always thought that planning my own trips was the most cost-effective way, but I’ve been hearing more about travel agents making a comeback and saving their clients a lot of money. What kinds of outdoor trips should I turn to a travel agent for, and are there any who specialize in working with adventurers like me?

Technically, I’m a professional traveler. As a journalist, it’s my job to research and connect with locals to get beneath the surface of a destination. So I have never really used travel agents. What could they plan better than I could?

A lot, it turns out. Over the years, I’ve gotten to know many travel specialists, and I consider them magicians. My big aha moment happened two winters ago on a trip to Iceland . A massive storm shut down internal flights for a day, causing me to miss my return flight to the U.S. Normally, I would have spent frustrating hours on hold with the airline. But because I’d paid $65 to have Ana Gloria Garcia, an air-support specialist at the travel agency EmbarkBeyond, find and book the most affordable and convenient flight option for me, she handled the rebookings while I soaked in the Blue Lagoon.

During the pandemic, agents became advocates helping travelers get refunds on canceled flights and trips. As travel has come roaring back, an agent’s superpower is now their access to the best hotel rooms, most in-the-know guides, free amenities, and more, says Cory Hagopian, senior vice president of sales and partnerships for Virtuoso , a global network of travel agencies.

And they’re attracting a young clientele. According to a recent industry survey , 38 percent of millennials and Gen Zers are opting to use travel agents as opposed to booking on their own trips. That number is far greater than Gen Xers and baby boomers, of whom only 12 and 2 percent respectively use agents.

What Do I Gain from Using a Travel Agent?

I recently had a friend tell me she spent close to 40 hours researching a family trip online. She probably could have gleaned the same intel from an hourlong conversation with a travel adviser. Knowledge is priceless, and advisers act as your insiders. They know what you don’t and fill in the blanks for things you might not have considered, says Erika Richter, a spokesperson for the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA). Their firsthand knowledge, vast network, and on-the-ground connections all combine to provide a unique perspective for crafting the perfect itinerary for you.

Most travel advisers specialize in certain regions and countries and travel to them frequently, so they have up-to-date intel on not only the best safari camps but the perfect tent to book for the most incredible views and the best local restaurants you won’t find on Tripadvisor. They want their client’s trips to go well to keep them coming back, so it’s in their interest to have sussed out hotels and itineraries before they send you out into the world.

Nicole Forster, 29, considers herself a savvy traveler. She’s been to 20-plus countries and enjoys destination research. But when it came to planning her honeymoon in Africa, she felt overwhelmed, so she reached out to Danielle Meyer at Coastline Travel Advisors , which specializes in bespoke itineraries. “Originally, I wanted to go to South Africa, Victoria Falls, and Madagascar,” Forster recalls. “Danielle convinced me that if we wanted to relax, we should stay in South Africa and save the other countries for separate trips.”

Over five phone conversations and multiple emails, they crafted a 15-night itinerary that included Cape Town, the winelands, the Cape Peninsula, and a safari at the Thornybush Game Reserve. Forster established her budget early in the process, and Meyer sent her a variety of lodge options to choose from.

“I initially wanted to start with the safari, but she pointed out that we’d be jet-lagged and would need to wake at sunrise for game drives,” says Forster. “The safari was our highlight, so it was a perfect way to end the trip.”

Not only did Meyer book all of the flights, hotels, and transfers, but she created a detailed, day-by-day trip app for the couple that included useful information like check-in times at hotels and how much to tip guides .

Agents also act as advocates. If something goes wrong during your travels, they’re on call 24/7 to handle it. When Forster left the battery and charger for her camera at a hotel, Meyer arranged for an on-the-ground contact to go to a camera store and buy new ones that would be delivered to her hotel the next day.

The cost for the honeymoon planning: $150 per person. “I wouldn’t use a planner for a trip to Hawaii ,” Forster says, “but if I ever took a big trip like this again, I’d 100 percent work with an expert.”  

When to Consider Using a Travel Agent

For savvy trip planners, the best time to use a travel agent is for complicated international travel. It can save you hours of planning and peace of mind that if anything goes wrong in your chosen far-flung destination, there’s someone a What’sApp message away to handle it.

Domestically, I’d consider using a travel agent when planning a multi-week national park trip or multi-island trip in Hawaii. They will save you time, guarantee you get the best guides, and help you land reservations at always-booked lodges and hotels.

Dream Trips Delivered

Jessica Cook and her husband both work in the travel industry. Decision fatigued, they handed their honeymoon logistics over to the team at Askari Travel , an agency that specializes in South Africa. Their original plan was also an African safari, but just as they were about to put a deposit down, the Omicron variant of the coronavirus made headlines. Worried about getting stuck abroad, they reached out to Askari’s founder, Muriel Truter, who is from Zimbabwe, and upon her advice, changed their focus to South America.

Knowledge is priceless, and advisers act as your insiders. They know what you don’t and fill in the blanks of things you might not even have considered.

Truter suggested they stick to Colombia rather than country-hop. Cook supplied a budget and a wish list: 12 days, no more than three destinations, a barefoot-luxe feel, and adventures like horseback riding and mountain biking. The rest was a surprise that Askari pretty much nailed, with the exception of one hotel.

“Everything felt so authentic, but this one hotel on Barú island felt really fabricated and was full of American tourists,” recalls Cook. She immediately messaged the Askari team, saying, “Hey, this place really isn’t our vibe,” and within an hour they were on a water taxi headed to Blue Apple, a B Corp hotel—and an Outside pick for tropical adventures —on Tierra Bomba island. “It was honestly the best trip we’ve ever taken,” she says.

Are Travel Agents Expensive?

It depends. Cost varies. Some travel agencies won’t charge any fee, as they receive a commission from the bookings, while some high-end agencies will charge pricey annual membership fees for their services. Still others charge nominal “professional” fees starting at $150. Fees often fluctuate based on the length and intricacy of a trip and how far out you do the planning (6 to 12 months is recommended). You may occasionally come across agents who charge a percentage of the total trip price or hourly rates.

Basic travel enquiries are generally free. In 2016, Leah Smith, founder of Tafari Travel , opened an old-school brick-and-mortar location in Denver’s Cherry Creek neighborhood so her services would feel less intimidating to first-time users. “With our retail-office location, we’ve become part of the community, and both clients and non-clients are welcome to pop in and ask whatever questions they may have, no charge,” she says.

Matt Lindsay, founder of the surf-guiding and travel company LuxSurf Travel , builds relationships with resorts and property owners to get discounted rates that he can then pass on to guests.

Dominic Allan, the founder of Real Latin America , specializes in travel to Belize and Nicaragua and caters to independent travelers who are happy to book their own flights and hotels but are seeking his local intel. Allan’s three-tier pricing structure starts at $300 for up to three hours of phone calls, during which he might weigh in on where to eat (or not to), the best room to request in a certain lodge, or whether you really need a guide to hike.

Value Versus Savings

If you’re just looking for deals and steals, you might not be ready to work with a travel adviser, says Richter of the ASTA. “Anything you invest in with a travel adviser comes back to you in the form of amenities, customer service, peace of mind, better access to unique experiences, and handcrafted itineraries,” she says. “You could save money by cutting your own hair, too, but most people go to someone who knows what they’re doing.”

Agents work with preferred partners who can guarantee perks for clients, such as free upgrades, early check-in or late check-out, and resort credits. Those add-ons often translate into savings, says Justin Huxter, cofounder of the UK-based Cartology Travel . “We had a client go to Maui for a week, and because of our partnership with the resort, breakfast was included,” he says. When breakfast costs $120 for two, that’s a savings of $840.”

Some of the Best Travel Agents in the Adventure World

Some of my go-to resources for finding a person to work with include travel expert Wendy Perrin’s annual Wow List of tried and trusted agents, the Adventure Travel Trade Association’s adviser network , and the ASTA’s advisor directory .

In addition to the agents mentioned throughout this story, others I highly recommend for adventurous travelers include:

• Dan Achber of Trufflepig , for Africa and the Middle East
• Miguel Cunant of Sri Lanka in Style
• Javier Echecopar of Journey Costa Rica
• Daniel Fraser of Smiling Albino , for Southeast Asia
• Elizabeth Gordon of Extraordinary Journeys , for Africa
• Kleon Howe of the Art of Travel , for French Polynesia
• Jay Johnson of Coastline Travel , for Hawaii and California
• Antonello Losito of Southern Visions Travel , for Puglia, Italy
• Rabia Malik of Fora Travel , for general worldwide travel
• Robyn Mark of Mayamaya Travel , for Africa, the Alps, Patagonia, and Japan
• Marisol Mosquera of Aracari , for Peru and Bolivia
• Zach Rabinor of Journey Mexico
• Raluca Spiac of Beyond Dracula , for Romania

Travel-advice columnist Jen Murphy is now a believer in using a travel agent. Thanks to their expertise and connections, she’s avoided dozens of trip catastrophes. 

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Sequoia National Park’s giants are the friendly type. Hugs are welcome.

People all over the world watched with rapt attention in 2021 as wildfire threatened to engulf the world’s largest tree . Firefighters carefully wrapped the base of the General Sherman Tree in shiny, protective blanketing as flames drew closer at Sequoia National Park .

Ultimately, the roughly 275-foot-tall icon was spared, but other giant sequoias weren’t so lucky. Redwood Mountain Grove in neighboring Kings Canyon National Park “lost an estimated 974 to 1,574 large sequoias,” according to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, which are managed jointly.

“Given the amount of giant sequoias that were lost in the last few years – almost 20% of the entire giant sequoia population was lost in a short amount of time – we're not feeling as confident as we were just a few years ago about these trees really being around for generations and generations to come,” said Sintia Kawasaki-Yee, chief of Communications and Management Support for both parks in California. “We really want to bring attention to their mortality.”

That’s not the only thing Sequoia visitors should know.

What is so special about Sequoia National Park?

Sequoia protects some of the largest trees in the world and a wide array of habitats.

“I would say the most special feature is that you enter at about, I want to say, 1,600 feet of elevation and within about a 45-minute span, you're able to reach 6,500 feet, which is a huge elevation gain in a really small amount of miles,” said Kawasaki-Yee. “You come in in the foothills area. In the spring, we have really great wildflowers. We have the river. We have great access there year-round, but if you drive just 45 minutes into Giant Forest , you get to see the change in the terrain and wildlife.”

Visitors can feel the change too, as temperatures dip and winds whip higher up, so pack accordingly.

Is the General Sherman Tree the tallest tree in the world?

No. It’s not the tallest tree in the world. That title belongs to Hyperion, a coast redwood at Redwood National Park, according to Guinness World Records .But the General Sherman Tree is the largest by volume, with a  trunk volume of 52,508 cubic feet, according to the park.

Can you touch the General Sherman Tree?

No. “The Sherman Tree is fenced off, so you cannot touch it, but there are many other sequoias in that same area that you can definitely walk up to and touch,” said Kawasaki-Yee. 

She recommends feeling their fibrous bark, which she noted is softer to the touch than one might expect.

“Feel free to hug a tree, connect with a tree,” she added. “That connection is really important to really build that connection for people and hopefully that commitment to protect these trees in the long term.”

From Acadia to Zion: What travelers should know about each of America's national parks

Which park is better, Redwood or Sequoia?

“They're basically siblings, and so it's like comparing your kids,” Patrick Taylor, Interpretation and Education manager for the National Park Service at Redwood , told USA TODAY in April. “You love them both for slightly different reasons.”

He explained that giant sequoias tend to have more volume to them.

“So they're bigger in the sense that they usually have a wider base, and they don't taper off as fast,” he said. “The coastal redwoods are usually a little taller and a little more slender.”

Is Sequoia National Park free?

No. Most visitors will have to pay a flat $35 vehicle entrance fee that covers access to both Sequoia and Kings Canyon.

Certain groups are eligible for free entry to all national parks, namely military service members, veterans, Gold Star families , U.S. citizens and permanent residents with permanent disabilities, and fourth graders and their families .

Can you just drive through Sequoia National Park?

Yes. “You can actually do both parks in one drive,” said Kawasaki-Yee. “A lot of people that are doing road trips will drive through both parks on the same day or the same trip.”

The park is located about an-hour-and-a-half drive from Fresno. Fresno Yosemite International Airport is the nearest commercial airport.

What is the best time of year to visit Sequoia National Park?

Kawasaki-Yee recommends visiting in the spring or fall to avoid summer crowds and winter road closures.

“Maybe right before Memorial Day weekend, so you don't get the crowds but you still get access to the areas,” she suggested.

Can I stay inside Sequoia National Park?

Yes. The park offers a variety of on-site camping and lodging , though some lodges, operated by third parties, only open seasonally.

Who are the Indigenous people of the area?

“Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are the homelands of the Mono (Monache), Yokuts, Tübatulabal, Paiute, and Western Shoshone,” according to the parks’ website, which lists the following affiliated federally recognized tribes:

• Big Pine Band of Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Indians
• Big Sandy Rancheria Band of Western Mono Indians
• Bishop Paiute Tribe
• Bridgeport Indian Colony
• Cold Springs Rancheria
• Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians
• Fort Mojave Indian Tribe
• North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians
• Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Lone Pine Community
• Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians
• Santa Rosa Rancheria Tachi-Yokut Tribe
• Table Mountain Rancheria
• Tejon Indian Tribe
• Tule River Tribe
• Utu Utu Gwaitu Paiute Tribe of the Benton Paiute Reservation

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Boost for travel agents as Race Across the World grips viewers

Viewing figures for the BBC One series are rising, along with bookings at travel companies that serve east Asia

No celebrities, no luxuries and a miserly £20,000 in prize money. On paper the BBC One series Race Across the World never looked like a hit.

And yet the travel programme, in which backpackers battle across distant sections of the planet, is now into its fourth season with audiences rising faster than a tuk-tuk driver can get you down Bangkok’s Khao San Road.

This time 5.5 million viewers have watched five two-person teams head off from Sapporo in northern Japan en route to the island of Lombok in Indonesia. That is almost a million more viewers than series three attracted, figures that are also setting records in travel companies that serve east Asia.

“Bookings for Japan are up 75%,” says James Mundy from the Inside Travel Group . “People were coming into our office to book the day after the first episode aired.” The company, which specialises in cultural engagement and off-the-beaten-track locations, has seen other countries benefit. “After Korea featured in the second show,” says Mundy, “bookings rose by 46%.”

Other travel operators are seeing the boost. “When the show started we saw a 30% increase in Japan searches,” says Jo Fairweather from Much Better Adventures , pointing out that the country’s unique mix of ancient traditions, pristine wilderness and futuristic cities is hugely attractive. Responsible Travel and Trailfinders have experienced similar rises.

It is not only Race Across the World that is exerting influence. Seamus McCauley, head of public affairs at travel company Holiday Extras has noticed the increasing role of television and film series in vacation choices.

“Season two of White Lotus boosted Italy, Malta is getting more attention through Gladiator 2 – television really can make large shifts in what’s fashionable.”

Those big-buck blockbusters are far from Race Across the World’s penny-pinching frugality, but therein lies its charm: limited cash means contestants cannot simply leap into a taxi, and certainly not on a plane – that’s forbidden. Not only that, phones and credit cards are taken away.

For older viewers it looks like student travel circa 1980. Cash is eked out, locals consulted, leading to fascinating diversions. Mother and daughter Eugenie and Isabel, whose relationship can be tense, do a memorable homestay in a Cambodian floating village.

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Frequently the friendliness is matched by the yawning cultural chasm: 20-year-old Owen baffles a Shinto priest with a breezy, “Chill out”. Contestants dig deep and learn fast.

The result is a glimpse into the kind of travel that many yearn for: genuine adventures where strangers turn out to be good people and travellers go home with compelling stories to tell.

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Southern Brazil has been hit by the worst floods in more than 80 years. At least 39 people have died

People evacuate a flooded area after heavy rain in Sao Sebastiao do Cai, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)

Heavy rains in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul killed 39 people, with another 68 still missing, the state civil defense agency said Friday, as record-breaking floods devastated cities and forced thousands to leave their homes.

The death toll from heavy rains in Brazil’s southern Rio Grande do Sul state jumped to 56 as of Saturday morning, according to the state’s civil defense agency. Helicopters are being used to rescue residents on the rooftops who were isolated in their homes by the widespread flooding that has already displaced more than 30,000 people.

Residents and their pets evacuate a flooded area after heavy rain in Sao Sebastiao do Cai, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)

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A soldier evacuates a dog from an area flooded by heavy rains, in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)

Streets are flooded after heavy rain in Sao Sebastiao do Cai, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)

Firefighters evacuate people from a flooded area after heavy rain in Sao Sebastiao do Cai, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)

An aerial view of an area flooded by heavy rains, in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)

A man wades through an area flooded by heavy rains, in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)

People evacuate an area flooded by heavy rains, in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)

People evacuate from an area flooded by heavy rains, in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)

SAO PAULO (AP) — Heavy rains in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul killed 39 people, with another 68 still missing, the state civil defense agency said Friday, as record-breaking floods devastated cities and forced thousands to leave their homes.

It was the fourth such environmental disaster in a year, following floods in July, September and November 2023 that killed 75 people in total.

The flooding statewide has surpassed that seen during a historic 1941 deluge, according to the Brazilian Geological Service. In some cities, water levels were at their highest since records began nearly 150 years ago, the agency said.

On Thursday, a dam at a hydroelectric plant between the cities of Bento Goncalves and Cotipora partially collapsed and entire cities in the Taquari River valley, like Lajeado and Estrela, were completely overtaken by water. In the town of Feliz, 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the state capital, Porto Alegre, a massively swollen river swept away a bridge that connected it with the neighboring city of Linha Nova.

Operators reported electricity, communications and water cuts across the state. More than 24,000 people had to leave their homes, according to the civil defense agency.

Without internet, telephone service or electricity, residents struggled to provide updates or information to their relatives living in other states. Helicopters flew continually over the cities while stranded families with children awaited rescue on the rooftops.

Isolete Neumann, 58, lives in the city of Lajeado in the Taquari River valley and told The Associated Press she has never before seen a scenario like the one she is now experiencing.

“People were making barricades in front of hospitals with sand and gravel. It felt like a horror movie,” she said by phone. Some people in her region were so desperate, she added, that they threw themselves into the water currents.

Neumann’s own neighborhood wasn’t inundated, but has no running water and she hasn’t showered since Tuesday. She said she’s collecting rainwater in a basin to be able to cook. A clothing store she owns in the city’s central area is flooded, she added.

“I don’t even know how it must be. There must be nothing left.”

The downpour started Monday and is expected to last at least through Saturday, Marcelo Seluchi, chief meteorologist at the National Center for Monitoring and Alerts of Natural Disasters, told Brazil’s public television network Friday.

On Thursday night, Gov. Eduardo Leite alerted the state’s population — known as gauchos — about the persistence of rains and floods. The situation was expected to worsen in Porto Alegre, he said.

“As a human being, I am devastated inside, just like every gaucho is,” he said. “But as governor, I am here steadfast and I guarantee that we will not falter. We are doing everything with focus, attention, discipline, and outrage, to ensure that everything within our reach is done.”

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva acknowledged the flood victims at a press conference on Friday alongside Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Brasilia .

“The first words from Minister Fumio Kishida in the meeting we held were of solidarity with the people of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, who are victims by one of the largest floods we have ever known. Never before in the history of Brazil had there been such a quantity of rain in one single location,” Lula said.

Weather across South America is affected by the climate phenomenon El Niño , a periodic, naturally occurring event that warms surface waters in the Equatorial Pacific region. In Brazil, El Niño has historically caused droughts in the north and intense rainfall in the south.

This year, the impacts of El Niño have been particularly dramatic, with a historic drought in the Amazon . Scientists say extreme weather is happening more frequently due to human-caused climate change.

Karina Lima, a 36-year-old scientist and PhD candidate in climatology at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, told The Associated Press that the state is located in a region with certain characteristics that amplify El Niño’s destructive potential.

“Models have long predicted that Rio Grande do Sul will continue to see an increase in average annual precipitation and extreme precipitation, meaning more concentrated and severe rainfall,” she said.

Ukraine war latest: 'Undeclared Russian military intelligence officer' expelled from UK

The Home Office has expelled a Russian defence attaché as part of a series of measures against Moscow. James Cleverly said the attaché was an "undeclared military intelligence officer". Ask our military analysts or international correspondents a question in the box below.

Wednesday 8 May 2024 20:00, UK

• Home Office expels Russian diplomat who was 'undeclared military intelligence officer'
• Moscow 'developing nuclear power plant' for joint moon base with China
• Russia hits power facility and other energy infrastructure in massive overnight attack
• Dominic Waghorn: Russia may have crossed the line - but UK move to expel attache increases risk of dangerous escalation
• Ivor Bennett analysis: Painted as a modern-day Tsar, Putin seems more confident than ever
• Ed Conway : Russian oil still seeping into UK - the reasons why sanctions are not working
• Live reporting by  Ollie Cooper

Ask a question or make a comment

Thanks for following our live coverage, we'll be back soon with more live updates. 

Kosovo's foreign minister has said her country is convinced Russia must lose the war in Ukraine for conflict not to spread further in Europe.

Donika Gervalla-Schwarz said her young nation's support for Ukraine was unconditional - despite Kyiv not having recognised Kosovo's independence.

Ms Gervalla-Schwarzd her small Balkan nation, which declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, is repeatedly reminded of the aggressive intentions of both Serbia and its ally Russia.

"Ukraine hasn't recognised the Republic of Kosovo as a state, but we really believe that we know exactly what Ukraine is going through," she told The Associated Press in an interview.

"And we know that there is only one solution, not only for Ukraine, but for Europe," she said.

"It can only be Russia to lose the war and Ukraine to win this war. Otherwise, Europe should prepare for other conflicts in our continent."

The people of Kosovo were the targets of war crimes and other atrocities by Serbia's security forces in the 1990s, an experience that led Kosovo to seek independence.

"While Kosovo is a small state with very modest possibilities to help, we have tried to be very helpful with Ukraine and have not hesitated to show our unconditional support and sympathy to the people and to the state of Ukraine," Ms Gervalla-Schwarz said.

Lord Cameron has called the UK's measures on a Russian defence attache "an unequivocal message" to Moscow. 

The foreign secretary was replying to James Cleverly's post on X in which he said the Home Office expelled a Russian defence attache as part of a series of measures against the country.

Other measures in the package include removing the diplomatic premises status from several Russian owned properties in the UK and capping the amount of time Russian diplomats can spend in the UK.

Budapest is once again raising eyebrows across the world's biggest military alliance as it pledges to defy a NATO initiative. 

The alliance's long-term plan to support Ukraine militarily was agreed in April, but was dubbed a "crazy mission" by Hungary's foreign minister today. 

Under the plans, NATO would take over some coordination work from a US-led coalition known as the Ramstein group.

Discussing the plans today, Peter Szijjarto said: "Hungary will stay out of NATO's crazy mission despite all the pressure."

Relations between Budapest and NATO have soured because of Hungary's foot-dragging over the ratification of Sweden's NATO accession - finally passed by Budapest in March - and also over nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban's close ties with Moscow. 

The Russian embassy in London has said there will be "an appropriate response" after Britain expelled a Russian defence attache.

The embassy said the restrictions that had been imposed were done under a "groundless and ridiculous pretext", according to Russian state news agency TASS.

It comes after Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was reported as telling journalists that the Kremlin will respond appropriately following the expulsion.

Dominic Waghorn, international affairs editor

It's always assumed defence attaches play some kind of role gatherling intelligence and that is generally tolerated by their host countries. 

They could be gathering data about weapons production for instance or ship building but there is a line they are expected not to cross. 

The assumption here is that the Russians have broken the rules of the game.

But the British government will have thought long and hard before expelling the Russian. It doesn't come without cost.

In their day jobs defence attaches play a crucial role in liaising with their hosts.  That can be very important in terms of avoiding misunderstandings that could lead to unnecessary and dangerous escalation. 

Losing Russia’s defence attache in London deprives the UK of one more line of liaison at a time when clear understanding and clarification could be essential to avoiding deepening conflict.

That is not ideal at a time of war. 

What is not clear is how much these moves are connected specifically to the conduct of the Russians involved or should they actually be seen more as another chapter in the diplomatic war underway between Russia and the UK.

The UK has undoubtedly weakened Russia's ability to spy in the UK and gather intelligence but these measures will also affect Britain's ability to predict and avoid potential escalation. 

That will be made even worse if Russia, as may be expected, responds with like-for-like retaliation

Seven people have been injured by Russian shelling in eastern Kharkiv, according to the region's governor.

Oleg Synegubov said among those wounded was an eight-year-old girl and three boys, two aged 14 and the other 15. 

"Two [of the] boys are in serious condition, [the other] boy and [the] girl are in average condition," he said. 

One 55-year-old civilian of unspecified gender was also hospitalised. 

Two women had minor injuries. 

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has offered his thoughts on the expulsion of a Russian defence attache the government has accused of being an undeclared military intelligence officer. 

"Today we've expelled Russia's defence attache who has been working as an intelligence officer for Putin in the UK," he said on X. 

"We will not tolerate Putin’s efforts to undermine our nation and democracy and will continue to stand up for freedom here and in Ukraine."

Each week we ask readers for their questions on the war for our military analysts and international correspondents.

This week,  military analyst Sean Bell  answers:

Why is Ukraine focusing its drone attacks on oil refineries rather than near the front lines? Mike

Thanks, Mike, for this topical question.

Although the ultimate metric of success in this brutal war is territory gained, to achieve that outcome requires a more complex strategy than simply focusing on the frontline battle.

One of the reasons that the Royal Air Force was formed as an independent service was the recognition that greater impact could often be achieved by targeting enemy logistics and supply lines behind the frontline, rather than simply focusing effort on the "close battle".  

Military action is ultimately driven by political will to achieve a desired end-state; the military simply creates the conditions in which a political outcome can be achieved.  

At the tactical level of warfare, the focus is on the battles of individual soldiers and units prevailing against tactical targets.

However, at the other end of the spectrum, senior military strategists seek to attack the enemy's "centre of gravity" - the one thing that the enemy cannot afford to lose and thus must protect at all costs.

'Fight smarter'

In the Second World War, much of the Allied bombing effort was targeting German industrial capacity, as without the ability to regenerate military equipment and ammunition, the war would not be sustainable.  

Ukraine has a smaller army than Russia, and so any conventional attritional battle would favour Russia.

Therefore, Ukraine has to try to "fight smarter" and erode Russia's will - or capacity - to fight.  

A war on this scale consumes huge quantities of resource, which has to be funded in some way.  

Russia's oil exports fund Vladimir Putin's military campaign and also pay for imports of vital munitions from North Korea and Iran.  

By targeting the enemy's oil facilities Ukraine will be aiming to reduce Russia's export capacity, which in turn impacts Russia's ability to fund the war.  

That might not help the close battle, but could undermine Russia's commitment to a longer-duration conflict.

And, although drones are an "irritation" to the frontline forces, the quantity of explosives they are able to deliver is relatively small, so their effect is relatively limited.  

However, an oil facility is very vulnerable to a relatively small-scale explosion, which can spread swiftly to destroy a crucial part of Russia's critical national infrastructure - more bang per buck.

So, although Ukraine desperately needs to stop Russia from breaking through its frontlines, we can expect to see Ukraine continue to target energy infrastructure as part of a broader strategy in its war with Russia.

We now have more details regarding the freshly expelled Russian defence attache we reported on in our 1.10pm post. 

The attache accused by the Home Office of being an undeclared military intelligence officer spying for the Kremlin is Colonel Maxim Elovik. 

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