From Albania to Montenegro: here are Europe’s ‘secret’ alternative Summer hotspots we should consider booking this Summer. With growing uncertainty around some long-haul routes, more UK travellers are rethinking how far they want to travel this summer.

Roseate House London is one of central London’s most elegant hidden gems for wine lovers, offering a cosy and intimate drinking and dining experience at The Hyde Restaurant & Bar. Renowned for its outstanding curated wine list, widely considered one of the finest in London, guests can explore an exceptional collection of distinctive vintages and expertly selected labels in a setting defined by vintage luxury and understated sophistication.

Okavango Horse Safaris is introducing something new for the Delta. For 2027, the family-run safari operation is launching a series of artist-led retreats, offering a different way to experience the landscape beyond the traditional safari format. Set within a vast private concession in the western Okavango Delta, the retreats are designed to open the safari experience up to a broader audience. Artists, designers and creatively curious travellers are invited to engage with the Delta not just through wildlife viewing, but through observation, interpretation and making.

Protect Group, a leader in ancillary travel products, has identified a significant increase in booking hesitancy among travellers, largely driven by rising global geopolitical instability and stricter regulations. The company defines this emerging behaviour as “booking anxiety,” with financial uncertainty and price as the main barriers to decision-making. As a result, travellers are increasingly delaying bookings, prioritising price over other factors, and adopting a “wait and see” attitude in response to a perceived volatile environment.

Just You has introduced a new departure date for its ‘The Silk Road: Legends of the Five Stans’ tour. The specialist solo escorted tour operator originally launched the 21-day itinerary in April with departure dates in April 2027 and September 2027.

Barbados has appointed prominent businessman and former national field hockey player Peter Harris as chairman of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. as the island posted a solid 3.3% increase in stay-over tourist arrivals for 2025. Harris, executive chairman of PVH Group Inc., succeeds businesswoman Shelly Williams, who served four years in the role, Tourism and International Transport Minister Ian Gooding-Edghill confirmed in a statement. The appointment is intended to accelerate the island’s tourism growth through expanded airlift and deeper penetration of emerging markets.