Forget the family package holiday. As the summer season winds down, over-50s are already planning ahead to 2027 — and increasingly, they want to travel in pairs of pairs. New research from insurer goodtogo has identified a growing trend it has dubbed the "Couple-Cation": holidays taken not with extended family, but with other couples.

I’d worked with Leanne for several years when she lived in the UK so, when she said ‘we’ll hang out together’ when you visit me and Gorm in Denmark’s Roskilde, I hadn’t expected to be proving myself on the battlefield with sword and shield in hand!

New research from Wakefield Council’s tourism team, Experience Wakefield, has revealed that nearly six in 10 people (59%) would choose a lesser-known destination with space to explore, over visiting a crowded tourist hotspot, reflecting a growing appetite for destinations that offer a more authentic and rewarding experience.

With the summer holidays now well underway, families will be prepping to jet out of the UK for their annual trip. Experts predicted 2.2 million British holidaymakers were heading overseas in late-July, with high travel volumes likely to continue throughout August. Despite an upcoming holiday being something to look forward to, time away from home can elicit feelings of anxiety for some.

Barbados conjures up images of palm trees swaying in the breeze, sun kissed, dazzling white sand - and the strains of reggae reverberating around beach bars.