Saga's holiday bookings rise 14%; nears NatWest deal for personal banking products
June 24 (Reuters) - British holiday group Saga (SAGA.L), opens new tab said on Tuesday it was in final negotiations with NatWest (NWG.L), opens new tab to offer a range of personal banking products, as the company's annual holiday bookings tracked ahead of last year, with booked revenue up 14%.
Saga offers a range of travel products such as cruises, insurance and financial services particularly to the over-50s age group or midlifers.
Recently, it has been refocusing on its core segment, travel, which is experiencing a rebound, while exploring partnerships to strengthen its insurance and money services offerings.
"Looking ahead, we are focussed on continuing to grow our Travel and Money businesses," CEO Mike Hazell said in a statement.
Saga's cruise and holidays segments account for 59% of its business, with money the smallest at 0.7%, according to its 2025 annual report.
The company also said its performance in the first four months of fiscal 2025 matched expectations.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
26 minutes ago
- The Independent
These are the festival beauty essentials I packed for Glastonbury
Whether you're packing for Glastonbury this week (lucky you), heading Reading & Leeds for the first time or getting ready for Latitude, festival season is here – and when it comes to packing, preperation is key. As well as non-negotiable essentials like tents, sleeping bags, SPF and camping chairs, your checklist shouldn't neglect the little luxuries that can make camping in a field for four days slightly more bearable (hello air beds, your favourite pillow, earplugs or Hunter wellington boots à la Kate Moss and Alexa Chung). While the less high maintenance among us might get by with just a toothbrush and baby wipes (no judgement here), others require a little more TLC in the camping field – myself included. From cordless hair tools and dry shampoo to give some oomph to three-day old locks, to instant tan or tinted SPF's for coverage and UV protection, plenty of products made my time at Glastonbury two years in a row a whole lot smoother (particularly when you're limited to shared showers and portaloos with no privacy). To help ensure you don't forget anything, I've rounded up the beauty essentials you need for your next festival (after all, we can't all glamp in a luxury bell tent with the A-listers). Your usual skincare regime will likely be neglected while your camping in a festival field. Streamline your routine to just Garnier's miscellar water for removing make-up and cleansing. Complete with reusable eco pads, the gentle formula cleanses skin without stripping it of moisture. A festival make-up bag hero. While a cordless hair tool may not be deemed an 'essential', it can certainly make the experience a lot nicer. Adding texture and life back into three-day old hair, BaByliss's cordless waving tool creates soft, loose waves for an effortlessly tousled look (even if you haven't showered in a while). Charlotte Tilbury's airbrush setting spray is a cult classic for good reason. Keeping make-up in place for up to 16 hours, you can apply in the morning and still look fresh in the dance tent at 2am. The water-like formula is packed with skin-loving ingredients (think aloe vera, hydrating Japanese green tea and resin) to prevent clogged pores and avoid your make-up settling into fine lines. You're sure to appreciate the fresh, floral fragrance on day three in the field, too. One of our favourite face SPFs for 2025, CeraVe's facial moisturising lotion ticks every box. The consistency is more like a traditional moisturiser, though it isn't sticky or greasy on skin. 'You're left with is a healthy-looking glow, and I love how make-up wears on top of this formula, and the finish of it means it makes a great primer,' our beauty reviewer said. 'Plus, like all CeraVe products, it's bolstered with hardworking ingredients that nourish, protect and hydrate your skin.' A non-negotiable for festival season that saves you packing both a moisturiser and SPF. No festival beauty haul is complete without dry shampoo. Unlike other formulas, Living Proof's dry shampoo actually cleans hair while eliminating oil, sweat and odor (perfect for camping in a field). Freshening up your tresses between washes thanks to the brand's triple-action cleaning technology, it releases a fragrance that lingers throughout the day. Whether it's a day event or camping affair, you're far more exposed to the sun at a festival than your usual day-to-day, making a body SPF an essential. Offering 12 hours of hydration, Hawaiian Tropic's body SPF is powered by cocoa and shea butter. 'It's not sticky or greasy; it sinks in quickly and leaves the skin feeling supple and nourished,' our beauty expert said in their review. At less than £10, the dual purpose formula is pleasingly affordable, protecting your skin from UV's rays during a long day dancing in the sun. If you need a quick wipe down and freshen up, then baby wipes are a handy addition to your festival arsenal (especially if the showers aren't up to scratch). This Pampers pack promises to nourish, soften and hydrate skin. Plus, there's 52 wipes inside meaning you can easily share a pack among friends. Burning your lips is never fun, particularly at a festival. Enter Ultrasun's ultralip balm. The SPF30 formula is designed specifically to protect your lips from UV rays while moisturising any dryness. Fragrance free and sheer, it can be used over lipstick or gloss and topped up throughout the day. Whether you're post-port aloo or mid-set at the main stage, a hand sanitiser is an essential in your bum bag. Keep bacteria away and maintaining a feeling of freshness, Haan's range of hand sanitisers are perfect for on-the-go use thanks to the compact spritz design. In fact, our reviewer said: 'The award for most innovative hand sanitiser has to go to HAAN, whose flat pocket-friendly sprays make application cool, easy and even a little fun.'
BBC News
32 minutes ago
- BBC News
Warning of overnight delays on A9 south of Inverness
Temporary traffic lights and a convoy system will be introduced overnight on a section of the A9 next month as a £185m upgrade project miles (10km) of new dual carriageway is being built on the trunk road between Moy and Tomatin, south of Inverness,The traffic management system will be in place over a five-week period beginning on 7 July covering the area of the road to the north west of the Moy Rail restrictions will be in place between between 19:30 and 06:00 to minimise disruption while work is done to re-align and widen the road. Transport Scotland said road users should approach the area with care and allow extra time for their journeys during the said the traffic management would be weather dependent and subject to change.
BBC News
32 minutes ago
- BBC News
Homeless charity forced to close shop in Shrewsbury
A homeless charity has decided to close its charity shop because of rising costs and the shift towards selling second-hand items Ark said it had been a "difficult decision" after more than a decade of trading, but the shop was "no longer financially sustainable".Its day centre in the town will remain open, but it said that too had seen a decline in financial donations, partly due to the cost of living said it was facing a funding shortfall of £30,000 per month to maintain current levels of support. Shrewsbury Ark said independent charity shops were struggling to compete in the second-hand market, with more people choosing to sell their unwanted possessions for money praised its staff and volunteers for their "tireless efforts" in the shop and noted there had been an increase in sales following a recent renovation, but it had not been emphasised its core work, to support homeless people in the area, would continue, despite the shop also said it was asking people to set up regular monthly donations "to help ensure that these vital services can continue into the future". Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
