The first UK tour operator to China in the 1970s was Regent Holidays. Neil Taylor, now a tour leader and travel guide writer, was the man behind the trips behind the "Bamboo Curtain". He contrasts then with now, and offers advice for anyone seeking to take advantage of the new visa-free status of British holidaymakers.

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I am talking to Wendy Wu, founder of Wendy Wu Tours, a leading provider of holidays in the People's Republic. She believes red tape for China could be untangled in just a few days.

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Britain's biggest budget airline, easyJet, has had its knuckles rapped over its charges for larger pieces of cabin baggage. I have come to London Gatwick airport, its main base, to explain the issue – and what lies behind it – and hear from passenger Helen Baillie who never pays more than she needs.

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Once again I am talking to Kaya Niedenthal of the Currency Online Group – but in unusual circumstances. He is a busy man so I could interview him only on the move, from his high-rise office in London’s Waterloo to the nearby station. The dollar is king, the euro is queen and the pound is still more a prince than a joker, is my conclusion.

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Travel desk Tuesday, and my excellent colleague Sophie Dickinson gives her thoughts on the highly popular airfare comparison site moving into the realm of Mediterranean package holidays. She and I discuss how useful this might be for your next family trip.

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For insights and advice I've been talking to top expert Lauren McLeod, who heads up the Australia product portfolio for Trailfinders – the largest independently-owned travel company in the UK.

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The UK has a fabulously competitive bunch of airports as well as airlines. Today, I’m talking to John Vincent, chief executive of Liverpool John Lennon – about rivalry with Manchester, what sets the Merseyside airport apart and how important the inbound market is from Beatles fans and football supporters.

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In which the chief executive of Ryanair – Europe’s biggest budget airline – challenges the world's richest man to an arm-wrestling contest.

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