A bumper season for sun holidays expected

IRISH tour operators report an increase in early bookings for package holidays in the sun this summer. New Year discounts have been stimulating demand, and operators expect the buoyant economy to guarantee a bumper summer season.

"Judging by the sales we've had so far, it looks like being a great year. There seems to be a lot of cash out there", a spokesman for Falcon/JWT said.

Unlike previous years, advance bookings are spread across a wide range of destinations from May to August, he said. "People aren't just going for the cheap holidays early in the summer. It's a very healthy sign."

Special offers available from JWT include a discount of £50 for couples booking before January 15th and no under occupancy supplements for early bookings at certain apartment complexes.

According to Ms Gillian Bowler of Budget Travel, early bookers will get the best value this summer - unlike last year - because of a reduction in the number of holidays on offer from tour operators.

With capacity down, the chances are that there will be very few bargains this summer unless the sun hits the stones here from April to October," she said.

Last year as many as 150,000 seats - more than a quarter of the yearly total - were withdrawn from the market in order to reduce a large oversupply. Despite the reduction, late bookers made savings of up to 50 per cent on package holidays.

"The trend over the past few years has been that early bookers get the discounts. Last summer was topsy turvy and I don't see it happening again this year," Ms Bowler said.

Citing the experience of the British travel industry, which fears that the demand for package holidays will be greater than the "supply, she said there might be a shortage of holidays for Irish people this summer.

Budget Travel's summer sale opens this Friday. Offers include a two week family holiday in Spain for £399. Prices will go up on February 1st when Budget launches its main summer brochure.

According to Mr Cormac Walsh, director of JWT, early bookings are up significantly on last year.

"We had huge sales just before Christmas, which is unusual. There are also a lot of deals available within the next week to 10 days which offer great value all people have to do is put down a deposit," he said.

The demand for sunshine holidays has been "brilliant" so far, said Ms Vanda Bauer, marketing manager at Panorama, which launched its summer brochure in mid December.

"There have been a lot more inquiries at this stage than we expected. People are feeling good about the economy and there seems to be a lot of money about. Historically, when the economy is buoyant like that, people are tar" more likely to book ahead," she said.

Tunisia is selling best among.

couples, Ms Bauer said, with Majorca the current favourite for families. She added that people would be mistaken to think there would be a last minute flood of cheap holidays on the market like last summer.

"The way it looks at the moment, supply seems to be matching the demand. There may not be an overall shortage of holidays but there might be a shortage of the particular holidays people want," she said.

Sunworld launched its three summer brochures on December. 16th and reports an increased demand for holidays at its traditional destinations. Travellers departing for Portugal before May 22nd and Turkey before May 29th can make savings of more than £50 a week as they do not have to pay under occupancy supplements at resorts.