Major operators reporting strong holiday package sales

TUI Travel and Thomas Cook both released statements on Monday indicating that sales in the holiday package sector are strong.

Thomas Cook noted that package holiday sales were solid and that the strong position the company has developed in the medium-haul holiday sector is proving especially helpful in the current economic downturn.

The group also commented that it had the flexibility needed to adjust its product offerings for the summer 2009 season in order to meet customer demand.

Twenty-eight per cent of UK bookings this year have been made online, according to Thomas Cook, and total bookings made by tour operators through the thomascook.com website have increased by 56 per cent over last year.

The travel company has benefited from substantial reductions in capacity in both Germany and the UK, which includes the recent failure of XL Travel and others, Thomas Cook added.

Compared to this time last year, the company has 24 per cent fewer holidays available to sell for the balance of the summer period, and average selling prices are seven per cent above the same period last year, and 15 per cent ahead in the last four weeks.

www.thomascook.com