The President of the Irish Tour Operators Federation, John Devereux, in a media briefing noted that Irish tour operators had seen a significant increase in package holiday sales last year and that early bookings so far this year suggest this trend is continuing.
He was speaking at a function in Dublin, co-hosted with the Spanish Tourism Office. He went on to outline the benefits of booking with a tour operator. “There are many compelling reasons to book with with a bonded tour operator,” he said, “and this became especially clear to many Irish holidaymakers during last year’s volcanic ash disruptions.”
He also revealed that US capacity had soared to new heights with 762,000 seats on offer ex Ireland for the period from May to September this year, compared to 625,000 seats for the same period last year. This has created great value packages for the consumer with seven night packages to Orlando for €495. This is really a value for money package from American Holidays.
The Irish Tour Operators Federation accounts for the majority of all outbound packaged holidays, and its members comprise the major tour operators in Ireland.