Budget cuts sign of times

IT’S a sign of the times that Irish tour operators are having to trim down operations to stay in business.

A well-known long-established Cork city travel agent, has closed down and one of the country’s largest tour operators, Budget, has had to curtail operations, hot on the heels of the Thomas Cook pull-out.

Budget Travel is reducing its cost base in a volatile market and, sadly, a key part of that restructuring will be to drive more bookings through the internet, thereby leading to more job losses.

Despite putting on a brave face, the travel industry has been hit hard and company boss Eugene Corcoran insisted that business generally has been down by close to 40%.

* THE Tour America brands have put together a range of honeymoon packages to ease the burden on newly-weds in these tough times. Examples are a California fly drive from €899, including return flights, 11 nights in a four-star hotel in various Californian destinations, car hire and all taxes and charges

For €969 clients will get seven nights in a five star hotel in Cancun and three nights in Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas, with all taxes and charges. For more honeymoon deals, phone [phone] or visit www.touramerica.ie.

* TOPFLIGHT deals with MSC and Royal Caribbean International Lines are getting a positive reaction with cruise prices (excluding flights to starting destination) starting from €540 for a September 21 departure from Barcelona on MSC Splendida. An October 9 departure on MSC Orchestra, also from Barcelona and taking in Genoa, Malaga, Cadiz, Lisbon, Gibraltar and Alicante, starts at €595 and Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas cruise from Barcelona, taking in Italian and French cities, is pitched at the same price.

For more information call 01 240 1701, visit www.topflight.ie or contact any travel agent.

* IRISH Ferries has announced 25% lower fares operative on all sailings between September and the beginning of January next.

Starting from €79 for a car plus driver on Tuesday – Thursday sailings on the Rosslare – Pemroke route, they include a lead-in fare from €89 on the Dublin to Holyhead cruise ferry service with a €10 supplement applying on the Dublin Swift fast ferry service. Advanced booking conditions apply.

* SUNWAY has packaged holiday specials for Lanzarote. For September 5 and 12 departures, the company offers a week long self-catering holiday at Club Pocillos for €464, at the four-star Hotel San Antonio for €759 and the five-star Princess Yaiza from €999.

Prices include flights, transfers, accommodation as stated and all taxes and charges. www.sunway.ie or phone Sunway 01 2886828.