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Cold snap sees surge in sun holidays

Thursday, January 24 14:33:26

The Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) has reported significant increases in business at travel agents across the country during January, traditionally the month associated with booking holidays.

The ITAA reports that last weekend, Friday 18th and Saturday 19th of January, were the busiest two days that travel agents in Ireland have seen in "a number of years". The industry expects to increase on these figures even further next weekend with the Holiday World Show 2013 taking place at the RDS Dublin.

A number of travel agents have reported significant increases on bookings of up to 90pc compared to last year, with travel agents across the board noting a substantial increase of between 20pc - 25pc, according to the ITAA.

Travel agents are also reporting an increase in corporate travel of 15pc on 2012 figures, pointing to a large growth in Irish businesses seeking to expand their export opportunities.

Pat Dawson, CEO of the ITAA said, "These increases are hugely positive news for the travel sector in general and show that the reliance on travel agents for personalised, tailored advice is increasing. These figures point to a clear sign that the Irish travel industry is improving and that an increased number of people will holiday and travel this year. One-to-one advice from travel professionals offers reliability and peace of mind and this option is clearly gaining popularity among holidaymakers."

According to the ITAA, a portion of the increase is accounted for by emigration. "We're seeing people not only booking one way flights to emigrate, but also a notable amount of bookings from families and friends who are visiting those who have emigrated," he continued.

"This weekend's Holiday World Show at the RDS will most likely see an even greater increase in business, given that 50,000 people attend the show annually. It gives visitors the opportunity to plan their holiday with confidence and a huge range of options are available over the course of the weekend," concluded Dawson.

The annual Holiday World Show Dublin 2013 at the RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin from Friday 25th to Sunday 27th January gives visitors the inside track on where to go and how to pay less for their holiday, with one-to-one advice available from travel professionals from all over the Globe.