THIS season’s winter sun brochures are dominated by millennium holidays, but operators are warning that choices are rapidly running out for anyone wanting to celebrate New Years Eve 1999 abroad.
Unijet general manager short haul John Riley said: “As soon as we launched our first edition in January, we found that there was a huge demand for millennium holidays. We more or less sold out the millennium from the first edition.
“A lot of people had just returned from their New Year holidays and were eager to book their next winter holiday.
“Major destinations such as the Canaries are sold out, but there is still capacity left in other destinations such as Goa and Sri Lanka.”
Cosmos product director Danny Talbot said: “Millennium availability is pretty scarce. We are 70% sold.
“People are visualising being able to celebrate the turn of the year in glorious sunshine. The hotel chains have organised a whole package of events, including very grand dinners and fireworks on the beach.”
The millennium aside, the choice for winter sun holidays is expanding to include exotic destinations such as Cuba and Morocco, although tradition destinations such as the Canary Islands remain favourites.
Cyprus is a new destination for winter 1999/2000 for Virgin Sun. Director Ian Brooks said: “The standard of accommodation is a cut above the rest, many of the hotels have swimming pools, and people are so friendly that I’m not surprised that it is selling well.
“However, because it does not have as good a sunshine record as the Canaries, islands such as Gran Canaria and Lanzarote are still our top-sellers.”
Virgin Sun prices for Cyprus lead in at £259 for one week’s bed and breakfast in the Carvel Hotel, Limassol.
Panorama Holidays has added Lanzarote and Fuerteventura for Winter Sun 1999/2000. Sales and marketing director Martin Young said: “The Canary Islands have sold very well for us and we wanted to expand into the market. The Canaries account for 25% of the short-haul winter market. We wanted to offer people more of a choice.”
The operator has also expanded its Morocco programme – introduced two years ago – with new hotels in Agadir and Marrakesh and more two-centre and short-break holidays.
New for this winter is a four-day desert jeep safari which can be added on to a hotel stay. Prices for the safari start at £319 per person including half-board accommodation.
Airtours has expanded its programme on the Spanish mainland with 12 new four and five-star hotels in the Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol regions.
Product and commercial director Seamus Conlon said: “We are taking our product there more upmarket and we are building up our mainland Spain programme to a similar size to our Canary Island programme.”
Sunworld, meanwhile, has increased the number of all-inclusive holidays across its winter sun product range.
Prices start at £195 per person for seven nights at the all-inclusive Ozkayamak Hotel in Incekum.