Shearings Holidays has cancelled around 20 of its UKtours for spring and summer 1999 following a downturn in bookings.
The company has written to a number of the hotels explaining that sales of holidays in their areas are not meeting expectations.
A letter sent to one hotel and obtained by Travel Weekly explains: “Following a review of our passenger volumes for the spring and summer 1999 and due to a disappointing level of bookings for the period in question, it is with regret I write to advise of the following cancellations.” It then lists 12 four-night block bookings to becancelled.
Shearings chief executive John Slatcher said: “We have been investing in our hotel estate and improving the quality and we have found that clients prefer to use them instead of third-party hotels.”
The firm has been investing in its hotel portfolio and recently bought five new establishments – the Pitlochry Hydro in Scotland, the Abernant Lake Hotel in Wales, the Imperial Hotel in Tenby, the Port Patrick Hotel in Scotland, and the King’s Head in Cirencester.