No cut price packages to the sun on offer at the largest ever Holiday and Leisure Fair at the RDS.
More than 140 exhibitors are taking part and over 40,000 people are expected to attend the seventh annual Holiday and Leisure Fair at the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) in Ballsbridge, Dublin.
Most of the major airlines and travel operators as well as national tourism agencies have displays at the show. However holidaymakers looking for offers will be disappointed as agents will cut back on the number of seats available rather than undercut.
But they fear an exodus to Britain where operators are still slashing prices.
An attractive option is drive to a holiday destination north of the border and fill up with petrol on the journey home.
Tour operators and carriers hope to boost bookings which have been slow over the past month. Travellers and agents waited to see if Minister for Finance Alan Dukes would raise the travel tax in the Budget.
He didn’t, but whether that will be enough to fill the 200,000 seats available is questionable.
Aer Lingus have just launched Getaway, a package holiday company closely linked with their other company Sunbound. Getaway will concentrate on the younger end of the holiday market, a demographic already well catered for.
The Holiday and Leisure Fair runs until 5 February 1984.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 1 February 1984. The reporter is Jackie Hayden.
