HOLIDAY bookings for this winter's season are significantly ahead of last year, British tour operator Airtours said yesterday as it unveiled a 47 per cent lift in its latest quarterly results.

The company said its decision to cut back on the number of holidays being offered this summer had led to a 16 per cent drop in the number of bookings but an increase in the prices being obtained for late bookings.

Airtours made a pre tax profit of £19.7 million sterling in the three months to June 30th, compared with £13.4 million in the corresponding period in the previous financial year.