Irish bookings for overseas family holidays next summer with Falcon Holidays and JWT - owned by First Choice - are up 30 per cent at 35,000 compared with summer 1997 bookings at this time last year.

The increase is partly due to the early launch of the summer 1998 brochure by Falcon Holidays in October.

Although the brochure for adult holidays through JWT next summer was launched last week, pre-Christmas bookings are expected to rise by around 30 per cent as well.

The strength in advance bookings for next summer is attributed to a combination of buoyant consumer confidence, strong early sales and greater demand for holidays in the sun following disappointing summer weather in Ireland for the past two years.

Overall, the target for Falcon/JWT holidays is to maintain steady annual growth, following this year's 5 per cent increase in Irish overseas holidays through the two companies, to around 140,000.

This represents just over one-third of the total market.

The update on advance Falcon/JWT bookings accompanied First Choice's annual figures detailing a £12.7 million increase in profits before exceptional items and tax to £22 million, mainly to due sharp profit gains on last summer's overseas holiday sales.

Ahead, the chairman, Mr Ian Clubb, said directors were confident of reducing winter holiday losses and were encouraged by the record start to the sale of the group's summer 1998 programme in the UK and Ireland.

Although earnings per share rose 184 per cent to 5.4p on the 1996-97 outcome, total dividend payments are unchanged at 1.9p in accordance with the board's stated policy of returning to a more appropriate level of dividend cover.

First Choice shares rose 2p to 93p.