TOUR operators have withdrawn more than one fifth of this year's summer holiday seats, thereby reducing a huge oversupply, according to the Irish Travel Agents' Association.
ITAA chief executive Mr Brendan Moran said after discussions with 15 tour operators he "knows for certain" up to 120,000 seats have been taken off.
"We are back to approximately 400,000 seats, which would still be a slight over supply but is a facing reality type figure," Mr Moran said. "The removal of the 120,000 seats should have a stabilising effect."
Earlier this year travel agents worried about seat numbers, the possibility of a glut and the consequent price reductions.
The number of seats bought at the beginning of the year reflected the "exponential growth" of recent years, which has now slowed, and Thomson Holiday's entry into the market.
