HOLIDAY bookings got off to a flyer following the Christmas and New Year holidays with the popular package holiday destinations, Florida, and cruise holidays top of the popularity charts.

Travel agents have been reporting a much-needed upturn in business with Spain, Greece and Cyprus packages selling well and Florida more popular than ever despite the much-publicised storms a few months ago.

Leading USA specialists American Holidays were almost struggling to cope with up to 1,100 telephone inquiries alone in a single day. Director Caroline Megarry

said: "It's been absolutely manic - I've never known it so busy. We've had to put every available member of staff on to dealing with customers."

Holidays to Florida, Las Vegas and in more recent times, following TV exposure, to New York, were the big sellers with packages using the new Continental Airlines' Big Apple service, and with the company's own charter flight especially popular.

"Northern Ireland people have not been put off in the slightest by the hurricanes and terrible weather which affected the west coast of the USA towards the tail end of last year. We are absolutely delighted with the way things have been going," added Caroline.

And travel agents have been busy as well following the extended Christmas/New Year holidays. Northern Ireland's 'Travel Agent of the Year' ClubWorld Travel in Lurgan reported a 30 per cent increase in business since the beginning of January.

"Business is absolutely booming," said a delighted proprietor Delia Aston. "We have had a big increase in bookings and inquiries ever since we won the Travel Agent of the Year award in October with all its associate publicity, with packages and cruise holidays going especially well."

In keeping with the UK-wide trend, cruise holidays are probably the strongest growth sector of the holiday market, but many local travellers are also taking advantage of the increasing number of direct routes to the Continent from Belfast to put together their own weekend breaks.

Said Julie-Ann McKibbin of major independent travel agent Oasis Travel

Lisburn: "Business has been booming since we returned after the holidays, with family packages, Florida and cruise holidays all selling especially well.

"The new all-inclusive Belfast Airport Direct brochure stocked by independent travel agents has literally been flying of the shelves."

And a spokesman at leading east Belfast agency Knock Travel was equally upbeat about the situation. "We have been extremely busy since the holidays with a lot of interest in particular being shown in the new Belfast Direct brochure."