Travel: Departures: Winter price cuts

AFTER the euphoric claims of booming holiday sales that accompanied the launch of their summer 1994 programmes, tour operators are now having to cope with sluggish bookings for winter packages - particularly for ski holidays.

For its winter sun programme, Thomson Holidays has cut the price of 50,000 holidays to the Mediterranean, Florida and the Gambia in a Price Breakers brochure, offering packages from pounds 89, with discounts of up to pounds 40 on the normal price of half-board and self-catering packages.

Sunworld has also cut winter prices in a new Superchoice brochure featuring the Mediterranean, Canary Islands, Gambia and Orlando. Prices start at pounds 99 for a seven- night self-catering package to Alicante or Malaga.