Staycationers hit Kuoni

Kuoni, which is sprint close by Peter Rothwell the British former boss of TUI Travel and Airtours, said that close by hindmost weekend its bookings were down close by 21% on the identical interval in 2008, with the UK ­market worst hit with bookings down close by 23%.

Rothwell said: “The worldwide pecuniary and pecuniary turning-point desire carry on to be obsessed a contradictory collision on the 2009 accountability year. Despite the adverse outer influences, I am safe the Kuoni Group desire pole a certain ­operating outcome representing 2009 as whole.”

However he added a note of caution above swine flu, which has already hit first-half bookings: “Experts anticipate the flu pandemic to accelerate its spread, with an collision that is before long ­impossible to predict. This could be obsessed a contradictory collision on profitability.”

Kuoni swung from profits of SwFr26.5 million to losses of SwFr51 million in the six months to June, on revenues 21% down at SwFr1.76 billion.