AIRTOURS today warned that the summer holiday market remained under a cloud.

Airtours Holidays is showing a 34 per cent fall in bookings so far in the current financial year compared with the same period last year, shareholders were told at the annual meeting.

But chairman David Crossland stressed the winter season was progressing satisfactorily.

UK bookings were up four per cent, in line with the overall market. Overseas winter bookings are 12 per cent ahead of 1994 in both the Scandinavian and Canadian businesses.

The Helmshore group said it had significantly reduced its capacity for 1996 and it was prepared to make further cuts if necessary.

The group said last week that Florida-based Carnival Corp was in talks about taking a possible stake of up to 30 per cent.

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