Despite uncertainty surrounding overseas travel at the start of the year, the operator continued its long haul programme with the departure of three itineraries in January to Costa Rica, Kenya and Sri Lanka.

Its small group touring programme, which carry a maximum of 25 people, reportedly went ahead "seamlessly".

Richard Forde, head of trade sales, said the uninterrupted operation of the trips set the firm off to a "strong start and gave us a much-needed boost of confidence going forward" into 2022.

"Additionally, the fact that our customers were still comfortable to travel with us during that uncertain time meant that the messaging around our safety measures and Peace of Mind Pledge had been well received," he added.

Currently, Costa Rica requires no pre-departure test, but Kenya and Sri Lanka still require proof of a negative test to enter.

"Kenya - Beach & Safari remains one of our most consistent bestsellers in 2022," Forde added. "The popularity, for both customers and travel agents, is down to the combination of a safari, an inland tour and a beach stay holiday all for incredible value.

"We’ve also added Kenya - Grand Safari to the line-up, which has options of four and seven-night Mombasa beach extensions, giving our customers greater flexibility to personalise their holidays."