From the Maldives to Sri Lanka and Barbados to Thailand, thousands of new offers on worldwide holidays went on sale on Boxing Day as holiday company Kuoni launched its new year sale.

Kuoni, which specialises in creating worldwide, tailor-made holidays, kicked off the peak January sales period with a new marketing campaign designed to show that some of the world's most aspirational destinations are more affordable than people may think.

The Kuoni sale (www.kuoni.co.uk/offers) will run until 17 February and flagship offers include:

• Saving of up to £2237 per couple on a seven night, five-star holiday in Thailand staying at the Six Senses Yao Noi - the price is now from £1,459 per person.
• Saving of up to £970 per couple on a seven night, five-star holiday in the Maldives staying at Kandolhu Island,  an exclusive new island resort with villas and beach houses - the price is now £1,799 per person
• Saving of up to £1138 per couple on a seven night, all-inclusive trip to Barbados staying at the four-star Sea Breeze Beach Hotel - the price is now from £1,299 per person.
• Saving of up to £910 per couple on the escorted five night Taj Tour - Highlights of India visiting Delhi, Jaipur and Agra, plus a five night beach extension at the Taj Exotica in Goa - the price is now from £1899 per person.  

Despite a trend for later bookings in recent years with people prepared to jet off at a few weeks' notice, more holidays are sold in January than any other time of the year.     

"Once the turkey's been eaten and the crackers pulled, then from Boxing Day onwards people's thoughts turn to the year ahead and where in the world they'd like to go," said Derek Jones, Kuoni managing director. "We're in the business of dream destinations and this year we want to inspire people - and also surprise them. We want to
show that many incredible longer-haul trips, from visiting tea plantations in Sri Lanka to relaxing in five star island-resort hotels in the Maldives, which are truly out of this world, are actually more affordable than people may think."

Derek Jones added: "With more direct flights from the UK into places such as Vietnam, more worldwide destinations are opening up for tourism and becoming increasingly accessible for British travellers.   Many long-haul destinations are also extremely good value with lower in-resort costs and favourable exchange rates which means people's holiday money goes further than in many European holiday spots."

Vietnam is tipped to be one of the destinations to watch in 2014 according to Kuoni as a combination of direct flights from the UK, investment in high quality hotels and experiences for holidaymakers puts it on the map.  Not only that it is competitively priced and has proved a 2013 success story as sales of its currency - the dong - grew 106 per cent year-on-year.

Kuoni's top ten bestselling destinations for 2014 so far are: 

1. Maldives
2. Thailand
3. Sri Lanka
4. UAE
5. USA
6. Mauritius
7. Malaysia
8. Cuba
9. Antigua
10. Singapore

Social media kicked off on 21 December with social media teasers, promoting the sale to Twitter #WithinYourReach and Facebook (www.facebook.com/kuonitraveluk) followers.

• Speak to a personal travel expert by calling 01306 747008 or visiting them in one of Kuoni's 30 High Street stores and John Lewis concessions throughout the UK open
• All new offers are loaded onto the company's website at www.kuoni.co.uk/offers
   

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For media enquiries please contact the Kuoni Press Office: Jemma Purvis on 01306 744 006/ jemma.purvis@kuoni.co.uk or Nicky Betts on 01306 744 669/ nicky.betts@kuoni.co.uk or Rachel O'Reilly on 07866 427870/ rachel@rorcomms.co.uk  

Editors Notes:

About Kuoni:  Kuoni (www.kuoni.co.uk) was established in 1906 in Switzerland by Alfred Kuoni, a visionary adventurer
and explorer of his time who opened some of Europe's first travel agencies. The company has more than 170 awards, including Best Tour Operator for the past six years at the Daily Telegraph's Ultratravel Awards. As well as selling
luxury worldwide holidays by phone, online and through a network of quality independent travel agents throughout the UK, Kuoni also has its own network of 22 exclusive travel stores across the UK and six Kuoni Partner Stores, which are leading independent travel agents with a first class reputation in their towns and cities. Kuoni can also be found within John Lewis stores in Cardiff, London Oxford Street, Reading, Southampton, Leicester, Brent Cross, Aberdeen and Welwyn.