Little interest in going to Sydney

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32460, 21 November 1970, Page 2

Little interest in going to Sydney

Roman Catholics in Christchurch do not seem very interested in travelling to Sydney at the end of the month to see Pope Paul—it is doubtful if 50 in all will be crossing the Tasman specially to see the first Papal visit to Australia.

Christchurch travel agents say that the lack of interest had been something of a surprise to the industry throughout New Zealand. One Christchurch firm which was the first to market a tour aimed at cashing in, oh the Pope’s visit has received 60 firm bookings, but practically all are from the North Island. Some of the firms have not taken a single booking. Apart from a Roman Catholic tour group from Auckland, there had been little interest throughout the Dominion, said one travel agent’s representative.

Bookings on trans-Tasman flights by Air New Zealand and Qantas about the period of Pope Paul’s visit are no heavier than usual. No special flights have been chartered.

In spite of agents’ representation on the West Coast, response there has been virtually nil. One priest in Central Otago left a Christchurch travel office with 200 specially-prepared brochures, confident that he could get a group together for the Pope’s visit. .The result was disappointing. The only travellers will be the priest himself and a fellow priest. Agents say that travellers are going to Sydney at the week-end of the Pope’s visit, but not specifically for that reason. One of the reasons for the poor response, it is considered, is the beginning of school holidays coupled with the start of pre-Christmas spending. “Also, people are more inclined to watch the Pope at leisure on television in their homes rather than spend several hundred dollars just to catch. a fleeting glimpse,” said another agent.

The Roman Catholic Bishop of Christchurch (the Most Rev. B. P. Ashby) will be in Sydney, on his way home from Rome, for the occasion of the Papal visit. Bishop Ashby has given permission for any priests in his diocese to attend, if they so wish.

A church spokesman said yesterday that he had not heard of any priests going, although this was not to say nobody would go. The Christchurch diocese will be officially represented at the Papal Mass at Randwick by 10 laymen in the offertory procession and another in the communion procession.

The presbytery had received 30 to 40 applications seeking tickets for events in Sydney connected with Pope Paul’s visit, the spokesman said. Apart from tickets for the Official party, there had been no others available for issue.