Air link possible with Tasmania

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33252, 15 June 1973, Page 10

Air link possible with Tasmania

Air New Zealand could provide the first limited international passenger service to Tasmania if discussions between Tasmania’s Minister of Tourism (Mr B. K. Miller) and the airline proved successful.

Mr Miller arrived in Christchurch early last evening with 25 members of a Tasmanian travel mission, the first of its kind to leave the; state. While in New Zealand, he said, he would discuss with 'Air New Zealand the possibility of a fortnightly direct {charter tumround service between a New Zealand airport. I possibly Christchurch, and Hobart Airport. Hobart and Adelaide were the only large Australian cities without an international airport. Mr Miller said it was considered that Hobart’s runway {could take the DCB jets (operated by Air New Zealand, I but the airport did not have 'immigration, health, or customs facilities. If a limited international; service proved successful, it was hoped that a regular ser-I |vice would be established.; Tasmania hoped that by operating the charter service from New Zealand it would attract a lot of American jtourists passing through NewZealand. However, no matter what the result of discussions between Air New Zealand and Mr Miller, approval for inter- : national services into Hobart would still have to be obtained from the Commonwealth Government. Tasmania’s tourist industry was developing rapidly, mainly as a result of the Wrest Point Casino in Hobart, which opened earlier this ; year. Mr Miller said. Airline bookings into Tasmania in March were up 65 per cent on the same month last year.. Visitors to the state had in-; creased by 35 per cent in the,, last 12 months, mainly since p the casino opened. Mr Miller said that a re-h cent economic survey estima-p ted that tourism was worth i

sAust34m annually to Tas. mania. It spent $2.88 pei head on tourism a year com pared with 30c a head m New South Wales. About 4 pei cent of Tasmania’s malt work-force and 6.7 per cent of the female work-force was involved in the industry. While in New Zealand. Mr Miller has been invited to meet the Minister of Tourism (Mrs Tirikatene-Sullivan). Mr Miller said they planned to discuss two areas of mutual interest — the development of farm-type holidays and the possibility of establishing a Government-operated hotel m Tasmania, serving as a staff training school for hotel workers and those engaged in similar work. Maori artefacts were also of interest to the mission, said Mr Miller, as a Tasmanian Government subcommittee had been established on local arts and crafts and persons engaged full time in such an industry. While in New Zealand, the mission would visit most of the country’s tourist resorts, and the travel trade section would end its visit at a national tourism conference in Whangarei later in the month.