Milestones

Press, 7 September 1976, Page 28

Milestones

The Customs Department in Christchurch has been besieged with enquiries about the travel tax since it was introduced on July 30. The tax applies only to the transportation costs of travelling overseas which, if the regulations are strictly applied, means that even a ride on a London bus or the New York subway — subject to the tax. But a few days ago the department was landed with a really curly one. A local man planning an expedition into a remote and roadless part of India is relying on a team of elephants to get his men and equipment to their destination. Would the “rental” charges be

taxable? They certainly would be, the department ruled. ■ The National Travel Association has recorded its opposition to the travel tax and has made detailed submissions to the Minister of Tourism calling for its repeal. ■ Qantas Airways is to buy three more Boeing 7478 jumbo jets, one of which will be a combined passenger/freight version known as a “combi.” The three aircraft will cost about SNZI4S million with spares and other equipment and will boost the Qantas jumbo fleet to 15. ■

Copies of “Tuesday Travel” are now being used in courses organised by the Wellington-based Travel Industry Training Council. The council’s executive training officer (Mr David Hicks) said in a letter to “The Press” that he was “most impressed with the content and quality” of the feature. “There are many articles in the supplement which can be used for sessions of our training courses — especially travel geography and itinerary planning,” said Mr Hicks. Even the touragrams are used. ■ Exploratory discussions by the United States have been held to consider giving Western Samoa a free

television station. The Americans would provide the equipment and technical expertise to establish the station and will also train Western Samoans to operate the service. A similar offer has been made to Tonga. ■ The announcement in “Tuesday Travel” last month that Air New Zealand and British Airways were discussing the posibility of a Concorde service for New Zealand prompted an enquiry from a reader on the time it would take to fly from

Auckland to Sydney. A British Airways spokesman estimated the flight would take about an hour. In fact, the aircraft would only be able to maintain super-sonic flight for about 10 minutes before having to begin its descent. ■ N.A.C., Mount Cook Airlines, and the Tourist Hotel Corporation have produced an attractive colour booklet packed with ideas for New Zealand holidays. Areas covered include the Bay of Island, Rotorua, Mount Cook, and

the Southern Lakes and Milford. ■ Two Air New Zealand moves in the Orient this year — the introduction of a non-stop service between Auckland and Singapore, and the replacement of DCBs with DC 10s on the Auckland I Sydney I Hong Kong route — are producing “most satisfying results.” Comparisons of traffic now being carried out with figures for those routes at the same time last year show significant increases.