More British visitors

Press, 17 September 1976, Page 18

More British visitors

Parliamentary reporter A surprising and pleasing feature of tourism to New Zealand in the last year has been the steady growth in visitors from the United Kingdom, according to the annual report of the Tourist and Publicity Department, tabled in Parliament. This is all the more remarkable considering the depressed state of the United Kingdom economy, says the report. The number of holidaymakers from the United Kingdom increased 22 per cent during the year, probably influenced substantially by the direct Air New Zealand-British Airways service to London, through Los Angeles. In the year ended March

31, 384,500 visitors came to New Zealand, an increase of 6.5 per cent- over the previous year. There was a significant decrease in the number arriving to work, or for working holidays (48.6 per cent), but the number of visitors on holiday increased 11.6 per cent, and the number staying with friends or relatives increased 3.3 per cent.

In the decade ended December 31, 1975, the average annua! growth in international tourist arrivals was 6.9 per cent. New Zealand's intake increased by an average of 17.4 per cent. At the same time, total international tourist receipts rose an average of 11.5 per cent, while New Zealand’s share was 27 per cent.