Tourist head warmly praised in U.S.

Press, 16 August 1978, Page 13

Tourist head warmly praised in U.S.

From

JOHN HUTCHISON

in San Francisco

Travel from the United States will overload accommodation in New Zealand within five years, according to an expert in California who gives unstinted credit to the New Zealand Government Tourist Office and its director in San Francisco. Dr Cyril Herrmann, vice-president for travel and tourism for the world- 1 wide management firm of Arthur D. Little, Inc., says that introduction of a new “budget” fare by carriers flying the United StatesNew Zealand runs will be one reason for the increased load on New Zealand facilities. The other, he notes, is the Government Tourist Office’s promotion effort in the United States and Canada under the leadership of Mr Lang Manning, New Zealand’s senior travel commissioner for North America, whose headquarters are in San Francisco. “His office does such an effective job,” said Dr Herrmann, “that its work, coupled with the new fares, is definitely producing a problem. The traffic will push New Zealand facilities beyond the limit by 1983.” Re has recently presented a study of the American tourism policy for the United States Senate, and is widely experienced in Pacific travel deveb opments. Mr. Manning will retire

in October after almost 42 years with the New Zealand Tourist and Publicity Department. “He will be missed,” said Dr Herrmann. “He can go home with the knowledge that he has done an outstanding job.” Another professional observer of travel promotion gives the New Zealand efforts high marks. Mr Fred Rae, editor of “Pacific Travel News,” a leading magazine in its field, said: “We see all the foreign tourist operations. The New Zealanders have one of the most business-like and professional. “We often wonder whether some of the foreign Governments are properly using their tourism promotion funds, but the New Zealand office handles its money well and spends it wisely.” He, too, expects the budget fare to be popular, and he says it has already generated a new level of inquiry from the public. It does, however, have some awkward limitations. Return fares from California to Auckland range from $2406 first class and $1504 economy through three other options. The budget rate of $698 is the lowest but it is encumbered with various restrictions. One of them is that the airline will decide, within seven to 14 days of flight time, which day the passenger will depart. This

makes booking of accommodation uncertain. "New Zealand has every advantage for tourist trade,” said Mr Manning “except low fares. Even people who have plenty oi mcmey think twice before visiting New Zealand at a fare four or five times that to Landon. “I know ail the arguments about why fares can’t come down, but my job is to persuade people to visit New Zealand. “We have a great product,” he continued, "and no other country gets as good a reception here for its publicity as New Zealand does. “My predecessors and I have carried on one of the most active travel promotion programmes in North America, and I have yet to meet an American who has visited our country and would say afterward that he didn’t enjoy it.” Mr Manning joined the Tourist Bureau in 1937, and except for commissioned service „in the Royal Navy in World War 11, has spent his career in a business which has become the world’s biggest industry. In retirement in Auckland with his wife and daughter he will be hard pressed to find wall space for the dozens of awards, commendations and honours with which the American travel trade has recognised his contribution.