High air fares a handicap to travel — Japanese

Press, 4 December 1978, Page 6

High air fares a handicap to travel — Japanese

By

LES BLOXHAM,

travel editor

New Zealand would re-1 ceive a dramatic boost in its. number of Japanese visitors i if air fares were lowered, increased accommodation was; made available, and the Gov- 1 emment more actively promoted in Japan its country’s widely appealing tourist attractions. according to a group of leading travel agents and tour organisers from Japan. The party of 10 arrived in Christchurch yesterday after eight days in the Bay of Islands, Rotorua, Mount: Cook, Queenstown, and Milford Sound. Last evening' they were guests of the Mount Cook Group at a farewell dinner in the Shangri-La restaurant. Mr Yataro Wakabayashi. t assistant genera) manager off agency and inter-line sales.) Japan Air Lines, said the existing high air fares between Jancn and New Zealand — Y 453,600 (about $2200) re-; turn economy and Y 270,00 0; ($1285) — were handicapping! the development of travel between the two countries. Those prices, he said, could : not compete with the low! eight-day, all-inclusive pack-; age tours to Europe which the Japanese could buy for' as little as Y 230.000 (about : $1100). Mr Wakabayashi said the, Japanese Government was at present negotiating with!

Australia in an effort to introduce cheaper fares be-|‘ I tween Tokyo and Sydney, the: outcome of which could have! ,a bearing on .the fares to I I New Zealand. He added that it was generally hoped that there would! be a reduction of between 25 and 30 per cent in pro-! motional fares. Mr Wakabayashi said his! airline had not yet settled! lion a price for the special) charters to New Zealand next! “year, but he was confident) that the eight-day tours will] sell well. However, he said there was! 'a possibility that some of the! proposed 20 flights might be! diverted to Auckland. “We are not yet certain,! [but it could be that six or) seven of the charters might! I fly into Auckland.” he said.) He confirmed that Japan) I Air Lines would use its 152-i! [seat DCBs for the charters) ;planned for July and August., Mr Kesatoshi Ozawa- gen-) eral manager of the overseas!' I travel division of Fujita)' Travel Services, said he be-!' ilieved that New Zealand held' igreat potential for Japanese)' [honeymoon couples. [ Mr Ozawa’s company! l 'handles overseas holidays for about 14,000 newly-wed i couples annually and is de- : itermined to promote New!! Zealand — particularly!' 'Queenstown — as a destina-1

tion when he returns to, i Tokyo. But Mr Ozawa said New Zealand should not delay, in planning more accommodation to cope with a possible increase in visitors during ipeak periods in the future. Mr S. Kameda, chairman of Japan Creative Tours and spokesman for the group, said) its members were convinced' that New Zealand possessed) limitless potential for Japanese tourists. “But you must promote; these attractions in our coun-i try and be able to provide) {the hotel rooms when they) 'are needed,” he said. “If you want more tourists you must! first get more accommodation.” ) Mr Kameda said Japan’s! !present number of outbound' i tourists —3.7 M — would [almost double within the next, ' five years. I Members of the party were [unanimous that New Zealand; [offered everything that the! Japanese traveller wanted —■ scenery, solitude, an unpol-; -luted atmosphere, and per-; haps most importantly, hospitality that was unsurpassed; ! elsewhere. And the food? All agreed! that the Chinese dishes served at the special Shangri-i |La function last evening was; ‘“the finest Asian meal since! 1 leaving home.”