Vouchers bounce

Press, 27 September 1982, Page 17

Vouchers bounce

NZPA staff correspondent Hong Kong New Zealand consular officials in Hong Kong and Singapore have been approached this week by New Zealand travellers having problems with pre-paid hotel vouchers issued by the troubled New Zealand’ travel agency. Link Travel, Ltd. An individual, a family of four, and a group of five have sought information and advice from the New Zealand Commission in Hong Kong and the representative of a group of eight people approached the New Zealand High Commission in Singapore, according to officials.

All said their hotel bookings had not been made and the hotels involved were hot

to honour the prevouchers. A Hong Kong official said some travellers were being forced to seek cheaper alternative accommodation or shorten their stay.

In Singapore, an official said it was believed that vouchers issued by Link Travel were being accepted by most hotels. ’The travellers are being advised to keep all receipts because Link Travel is a bonded agency and refunds are possible. They are also being told that, if necessary, special arrangements can be made through the Reserve Bank to have funds transferred from New Zealand to help them overcome the accommodation problem.

A Hong Kong travel agency, Travel Advisers. Ltd, said it told hotels in July that it was no longer acting as Hong Kong agent for Link Travel and would accept no responsibility for vouchers issued by the New Zealand company.

Although air tickets held by the travellers remain valid, some of those in Hong Kong booked on Air New Zealand have found that because there is only one flight between Hong Kong and Auckland a week they are being forced to remain longer than their finances really permit. The Hong Kong Commission official said all, however, had managed to make adequate ar-