Japanese experts needed—Mr Moore

Press, 10 January 1986, Page 8

Japanese experts needed — Mr Moore

PA Wellington An increase in Japanese tourists has created a demand for people skilled in Japanese language and culture, the Minister of Tourism, Mr Moore, says. Figures show 50,000 Japanese visited New Zealand last year, an increase of 29 per cent on 1984. During a five-year period the number of Japanese holidaymakers has risen 161 per cent. Mr Moore said Japanese were the third largest contributors to the New Zealand tourist flow, after Australians and Americans. “There is no doubt some sectors of the tourist industry are having difficulty finding employees with a sufficient grasp of the Japanese needs and wants, so they cannot give them the most efficient service during their stay,” he said. The Japanese market was significant and had to be efficiently serviced to realise its full potential, Mr Moore said. The Tourist and Publicity Department was already running training seminars for specialist Japanese tourist workers.