Tourists unable to get to N.Z.

Press, 4 February 1987, Page 1

Tourists unable to get to N.Z.

By

LES BLOXHAM,

travel eaitor New Zealand is missing thousands of Asian tourists because of an acute shortage of airline seats. Singapore Airlines’ new non-stop, service between Singapore and Christchurch is proving so popular thatthe. airline has as many as ;300 r people;on the: waiting list for each flight., Tourist numbers from Singapore during October, the month the service started, show an over-all increase of 218 per cent. According to the monthly statistics given by the Tourist and Publicity Department, 1746 Singaporeans visited New Zealand last October compared with 548 for the same month in 1985. The figures for November are expected to show an even more dramatic growth, reflecting the impact of British Airways’ direct service through Singapore to Christchurch,

which began on October 31. Two important trade missions to Asia last year and an increased presence by the Tourist and Publicity Department in Singapore have, also served to foster an awareness of New Zealand as a tourist destination. Mr Murray Wild, Christchurch sal.es, manager for Singapore VAlrJines.'-said an even greatyr niimber of Asians Would ? ’have, visited New Zealand if seats had been available. “We currently have waiting lists of up to 300 people for 1 every flight,” he said. “Several travel operators have told me that they have lost thousands of potential customers because they simply cannot arrange the carriage,” Mr Wild said. A spokeswoman for British Airways said the airline was very happy with the support it was receiving for the flights through Singapore.