Chch tourism hit by winter slump

Press, 27 July 1989, Page 6

Chch tourism hit by winter slump

By

LES BLOXHAM

Christchurch’s tourist businesses are having a lean winter as the number of foreign holidaymakers continues to dwindle.

Managers are hoping that last month’s slump, which left some top hotels with as many as 70 per cent of their rooms empty, will show signs of a recovery later in the year.

"We’re making some progress but it's very hard work,” said the director of Orana Park, Mr Paul Garland, yesterday.

He said that while his business over all was up a little on last year, it could best be described “as still in the doldrums.” Mr Garland said he had noticed in particular a dramatic fall in self-drive tourists.

“Unlike a couple of years ago we now rarely see a campervan,” he said.

Ferrymead Park is also suffering. “Like everyone else, we are hurting,” said

the park’s director, Mr Robin Sutton.

Ferrymead had hoped that growth this year would make up for a 12 per cent fall in visitors in 1988.

“That just hasn’t happened,” said Mr Sutton. The manager of a Christchurch duty-free shop said business was much quieter than normal. “There has been an obvious drop in Japanese tourists in June and July,” he said. The Tourist and Publicity Department has not yet released its visitor statistics for May, but according to an informed source they will reveal a 19 per cent decrease in Japanese tourists for the month.

The over-all growth from all markets for the year ended in May is reportedly only 1.7 per cent — barely an extra 15,000 visitors. Asked if he could give any reasons for the sudden change of heart in the Japanese market after

several years of spectacular ' growth, Mr John Somerville, assistant regional manager of Japan Airlines in Auckland, said he believed there had been a shift of emphasis to Europe as a destination.

“The Japanese see Europe as a multi-destina-tional place for a holiday which offers good value for money,” he said. “Our flights there are chocker.”

Mr Bruce Dunstan, chief executive of the Canterbury Promotion Council, is optimistic that the tourist flow will improve later in the year.

“I understand that forward bookings, although not wildly exciting, are more encouraging,” he said.

Air New Zealand said yesterday it was preparing to stimulate foreign markets in a bid to increase the flow of tourists to New Zealand.

“We are putting initiatives in place to ensure it will happen,” said Mr Rendell Mclntosh, a public affairs spokesman.