MANY TOURISTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22578, 17 November 1936, Page 10

MANY TOURISTS

RECORD BOOKINGS CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR ACCOMMODATION PROBLEM Tourist bookings made by the Auckland office of the department for the Christmas and New Year season are easily a record, well eclipsing last year's figures, which were an advance on any recorded previously. This applies both to advance bookings by overseas visitors and to local business. A difficulty now is to get hotel accommodation in Auckland for overseas visitors, some hotels being fully booked for the Christmas period and from January 9 to 23. The hotel accommodation difficulty is intensified in January because of several conferences which will be held in Auckland. Tho conference of Australian and New Zealand surgeons is from January 18 to 23, and the Australian and New Zealand Science Congress from January 12 to 18. There is also a chemists' conference in January. More Australian Visitors There has been a substantial increase in bookings by Australian visitors, the traffic from Australia having developed a great deal in the past two or three years. American and English visitors are also to come to Now Zealand in good numbers. There is naturally heavy booking by overseas visitors for such resorts as Rotorua, Waitomo Caves and also for such places in the South Island as Queenstown and other lake districts. If tho American shipping strike continues the tourist traffic will be materially affected, however. Many intending American visitors booked their tours three months ahead, and if their steamer passages are cancelled a great deal of inconvenience will be caused to hotels. Even if steamers are merely changed, the inconvenience will be great, for fresh itineraries will have to be arranged and there may be difficulties in arranging for accommodation. Inquiries from India

However, it is possible that the overseas tourist business will be a record even if tho American hold-up is prolonged, for the majority of tourists come from Australia. The traffic from America is being helped by the tourist office opened some time ago in Ixjs Angeles, and benefit is also accruing from the office opened in London. Quite a number of inquiries are now coming to hand from intending visitors from Indfa. The department has agents in India, but a good portion of the inquiry is the result of accounts from friends, a typical instance being a recommendation by some persons who went to Australia on a P. and 0. cruise and continued their journey to New Zealand, with a result that they became enthusiastic about the Dominion.