MANY TOURISTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22779, 13 July 1937, Page 10

MANY TOURISTS

KECORD IN PROSPECT HEAVY SHIPPING LISTS INTEREST IN TRAVEL Unusually heavy passenger bookings on the main services arc being handled by Auckland shipping companies. Outward lists are being booked well in advance—one passenger having paid a deposit on a passage as fai; ahead as noxt March —and tho lines expect the arrival of more ordinary tourists this year than last, which enjoyed a revival. Tho Matson liner Mariposa was a full ship from Los Angeles and carried her record number of passengers from Auckland when she left for Sydney on Friday night. Tho New Zealand Shipping Company's liner Rotorua, which will sail from Auckland for London this morning, is fully booked, an unusual occurrence for this season of the year. A further instance of tho interest in travel is given in the booking of tho South Pacific Line motor-ship Maetsuycker, which will arrive here tomorrow morning from Saigon and way ports. The Maotsuycker, a unit in the recently inaugurated service between tho Dutch Lust Indies and New Zealand, has 61 passengers, of whom 32 are for Auckland. New Zealand travellers, mostly on a round trip, will fill all vacant berths when she leaves Wellington on Saturday, and a lengthly list of waiting passengers remains. It is the intention of the company to replaco the second ship in tho service, the Van Rees, early next year with tho Tasman, which offers greater accommodation. Localise of tho Coronation the southbound traffic from both Canada and tho United States will be unusually heavy, particularly from August until October,» when most New Zealanders and Australians who went to England will return for the spring. Then, too, a good many Americans will begin their overseas holidays, and tourist agencies believe that because of unsettled conditions on the Continent numerous Americans will take their holidays this year in the Dominion. Tho agencies already are besot with the problem of finding accommodation for the thousands of people who will come to Auckland between tho end of this year and the Roman Catholic celebrations in February. Tho Government Tourist Department anticipates that something like 20,000 visitors from all parts of New Zealand and overseas will participate in tho centennial celebrations of tho Church.