OVERSEAS VISITORS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22864, 20 October 1937, Page 16

OVERSEAS VISITORS

LARGE NUMBER ARRIVES ¥ HEAVY RAILWAY TRAFFIC t EXTRA CARS ON EXPRESSES ► —■ — Outward passenger traffic by express trains from Auckland was again exceptionally heavy yesterday, necessitating the provision of additional accommodation. The increased activity was most noticeable on tho limited express for Wellington last night, which, with tho New Plymouth express attached, comprised a total of 15 units when it left Auckland. One extra sleeping car and two extra secondclass carriages were necessary. Tho increase in traffic may be largely explained by the arrival of the Monterey and the Niagara with large numbers of overseas visitors. Many of these left for the South on Monday, but others apparently preferred to spend the day in Auckland and leave yesterday. Although tho number of travellers by the afternoon express for Wellington was not out of the ordinary, this train also was an exceptionally largo one, comprising a total of 16 units when it left Auckland. Four carriages being despatched to Wellington for departmental purposes, an extra waggon' of mails and another of newspapers accounted for tho unusual length of the express. Tho arrival of •other overseas ships and consequent heavy bookings by the expresses for the South, has resulted in a decision to run tho express for New Plymouth as a separate train tomorrow night, Railway officials stated yesterday that two cars had been booked for visitors arriving by tho Ilangitiki which is due to-night with a record for the season of 400 passengers. ACCOMMODATION PEOBLEM SERIOUS SHORTAGE EXPECTED [by telegraph—press association] WELLINGTON, Tuesday "Prospects of a record tourist influx face New Zealand and our most serious problem this summer will bo a shortage of hotel accommodation, not only at the major resorts, but at the smaller places, too," said Mr. R. W. Marshall, Wellington district manager of tho Government Tourist Bureau, to-day. "Advance itineraries from offices in JEngland, Australia and America indicate that tho coining tourist season will bo tho heaviest ever experienced. In addition to the cruise ships coming there will bo numbers of parties coming on conducted tours, staying from 10 days to three weeks in the Dominion. We have received, too, a large number of inquiries from American sources, due to .the tourist traffic normally directed to Japan and China j being diverted to New Zealand on account of the hostilities in tho East."