VOLUMINOUS BOOKINGS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26780, 25 May 1948, Page 6

VOLUMINOUS BOOKINGS

VISITORS TO OLYMPIC GAMES

HOUSEHOLDERS TAKE GUESTS For the Daily Times By Harvey Blanks LONDON, May 17. As the date for the fourteenth Olympic Games —July 29 to August 14 —draws near, growing, evidence of world-wide enthusiasm for this greatest of all festivals of sport is to be seen in the volume of requests received from overseas for accommodation during the games period. These requests, which refer to spectators only, come in letters to the Olympic Games Accommodation (Overseas Visitors) Committee set up at the British Tourist and Holidays’ Board headquarters to deal with accommodation inquiries. Arrangements for the 6000 competitors at the games are already complete. While it is not possible at this stage to estimate the number of visitors coming specifically for the games, there is news of large Olympic tour parties being organised in many countires. From America, for instance, requests for accommodation have been received for parties of 1500, 500, 300, and several smaller groups, most of them friends of officials and competitors.

In Sweden, Olympic bus tours are being organised from the main cities. From Belgium, an athletic league wants to book accommodation for 200 members. Czechoslovakia reports the organisation of one party of 400 and several smaller parties of students. In France, Holland, Switzerland. Norway, Sweden, similar parties have already been organised, In addition to these “ excursion ” groups, thousands of visitors will make individual arrangements direct through travel agencies. The games will be staged at the height fo the normal tourist season and many visitors will be embracing the games as part of a more comprehensive tour. This year is outstanding in the number of events of tourist appeal taking place in the country and it is estimated that from 450,000 to 500,000 tourists will visit Britain compared with 350,000 during 1947. . . . , A feature of the inquiries received by the accommodation committee is the willingness of many groups of visitors to accept “ camping ” conditions in their enthusiasm to see the games. Many young enthusiasts wishing to make the journey live in countries where the little currency available for holidays abroad makes it impossible to pay even modest expenses. Many ingenious plans to circumvent this difficulty have been suggested by correspondents. The secretary of a French organisation for cultural and social exchange, which hopes to organise an Olympic party of 100, said she had # war-time experience of London s air raid shelters and was cjuite satisfied that many visitors would be happy to be accommodated in them. A group Dutch postal and telegraph officers have proposed a scheme whereby their opposite numbers in Britain might offer hospitality to be repaid in Holland dt A Norwegian schoolboys wants to rent premises in which they can camp, asking only that a kitchen be available because they intend to bring food and their own chef An athletic club in Switzerland offers to bring tents for • 200 members. In Sweden, there is a plan.to charter two for Olympic parties. The ships woSld tie unTthe Thames and the visitors would live on board. The pressure on hotels from ordinary visitors for the games period has grown so great that the accommodation bureau has already begun plans to secure the co-operation of private householders within an hours travelling time of Wembley Stadium. A comprehensive scheme for inspecting and approving houses for billeting purposes is now well under way.