Tourists Flee Bad Weather

Media Release: 23 December 2004

TOURISTS FLEE BAD WEATHER

The dismal start to summer, and less than encouraging prospects has been sending tourists and Kiwis packing.

Travel consultants from Flight Centre, one of New Zealand’s largest travel agencies, have been inundated with people fed up with the cold and rain and wanting to escape.

Managing director Graeme Moore said enquiries and bookings to Fiji and the Pacific Islands have been on the rise in recent days, with most clients attributing it to the weather.

“Our consultants have taken a lot of bookings from foreign visitors disgruntled at the New Zealand weather,” he said.

“One American couple booked a holiday in Rarotonga the day they flew into New Zealand, because they were so disappointed that it was cold and pouring with rain.”

“Another British couple cut short their New Zealand holiday in favour of a week in Fiji before they returned home because they had hoped for a bit of summer sun.”

And it’s not just tourists who are despairing of the lack of sun, said Moore.

A number of Kiwis have booked last minute trips, even if a lack of hotel and flight availability has meant paying more for the privilege, he said.

“We’ve had lots of enquiries about people cancelling their domestic holidays and hoping to fly out as soon as the following day because they’ve had enough,” said Moore.

“One client cancelled a holiday at the bach to go to Australia, and ended up paying an additional $800 for the package because the only room left was an executive suite. The client’s words were: ‘I’ve had enough, let’s do it’, which is the general sentiment everywhere”.

Another family, who had planned to sail their boat around New Zealand over summer, ended up selling it in favour of a holiday in Rarotonga.

“They had originally wanted to sell it after summer, but brought the settlement date forward because they didn’t see the point.”

“We only hope the weather improves before there’s a real impact on the tourism industry.”

ENDS

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