Games overbooked?

Press, 11 April 1979, Page 1

Games overbooked?

Restricted allocations for New Zealanders to visit Russia for the Olympic Games at Moscow next year will mean disappointment for some people who have paid deposits on the trip.

According to Mr D. Monteith, groups manager of Atlantic and Pacific International. Ltd, at Auckland, about 900 persons have booked for the trip, which has to be made as a package deal. The allocation of beds for New Zealand for the Games is about 350. Although the type of accommodation had not yet been fully confirmed, Mr Monteith said that he thought there would be 50 hotel beds available and the rest would be hosteltype accommodation in two or three-roomed apartments with four to an apartment.

He said that arrangements were still a little vague as the allocations had to go through the Russian Intourist organisation, Air New Zealand, and then through the New Zealand Olympic Committee. He expected to hear definite arrangements very soon.

Atlantic and Pacific and Thomas Cook, Ltd, agents in New Zealand for the Russian travel company, are working together to arrange the package deals, which include a tour of Britain, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, and Los Angeles. Other travel firms

are also handling the packages but the total allocation for New Zealand is included in their arrangements. . Mr Monteith said that New Zealand had instructions that New Zealand passport holders could only book from this country which means that a New Zealander living in London could not book from there unless he or she had a British passport. Air New Zealand has asked the Russians about that, he said, because there were so many people from different parts of the world living here.

“For instance, a person with a British passport who has been living here for 20 years would apply from London as the ruling stands now,” he said. “It looks as though it will be a case of first in, first served for those who have made deposits on the trip,” he said. “However, when it comes to the crunch there could be a reasonable drop-out rate by those who have booked two years ahead,” said Mr Monteith. Last year, the package was priced at $3600, but with the 7 per cent airfare increases last week

because of fuel price increases and more increases likely by the opening of the Games on July 19, 1980, Mr Monteith said that people could pay up to $5OOO each for the trip. Some people who wanted to go to the Olympics as part of an overseas tour might want to see only part of the Games, then move on, which would allow more bed vacancies. "In these cases, we will be able to book some persons for a part of the Games and others for the end,” he said. Some travel agents are still taking bookings.