Petrol restrictions 'threaten tourism’

Press, 13 October 1983, Page 12

Petrol restrictions 'threaten tourism’

The tourism industry would suffer considerably if week-end petrol restrictions were introduced, a meeting of the South Island Promotion Association’s executive was told this week.

Although overseas tourists would be largely exempt from restrictions as they used rental cars, their travel was often disrupted when they found that the service stations which were supposed to supply them fuel were closed, said the acting chairman and vicepresident, Mr M. F. Hunter.

Some more remote areas of the South Island, such as Milford Sound, suffered a “disproportionate hardship” with week-end restrictions, he said.

Many of these locations were popular week-end tourist attractions, but res-, trictions would severely limit visitor numbers. The association’s West Coast regional chairman, Mr W. J. Mumm, said that the entire West Coast would be affected because of its isolation.

A motel proprietor, Mr A. Rutherford, said that overseas tourists would not be hit as hard as domestic travellers. Seventy per cent of those who stayed at

motels were New Zealanders.

Week-end closing was the most economic solution for service station owners, one member told the meeting.

If an alternative method of restriction, such as cars with odd and even numbers being allowed petrol on alternate days was used, it would not be viable for a service station to open during the week-ends because of wages costs. The meeting decided to write to the Minister of Tourism, Mr Talbot, and the Minister of Energy, Mr Birch, to draw their attention to the problems such restrictions would pose for tourism in the South Island. Japanese speaking The association has organised a Japanese speaking competition, the final of which will be held at Noahs Hotel on October 20. The chief executive of 5.1.P.A., Mr J. Mains, said the competition had attracted 32 entrants. The idea was of general importance to the economy, he said, as it would promote a better understanding of the Japanese tourists and visitors, and would improve relations with them. There will be two classes

in the competition, for secondary school pupils, of which 20 had entered, and an open class. The competitions would be judged by three Japanese nationals, he said, and prizes had been given by local travel companies. Power discount Tourist facilities such as chairlifts at ski-fields should be eligible for a 25 per cent discount on power tariffs, the meeting decided. Mr G. Ramshaw noted that the Cardrona ski-field in the Crown Range had recently installed an electrical lift. “Surely this should be eligible for the discount, as the spin-off from the ski-ing industry is most important to tourism and many retail businesses in the South Island,” he said. The ski-field company had written to the Ministry of Energy, and supporting letters had been written by the Mount Cook Company. The meeting decided that it too should write a supporting letter. Sir Hamish Hay said he was surprised that the skifield did not automatically get the discount.