More Asian tourists foreseen

Press, 6 February 1986, Page 7

More Asian tourists foreseen

Asians will comprise a growing proportion of tourists visiting New Zealand during the next 10 years, says an Australian tourism consultant, Mr Kerry Watson. As a director of the Australian hotel management company, Quality Inns Group, Mr Watson is helping Paynter Holdings, Ltd, to start by. July 7, stage one of its new luxury Edgewater Resort at Wanaka. Mr Watson is deputy chairman also of Australia’s Inbound

Operators Association. The economies of Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea were still expanding, Mr Watson said yesterday. “This is bound to result in many more Asian tourists travelling, including a predicted eight million Japanese a year by the 1990 s compared with the current figure of five million,” he said. The tourists, many of whom spoke limited English, would require special attention.

“New Zealanders can no longer afford the attitude that these Asian tourists should learn to cope with the way things are done here. Many other competing tourist destinations are fast learning how to best look after the tourists, who will leave a lot of money behind.” One way to improve New Zealand’s capacity to deal with such tourists was to send New Zealanders in the tourist industry to Japan, Mr Watson said. "This country also has. --A -

the potential to produce more quality products for tourists instead of souvenir trinkets. The tourists like to buy plenty of products that are internationally recognised for their quality.” Mr Watson said that the South Island required more top-quality accommodation and tours with more activities included. More Japanese tourists would in future explore New Zealand in hired transport and would seek a greater variety of accommodation and shops, 4

he predicted. Wanaka’s new Edgewater Resort, to be managed by Quality Inns, would generate about 30 new jobs in the district, Mr Watson said. “The 86 studios and suites (with kitchens) are well located next to the lake shore with ideal access to the popular Treble Cone and Cardrona skifields. The accommodation is aimed at the middle to upper market with an overnight stay in a suite to cost $l2O, and $B5 for a studio.”