Visitor centre numbers down

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 14, Issue 670, 21 January 1997, Page 5

Visitor centre numbers down

Two of the Ruapehu District' s visitor information centres report a drop in the number of people through the doors over the last seven months as compared with the same time last year. Beth Richards from the Taumarunui Information Centre said the attendance growth rates of the previous three years which have averaged 27% have dropped, and that average daily attendance during December was 145 people compared with 184 in 1995. Similarly, staff at the information centre in Ohakune report attendance in De-

cember was 78 per day as compared with 93 in 1995. The council says no one reason is responsible for a decline in attendance. A drop in international visitors from New Zealand's traditional European markets, adverse economic and climatic conditions and that holidaying in many parts of New Zealand is down, seem to be the most common issues spoken about, said Mrs Richards. The actual trading activities of the information centres which includes transport, accommodation and activity bookings has remained very similar to 1995 and on track to meet the council' s projectedbudgets. This is in spite of very difficult trading conditions over the 1996 winter.