year round?
pp. 61-63 · Read in the full issue
Fiji's tourist industry asks . . .
Why not excursion fares all the year round?
By a staff writer
Some leaders of the Fiji urist industry are not very ippy about South Pacific excur m air fares. In September the ncession fares, which were in duced in April, were extended the International Air Trans it Association by another 12 onths to March 31, 1969.
HE Fiji tourist people certainly have no objection to the fares such—but to the period in which V apply.
Under the new arrangement operat ; from last April the return mrsion fare from Australia to Fiji about 30 per cent, less than the iinary return fare. However, it ;s not apply between April 1 and ly 31, and between August 22 1 October 22.
Unfortunately Australian school lidays occur in this second period, 1 under the old arrangements :ursion fares applied and many nilies from Australia spent a week two in Fiji during August and )tember.
Reluctant travellers
Fhis year Australians were actant to pay the ordinary fares Fiji if they could get 30 per cent, ce cuts at other times. Many /e put off their Fiji trips until ristmas. Some have cancelled Fiji idays for good and gone else ere.
Consequently, fewer beds were id than usual in September in i’s rapidly expanding hotels and era! hotel owners are satisfied re is good reason to run excursion es at this time. rhe tourist industry (but not the lines) argues that if air fare cuts available, families should be able get them not just at Christmas, ; all year round.
August and September are Fiji’s ik months for tourists and the ony has in the past had more )ple visiting it then than at ristmas. Now the set-up could reversed.
Apparently the two exception
riods were introducd to suit holi yers from the United States, rather in from Australia or New Zealand, ith more Australians and New alanders visiting Fiji than Ameri ns it is hard to see why the nericans should have holiday time jference over those “Down Under”.
The simplest solution is to have cursion fares all year round —an ;a opposed by most of the trans cific airlines.
>Apua-New Guinea’S Three
scheduled airlines—Ansett-MAL, LA and Papuan Airlines Pty. Ltd. flew 9,121,554 short ton miles ring 1966, actually 189,071 miles ;s than in 1965. This is stated in 2 Australian Department of Civil nation’s Report for 1966-67, which ntains some interesting statistics on • travel in the territory during 1966. though the report doesn’t say it, ison for the drop on mileage ap ars to be due to increased use of ad transport in the Highlands.
More passengers arrived at Lae an Port Moresby, and Madang ndled the greatest amount of ught and the biggest amount of craft movements.
Australia’s overseas airline, Qantas, its 1966-67 report, announced its st-ever 1055—51,510,130 —caused a 28-day strike by the company’s ots last November and December 7M, Jan. p. 133).
IHE Outrigger, a modern three storey motel in Van a m a escent, about a mile from Port oresby’s main business centre, will en about November 14.
Built by New Guinea Motels Pty. d. which is a local syndicate of isinessmen, the motel contains 36 in-bed units, all air-conditioned th separate bathrooms, refrigerators id telephones.
Tariff will be about $9 per person r bed and breakfast or $l6 double, anager of the motel is an old New uinea hand, Mrs. L. E. Barclay illar.
IHE Hotel Kerema, in the Gulf - of Papua, opened in early :tober with 15 beds, lounge and ning rooms and a 50 ft long bar. le hotel licensee is Mr. H. G. llson, The Gulf of Papua is one ; the more primitive off-the-beaten ack areas of P-NG and hasn’t yet weloped tourism. Most visitors are ere on business.