Employers want more effort to bring long-haul flights into Wellington Airport

May 31, 2011Business, PressRelease2 comments

Press Release – Wellington Employers’ Chamber of Commerce
Accommodation data released today showing significant growth in Wellington’s international guest nights is further confirmation that the city needs to be pursuing long haul flights, according to the Wellington Employers’ Chamber of Commerce.

“Wellington recorded the fastest growth in international guest nights in March 2011 – up 5000 or 5% on the year before. This reflects ongoing and increasing interest from international visitors in Wellington as a destination,” said Chamber Chief Executive Ken Harris.

“A direct air link to Asia is a must for Wellington. It is something the Chamber has been pushing for a long time.

“Having the ability to fly direct to Asia would attract internationally oriented businesses and people to the region and help expand international business. As today’s figures show, it would also capitalise on Wellington’s growing reputation as a tourist destination.

“The data also records Wellington as having a high and growing occupancy rate of 70%. This suggests investment in new international standard accommodation for Wellington is overdue.

“Positively Wellington Tourism, which has been focussing on marketing Wellington overseas can take much of the credit for the increased visitor numbers and should be congratulated,” Mr Harris concluded.

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2 comments:

  1. samiam, 31. May 2011, 15:13

    Perhaps instead of wasting money on a sign no-one wants, the airport could instead get on with its job and develop the airport to be able to take these long haul flights.

     
  2. The City is Ours, 31. May 2011, 23:18

    The Wellington ratepayer would welcome the hospitality industry (average occupancy rates of 70% – congratulations) to start charging a room tax to offset maintenance on public assets like roads, museums, parks and lobster loos. This is common practice in many major cities throughout the world and visitors hardly blink an eye when asked for it. What is needed is a forward thinking Council to make these kinds of decisions on behalf of the people they represent and an administration to enforce these rules.

     

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