Weeks to assess attacks' impact on tourism

By SIMON HENDERY

The tourism action group the industry's response to the international travel confidence crisis says it will take a further fortnight to assess how the attacks on the United States will affect tourism into the New Year.

The group, made up of Tourism New Zealand, the Inbound Tour Operators Council and the Tourism Industry Association, yesterday met Qantas and Air New Zealand.

"We're holding to the same view that we had before that the market will be down from now to the end of the year by about 10 per cent," Tourism New Zealand chief executive George Hickton said.

When it meets again in two weeks, the group hopes to have more details on the falloff of forward bookings into the New Year.

It was impossible to know how yesterday's strikes against Afghanistan would affect international travel, Mr Hickton said. "It's a question of how soon it's over."

Though the terror attacks have prompted tourists around the world to cancel trips or put off travel plans, local businesses hope the perception of New Zealand as a safe destination will make it an attractive holiday spot particularly for Australian, British and Japanese travellers.

Mr Hickton said Tourism New Zealand planned to concentrate its marketing focus on those countries, and it was also reassessing how it approached the US market.

Full coverage: Terror in America

Pictures: Day 1 | Day 2 | Brooklyn Bridge live webcam

Video

The fatal flights

Emergency telephone numbers:

United Airlines: 0168 1800 932 8555

American Airlines: 0168 1800 245 0999

NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade: 0800 872 111

US Embassy in Wellington (recorded info): 04 472 2068