Avoiding city a tough game

Ajay Vagha's tour company is scheduling around the Cup. Photo / Doug Sherring

Luxury coach touring company APT has had to cancel or adjust a number of its tours because of the Rugby World Cup.

"It's been a logistical problem getting the jigsaw right so we're not in the cities at the same time as the big games," managing director Ajay Vagha says.

The family-owned operator's clientele are mostly Australians aged over 55 who prefer to avoid the "hustle and bustle".

"They perceive New Zealand as being full up. In October we should be kicking into action but bookings in the first half of the season are down by between 10 and 15 per cent."

APT also operates tours in other countries so the company overall is doing all right, Vagha says.

But the New Zealand side of the operation is missing out.

"There's a general perception tour companies will be making bucketloads of money out of this but that's not the case across the board."