Coaches miss out on Cup tourists

Coach companies say they face a drop in business during the Rugby World Cup. Photo / Supplied

Coach companies say they face a drop in business during the Rugby World Cup because tourists are being put off by high accommodation prices.

Bus and coach firms canvassed by the Herald said their long-term tourist bookings for the September-October period were weak, in a period when they were normally busy.

Explorer Tours operates luxury coaches holding 20 people or more for corporate and travel transfers.

Manager Darryl Cooper said his company was not being booked on weekdays between big matches because pricey accommodation bills had taken up all of the tourists' budgets.

"The tourists are not coming and we are stuck using the coaches one day a week. We are having to make whatever money we can."

He said his company was 75 per cent booked on the major game nights in October, but had little or no bookings in between.

"For the World Cup we are a bit stuck between a rock and a hard place. We have to pay our drivers more because they'd rather be at home watching the World Cup.

"I'll probably have a worse September than I have ever had because I won't see any tourists. The rugby thing has kind of ruined it for us."

Hotel prices have skyrocketed for the September-October period and visitors could pay up to $1500 a night.

Glen Craven, manager of coach companies Auckland Bus Hire, City Transfers services and NZ Tours, said his company had had a lot of inquiries, but few bookings.

"The cost of accommodation has cost us a lot of work. Hotels have just killed it for us. People just can't afford it."

His City Transfers company has two groups booked for a two-week service in September.

Last year in September his company had 14 tours booked, each for five days. No long trips were booked for October, he said, just nightly bookings on game nights.

"A lot of us thought it was going to be the be-all and end-all but it's not looking that way."

Time is running out for the coach companies, as they have until August 1 to pay a $200 deposit for a parking space within five allocated Eden Park locations.