Hoteliers blame bad publicity for downturn

By ANNE-MARIE EMERSON
NEGATIVE publicity about Wanganui in the wake of the shooting of a young girl last weekend may be the reason for a downturn in business, according to some local accommodation providers.
Some of the motels spoken to by the Wanganui Chronicle yesterday reported either a sudden decline in business or cancellations of bookings this week.
Two-year-old Jhia Harmony Te Tua was killed on Saturday night while she slept in a Puriri St house that was the target of a drive-by shooting. The shooting is believed to be linked to gang rivalries between Black Power and the Mongrel Mob.
There has been a large police and media presence in Wanganui since the shooting, with some national media agencies describing the city as "under siege" or "terrified".
Warren Ford, the owner of Riverside Motel, told the Wanganui Chronicle he believed the negative publicity around the gang situation may have contributed to "business dropping off".
"We don't get a lot of bookings, but we get people dropping in looking for a bed. It's been really quiet this week, and I would think it's related to the gangs."
"It worries me, the image Wanganui is getting on the telly. People are thinking twice about coming here."
A group of 16 French cyclists cancelled their booking at Braemar House after hearing of the shooting. The manager of Braemar House declined to comment.
Anndion Lodge also experienced cancellations as a direct result of the shooting.
Anne Ngata, Anndion's manager, told the Chronicle one woman, who is a regular visitor to Wanganui, went to Palmerston North instead because she was concerned about security in Wanganui.
"We had some British tourists who considered cancelling their visit to Wanganui, but they did come here eventually." Mrs Ngata admitted she was worried about how Wanganui was being portrayed by the media.
"Once a town has a stigma, it's hard to get rid of.
"People from overseas hear there are gang problems in Wanganui, and that's it. They don't want to come here."
However, most motels and hotels said it was business as usual for May.
Several motels reported they had been busier than usual since the shooting, with at least one saying business was booming thanks to the increased police and media presence in the city.
Tony Cato, manager of the i-Site visitor centre, said the centre's visitor numbers for this week were almost identical for the same week last year.
"It may be too soon for any real effect to be felt yet.
"There will always be some people who have a knee-jerk reaction to these things, but I hope this terrible tragedy won't damage Wanganui's tourism."