The suburbs outside the city will enjoy the benefits
of this month’s Edinburgh Tattoo as a dire room shortage has hit Wellington,
according to a local hospitality boss. People have heavily booked hotel rooms
in the capital for the Weekend of February 20-21 as the event happens at the
same date as other big events such as the Wine, Food and Craft Beer Festival,
Round the Bays and the arrival of Victoria University first-year students. Hospitality
Association Wellington president Jeremy Smith said huge demand for rooms
reminds only to "the good old days when sevens was fully booked".
Smith said hotel owners would not be the only beneficiaries
of the big weekend because I expect a fair number of people coming from
Australia for the Tattoo. He expected the people unable to find hotel rooms in
the city will try their luck with camper vans, or with motels and hotels outside
the city. Some friends or relatives of Kiwis travelling to the tattoo in
Wellington and its suburbs will host their guests. But situation is expected to
improve with management of additional rooms available towards the start of the
event.
