Celebrate the prosperity tourism brings

Since the advent of cruise ships in our beautiful seaside town there have been several negative articles published regarding the impact of the resultant ‘new visitors’.

Akaroa is a tourist hotspot because of its history, harbour and natural beauty. Of course there has been a rise in the number of souvenir shops that cater to all tastes and all budgets. The pattern is the same from Buckingham Palace to the Vatican.

The question is however - would you allow someone selling a cheap plastic statue of Jesus spoil your experience of the Sistine Chapel and the work of Michael Angelo?

Whether you like it or not, tourism is New Zealand’s largest export earner providing over 200,000 jobs.

Surely after all that Canterbury has been through in the recent past we should be building each other up by celebrating the prosperity in the region not tearing each other down. Noel McGuigan Akaroa

Relocate the noisy coaches

Fleets of tour coaches collecting and returning cruise ship passengers at the main wharf clog up the narrow and already crowded Main St of Akaroa.

The noise generated by these coaches drowns out all conversation at street-side cafes and the fumes and vehicle overcrowding make this otherwise pleasant little town unbearable to the casual visitor.

At the north end of the town there is a large parking area adjacent to a small wharf. The buses should stop there. These would allow visitors to reach their coaches without poisoning the Akaroa experience for everyone else.

The town could then return to the business of charming both locals and visitors. Karol London Salisbury St