Kiwi Demand for Gallipoli Tour Strong

Kiwi Demand for Gallipoli Tour Strong with Non-Balloted Travellers

Spots on a special New Zealand trip to Gallipoli, Turkey, to mark the centenary of WWI have been snapped up, with many travellers still making the pilgrimage despite not being able to attend official celebrations.

The nine-day tour has been developed by Managing Director of House of Travel in Palmerston North, Stephen Parsons, and has proven popular with Kiwi couples who wish to pay their respects at the historic site on ANZAC Day.

Due to the limited capacity of Gallipoli’s small commemorative site, a ballot system allocated attendance passes for April 25th 2015, with only around 1000 double passes made available for New Zealanders.

While some of the 80 people already booked on the tour have received tickets to the official commemoration event via the ballot, Parsons says nearly a quarter of the travellers will not be able to attend – but that hasn’t deterred them from signing up to the historic tour.

“They may not be able to attend the official ceremonies on Gallipoli Peninsula on ANZAC Day, but many Kiwis are simply eager to visit the region, learn more about the history of Gallipoli, and pay tribute to those soldiers who gave their lives by being in Turkey at such a significant time,” says Parsons.

For anyone who is in the official New Zealand ballot but is yet to accept their attendance passes, a final deadline of 7 December, 2014 has been issued this week by the Ministry of Culture and Heritage. “If you are in the ballot, it’s important to make a decision now and book travel so you don’t miss out,” Parsons advises.

The travel specialist says there are just 20 spots left open on the tour - which will also include sightseeing throughout Istanbul and visits to the Temple of Athena and the ancient city of Troy - and encourages people to book now if they wish to be a part of the commemorations.

The tour will be rich in history and expert knowledge, with leading Kiwi historians attending, including Glyn Harper, Professor of War Studies at Massey University in Palmerston North. He is Massey’s Project Manager for the Centenary History of New Zealand and the First World War project and is writing one of the first volumes of the history.

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