ELOISE GIBSON
Business people attracted by a cheap trip to China have been warned to take care with an offer of low cost flights.
Thousands of people are believed to have received an email offering flights, entry and accommodation for the Canton Trade Fair in Guangzhou in October and November for just $125. Airline Cathay Pacific says its plane appears on vouchers which have been issued to people who paid the fee, but the airline is not linked to the offer.
Spokesman Ian Herald said people had received emails from a Ponsonby-based company trading as Canton Trade Fair (NZ), offering flights and accommodation in return for spending time with Chinese suppliers.
”Basically you pay $125 and you get vouchers for flights to Canton for the trade fair and two nights accommodation, on the basis that you then have to see various Chinese suppliers,” he said.
the airline only became aware of the offer when people started calling and asking how to redeem the vouchers.
”They’ve got these tickets which has a picture of a Cathay Pacific aircraft on it.
”We’re not associated with the company and we don’t want to be associated with the company.”
David Catty, of the New Zealand China Trade Association, said Canton Trade Fair NZ was not officially associated with the Canton fair.
”There are no official New Zealand agents appointed for the Canton fair in October, we’ve checked that with the organisers and with the Chinese embassy. so anything that purports to be officially related to the Canton fair appears to be incorrect,” he said.
the association had advised its members to exercise caution and due diligence if they received an attractive-sounding offer.
a spokesman for Canton Trade Fair NZ was not available when BusinessDay called. However, a company employee said the offer of flights was not limited to Cathay Pacific. the company could book clients’ flights on any airline from New Zealand to China.
the employee said the company received commissions from suppliers in China in return for being introduced to New Zealand business people. More than 200 people had purchased vouchers, and places for the October fair were now fully booked.
– BusinessDay.co.nz
Business people warned about cheap flights