TOURIST TRAFFIC.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 185, 7 August 1925, Page 5

TOURIST TRAFFIC.

ORGANISED EFFORT WANTED. PROPOSALS FOR DEVELOPMENT. DISCUSSED BY CONFERENCE. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. A conference of delegates representing various interests concerned, called by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce to consider proposals for efficient development of the tourist traffic of the Dominion, is being held to-day. -Mr. D. J. McGowan (president of the chamber), who presided, briefly addressed the delegates, and emphasised the work that iiad already been done by the Wellington Chamber in the diretcion of securing organisation of the Tourist Office. Mr. A. Leigh Hunt was then appointed chairman of the conference. In a preamble to a report prepared by the Publicity and Tourist Committee of the chamber the natural attractions of New Zealand for tourists were emphasised, and the opinion was expressed that it was desirable that our tourist traffic should be placed upon a commercial basis and developed so as to become a permanent source of considerable and increasing revenue, both to the State and those providing facilities for tourists. The chief reforms needed were adequate publicity, improved accommodation, and co-ordinated effort. It was desirable that the activities of the State tourist and publicity service should be co-ordinated with those of private concerns having similar objects, and that the principle of commercial methods and management should be applied to the operations of these departments of the State. Mr. Hunt said the main principle was whether private enterprise was prepared to endorse a movement for organisation of the tourist traffic and contribute funds towards such an organisation. The number of tourists in New Zealand last year was 7423. these figures, as compared with European and American, being simply negligible.