FROM AUSTRALIA.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 282, 29 November 1927, Page 9

FROM AUSTRALIA.

OVERSEAS TOURISTS.

WILL HOLIDAY STEAMERS RUN ? CABLES ARRIVING DAILY. "Are there any signs of the threatened hold-up of shipping in Australia affecting tourist traffic in New Zealand!" was asked of Messrs. Thomas Cook and Son this morning.

"The indications are," was the reply, "that intending tourists are going ahead with their arrangements. We are receiving cables daily for tours to be arranged, and some messages have come this morning. This looks as though the Australians are optimistic enough to believe that there will be no serious dislocation in the passenger services."

Australians, appear to be regarded with favour by thdse who have to do with the tourist trade. They are said too be reasonably free with their money, easily pleased in the matter of accommodation, and appreciative of New Zealand scenery. For these reasons it is hoped that the traffic between the two countries will steadily increase.

An Optimistic Outlook. j The seriousness of the outlook in Aus- j tralian shipping circles is not to be made light of, and it is recognised that anything in the nature of a dislocation at holiday time would seriously affect the returns from the tourist trade in this Dominion. At the same time, the trouble is not being met half-way, and all concerned are in hopeß that this summer will i see a large migration of visitors from the Commonwealth.

Many inquiries have been received of late by the tourist agencies concerning tours for Canadians and Americans who will be calling here on their way to the big Eucharistic Congress to be held in Sydney next spring. It is expected that a large number will arrive from Vancouver in July and that there will be conducted parties to various parts of the i Dominion.

A party of forty Americana have ar-! ranged for a Cook's tour through New j Zealand in February next. This will be j a conducted party, and they will travel over most of the Dominion. j Better Known Abroad. | There are many evidences that New j Zealand is becoming better known as a tourist country. In recent months in-1 quiries have been received from intending | visitors from China, India, the Malay I States and from European countries. Of late parties of German tourists have been in New Zealand. They are said to bo methodical in mapping out their tours and easily pleased. So far little trouble has been experienced with the language problem in our tourist trade. The services of interpreters are rarely, if ever, required. One case was not without a touch of humour. A French lady, unable to speak English, fared quite well with liqyistic friends in the city, but was rather at a loss in Rotorua. However, she had a native guide who discoursed picturesquely in Maori while the visitor spoke French, and it is said that the twain fared well together. Migration From New Zealand. The various shipping companies report extensive preliminary bookings for England and America as from the early part of next year. More people than usual appear to intend travelling by -way of Egypt, and some well-known Jewish families in Auckland are planning visits to Palestine. This latter development is not unrelated to the deep interest which is taken in the Zionist movement, and it may be the forerunner of interesting pilgrimages in years to come.