MORE TOURISTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 173, 23 July 1936, Page 17

MORE TOURISTS.

SOUTHERN DESIRE.

CONFERENCE. ORGANISATION FORMED. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCIIUBCH, Wednesday.

The desire of the South Island to give wider publicity to the island's many tourist attractions and to make sure that the tourist facilities are developed along adequate and progressive lines was strikingly exemplified this morning when nearly one hundred delegates, representing public bodies and private organisations from Nelson to Stewart Island, met to consider the formation of a South Island Travel and Development Association.

The. conference was convened by the Lyttelton Harbour Board, and the board's chairman; Mr. W. K. McAlpine, presided. The delegates represented harbour boards, city, borough and county councils, Government and private passenger services, progress and development leagues, and hotel and other interests.

"We do not wish, to be parochial or take a restricted view," said Mr. McAlpine, "but if we are to have any degree of success in the development of our tourist traffic, we must remember that the North and South Island are separated by Cook Strait." The first motion before the conference was that a South Island Travel Association should be formed. In moving to that effect, lir. H. H. Sterling, of Wellington, said the keynote of all successful efforts he had seen in his tour abroad was organisation. Organisation was being carried out on a national basis right throughout the world, generally with the people concerned. making financial contributions, subsidised to a degree by the Government. "We are not going to get the best out of our tourist traffic until we organise on a national basis," said Mr. Sterling. "While I think we should go ahead with this organisation we should always keep in mind a national basis. A competitive outlook, purely in respect to the North Island, is not to be encouraged. There have been difficulties not due to any North Island animosity, and what strikes me as the crux of the problem is the need of a round journey. By the very situation of the South Island there is the necessity for local organisation as well as a national outlook." It was unanimously decided to form a South Island Travel Association.