VISITORS TO BRITAIN

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21701, 7 February 1936, Page 19

VISITORS TO BRITAIN

;. 1 VALUE EMPHASISED BY KING

COUNTRY'S ATTRACTIVENESS TO FOREIGNERS

{FBOM OV& OWH COafiBSPOHDBNT.) LONDON, January 4. The Prince of Wales in an appreciative speech at the annual meeting of the Travel and Industrial Development Association of Great Britain, revealed great personal interest in the work of an association that has been in existence for only seven years and has already achieved great success.

Lord Derby, the president, said: "Tse Prince is in constant touch with the work we are doing and often advises what we should do." The Prince of Wales said that two or three months ago he visited the association's office in Paris and found a very harmonious FrancoBritish spirit there. The office was regarded as a centre of all kinds of information. "I would only like to see similar bureaux or offices in other cities of the world," he continued.

"The moving-picture industry has coined many new words, and one of them is 'projection.' That is exactly what the association does. Its aim is to project these islands on the world's screen. That is, I think, the very best kind of advertisement that we can have, because, after all. we have a lot of things to sell in this country." Creating Home-Sickness

The Prince recalled that at the last annual meeting Lord Derby, the chairman, had said that at that time many people throughout the world were saying that they would like to go back to their own homes 10 see what was happening there. "This must be a constantly recurring wish in many parts of the world," said the I-rince, "and I should say that this association is probably much to blame for creating homesickness by painting pictures' of a country's life that is deep-rooted in tradition and tranquility and is not ashamed, even in this realistic age, to be picturesque. 1 "At the same time all of us should know that the association is not dwelling continually on the past. Both in its monthly publication and by means of radio and moving pictures it stresses the fact that the industries in this country are very much alive. That is a form of propaganda which does not prevent us from taking a proper pride in our historic glories and in the many picturesque ceremonies and customs that link the citizen of to-day with his forbears. "Most of the world do us the honour of calling this country the original home of sport, even if they beat us at some sports now. We are the home of the great individual pastimes such as golf, and golf, I think, brings a certain number of keen players from other countries to sample our famous courses. "I think that, taking the year all round, we can provide a good and varied programme for., all who wish to see what we have "to offer. All these things—our countryside, buy fjreat industries, and our sport-*-a¥p |acets of our national life, and the association is performing a very valuable work in acquainting the world; with all that goes to make up the British Isles, the lives of its people, and its attractions. Value of Tourists "I must confess that I was amazed to learn that overseas visitors spent in Great Britain in 1934 no less than £25,000,000. That figure is the same as the figure of the sales of wool in this country, and only £3,000,000 behind the revenue from the sales of coal. I think these are very interesting and very striking figures indeed, and it should be more generally realised that the tourist trade benefits directly or indirectly almost every one of our industries. "We should further consider the value of those who are trying to sell goods overseas in that they create in our customers' minds a disposition favourable to this country. I feel that the benefits are incalculable. And I may stress the fact that this useful kind of work—this national projection, shall we call it? —can only be achieved by a national co-operation."

The Prince added that the rail, road, and shipping companies had always been supporters of the association. Now 300 local authorities and more than 800 hotels and business houses had seen the wisdom of backing a good horse. Moving the annual report of the association, Lord Derby said it was hoped to do something to help the distressed areas by introducing new industries where other industries had diminished or faded out. The Government had entrusted the association with the bulk of the work in establishing a British stand at the Brussels Exhibition, and had now asked for their co-operation at the big Commonwealth Exhibition to be held at Johannesburg next year. Speaking of the success of the Paris office in making French people wish to visit this country, Lord Derby said: "I am certain this is the one thing we should devote our attention to. The more people come to this country and see us as we are. and not as we are painted in their country, the better it will be for the peace of the world. Ambassadors and Ministers do a great deal in keeping in touch with other countries, but nothing can do as much in stimulating healthy relationship as contact with individual foreigners. The more we can get to come here, the better for the peace of the world, and the easier for our diplomatists to keep that peace. We have another efficient office in the United States, and it is possible that the Prince of Wales in his travels will visit that."