N.Z. TOURIST INDUSTRY

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28734, 4 November 1958, Page 6

N.Z. TOURIST INDUSTRY

Strengthening Urged (New Zealand Pre»s Association; • GISBORNE. November 3. i New Zealand was facing a .period when it would need new ; diversified industries such as the ■ tourist industry, Mr E. R. Hal-. | stead, a former Minister of Industries and Commerce, told the j Gisborne Rotary Club today. It ; was to forest products and tourism that New Zealand would have to turn to earn the additional •' overseas exchange. Mr Halstead said New Zealand ■had not yet put time, thought or • money into the tourist industry' to any great extent. In New Zea- i land there was at present more i antagonism than sympathy to- | wards tourism, although the situa-; tion was changing. In 1951. ] tourist exchange earnings had been £1.200.000. Today tourists earned New Zealand £3.471.000. j Tourism was already the sixth I largest earner of overseas ex- j I change and it was for its I potential value that it was im-1 ! portant. It was a weakness in; : the New Zealand economy that; •the industry was not as strong as. Ut should be. There was a reluctance to embark on an undertaking without the Government’s; blessing. He said the New Zealand Travel and Holiday Association was attempting to get something done by private enterprise along the lines which had proved successful in other countries. Mr Halstead emphasised that tourists were not to be regarded necessarily as wealthy Americans. The future of the travel business. • he said, lay with encouraging an | already healthy business with • Australia and with middle class] Americans. Australia would al-. ways be the best tourist market j for New Zealand. By 1970. the tourist industry i would be earning £l6 million inoverseas exchange if the present increase continued. In 1950. 16.000 persons came to New Zea- ■ land. Last year, there were 29.772 i visitors, said Mr Halstead.