“Airline Would Build Tourist Hotel In City”

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28976, 18 August 1959, Page 14

“Airline Would Build Tourist Hotel In City”

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

TOKYO, August 17.

The Mayor of Dunedin, Sir Leonard Wright, said in Tokyo today that several overseas airline companies had told him they would be willing to include New Zealand in their jet air routes it they were allowed to pick up and put down passengers. He said one company had told him it would build a hotel in Christchurch if it could operate through Christchurch Airport. Sir Leonard Wright, with his wife, is nearing the end of a world tour that, since May, has taken him to the United States. England. Italy, India. Hong Kong, and Japan. He will leave by air tomorrow for Hong Kong and will return to New Zealand on August 25. In an interview today, he said there was a necessity for New Zealand to cater for the tourist trade, as the rest of the world was so obviously doing. He said that countries like Japan and Italy were well aware

of the earning power of tourism. To develop this New Zealand needed jet airline services. “Overseas airways companies intimated to me,” Sir Leonard said, “that they would be delighted to include New Zealand in their Pacific itinerary if they are allowed to pick up and put put down passengers, preferably at Christchurch airport. One of the companies said it would like to build a hotel in Christchurch if it could operate through Harewood.”

Sir Leonard Wright said that, from what he had seen during his tour, Nature had been kinder to New Zealand than any other country he had visited. It now rested with New Zealanders to capitalise on what had been given to them for nothing. Commenting on attracting tourists to New Zealand, he said: “Some time in the not too distant future we have to modernise eating and drinking habits in New Zealand.”

Sir Leonard Wright said: “The goodwill shown towards New Zealand during our tour was out of all proportion to the size of our country. It is something we should foster and build.”

Commenting on Japan and Far Eastern countries as future markets for New Zealand goods. Sir Leonard said: “The vast potential trade available here is something that should be most valuable to New Zealand over the next few years if we become fully aware of its importance.”

Although everyone would support Sir Leonard Wright on the desirability of bringing other overseas airlines into Christchurch there was little hope of action until there was a radical change in Government policy on the admission of such airlines, said Cr. M. R. Carter, acting chairman of the Christchurch City Council’s airport committee. “We have the facilities in our new overseas terminal and I am quite certain the City Council would consider extending the runways, if required for big jets,” said Cr. Carter: “but all such hopes hinge on a change in official policy.”