Travel Director Praises N.Z. Tourist Attractions

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29112, 26 January 1960, Page 20

Travel Director Praises N.Z. Tourist Attractions

“Ths Press" Special Service

AUCKLAND, January 25. New Zealand has the best tourist attractions of any country in the world, said Mr H. R. Brown, travel manager of the Bank of New South Wales and director of the Pacific Area Travel Association, on his arrival in Auckland. Mr Brown is here to attend the annual conference of the association to be held in Christchurch from February 20 to 27. “If New Zealand was near Europe, it would be the playground of the world,” said Mr Brown. “I have been to most countries and seen their tourist attractions. None compares with what you have to offer in this country.” It was only in recent years that the real significance of travel development had been understood by Governments and the travel industry in the Pacific area.

For too long little was known of the wonders of the Pacific by millions of potential travellers, particularly from the United States. Efforts to attract them to our shores were negligible. Only recently had an attempt been made to provide better tourist facilities and better hotel accommodation. “When it is remembered that Europe takes the major share of the United States tourists’ spending overseas, amounting to over 483 million dollars,” he said, “the Pacific area receiving 179 million dollars, while Australia receives a paltry 2.5 million dollars, and New Zealand considerably less, it can be seen that there is much room for tourist development in both countries.” Founded in 1952, with its headquarters in San Francisco, the travel association was a nonprofit organisation aiming at the development, promotion and facilitation of travel between countries and islands in the Pacific, said Mr Brown. The membership of 375 was chiefly made up of official Government tourist bureaux, shipping companies, airlines, railways, and hotel associations. The association had added 100,000 dollars to the 150,000 dollars granted by the United States Government towards the cost of a Pacific area tourism development project. ’This project was being conducted by Checchi and Company, consulting economists, of Washington.

The head of the firm, Mr Harry C. Clement, would visit New Zealand later this year.