Obstacles To Rise Tn Tourist Trade

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30406, 3 April 1964, Page 3

Obstacles To Rise Tn Tourist Trade

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, April 2. In buying DCBs for Tasman Empire Airways, the Government had demonstrated that it was out to attract tourists, the executive director of the Pacific Area Travel Association, Mr F. Marvin Plake, said today.

To attract international tourists the Government would have to follow up the DCB purchase by creating the climate in which other tourist facilities would be provided. Some it would have to provide itself. With Tahiti, New Zealand was undoubtedly the easiest

South Pacific country to sell to potential American tourists. Its scenery and the relationships developed with Americans during the war ensured tourist sales. The big hurdle in increasing tourist business, said Mr Plake, was the lack of hotel accommodation in Auckland. Now that suitable aircraft had been bought and Mangere airport was being built.

money would have to be spent in improving the roads from the airport into Auckland, and private enterprise should be encouraged to provide additional hotels. Auckland was the real bottleneck in the development of the tourist industry. When the first jets began arriving at Mangere late next year, Auckland would be short of 1000 hotel beds. Tourists would not take kindly to having to by-pass Auckland to get beds in Wellington. Confidence was needed, but he was sure a hotel-building programme would eventually show an adequate return. New Zealand must also overcome its dreary weekends to ensure that people were attracted to the cities and to the hotels, on Saturdays and Sundays as well as week-days.