Coinage Change “Little Benefit” To Tourism

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30560, 1 October 1964, Page 9

Coinage Change “Little Benefit” To Tourism

Very little benefit would be received by the tourist industry in New Zealand as a result of the proposed introduction of decimal currency, said Mr B. A. Moon, a senior lecturer in mathematics at the University of Canterbury, addressing members of the South Island Publicity Association. Mr Moon said that many pious opinions had been expressed about the wonderful benefits the change would bring to the country. Persons in official or semi-official places who expressed such opinions should first obtain the facts—if they were obtainable. He had found many instances where such officials had not got the relevant facts. Where they had been available there had been many instances to indicate that a contrary view was more correct—that was, that the country would not really benefit. “This I feel is most disturbing,” he added. The tourist trade had not been excepted from rather piously expressed opinions about the benefits which could accrue through the introduction of decimal coinage, said Mr Moon. “So far as I know, there have been no facts produced in this country, to show how

decimal coinage will benefit the tourist industry,” said Mr Moon. There was certainly nothing to suggest this in the report prepared by the Decimal Coinage Committee, which was the body charged to find all the facts, he said. Mr Moon said that the judgment of a joint committee of the British Association for the Advancement of Science and the Association of British Chambers ,of Commerce Was that the benefits from the introduction of decimal currency to the tourist industry would be only slight. The British Travel and Holiday Association had likewise found noevidence to suggest that the change would increase the volume of tourist traffic. As for international trade, there were reports that the introduction would adversely affect Britain’s position, particularly in the period of change, he said. “I believe those comments from Britain are valid in this country,” said Mr Moon. Mr H. P. Smith, chairman of the South Island Publicity Association, said the organisation was concerned whether the introduction of the new system would promote or discourage visits by tourists. Mr Moon said he was not an expert on economic policy. He considered the basic concept behind the introduction of the system to be unsound. He suggested the system had serious disadvantages which had not been properly looked at.