W. GERMANY AND N.Z.

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31762, 20 August 1968, Page 12

W. GERMANY AND N.Z.

‘Tourism Could Be Tie’

Tourism could develop into an important tie between New Zealand and West Germany, said the West German Ambassador to New Zealand (Mr K. R. Luedde-Neurath) yesterday. Mr Luedde-Neurath was in Christchurch to open German Week at the Durham Street Art Gallery. The gallery houses a large display of German exports, handicrafts, industrial design, books, paintings and prints. The project was organised by Christchurch Jaycees. Mr Luedde-Neurath said that Germans had become enthusiastic tourists since the war. They travelled to southern Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico and Asia, but not many were visiting New Zealand.

This was something he hoped to see developed. “Germans like to spend their money travelling,” he said, “and if you go round the world it is worth while looking at your antipodes.”

Mr Luedde-Neurath said that Germany could be helpful to New Zealand in many ways if New Zealand continued on its course of industrialisation. Germany could be useful because of its own high degree of Industrialisation and mechanisation.

But capital investment overseas was not one of Germany’s strong points. Germany needed overseas capital itself, and did not invest much in other countries.

This is Mr LueddeNeurath’s first visit to Christchurch. He plans to visit Dunedin today and return to Wellington on Saturday. He has been in New Zealand for three months.