Tourism Now Big Business

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31780, 10 September 1968, Page 28

Tourism Now Big Business

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, September 9.

“This is no longer marginal business —a fringe benefit to give us a bit of icing on our economic cake—this is big business, and getting bigger all the time.”

This view on New Zealand tourism was expressed by the Minister of Tourism (Mr Thomson) today in opening the first New Zealand hotel management conference. Since the stimulus of the tourist accommodation development scheme, started by the Government in 1962, New Zealand tourism has undergone a boom. “The development scheme was the pump primer that was needed,” Mr Thomson said. “Development in key tourist areas has been quite phenomenal and is continuing to expand. “Visitors since the inception of the scheme have more than doubled. During the last financial year New Zealand had 123,188 long-stay visitors. “If we add to this figure the short-stay visitors (those who arrive and leave on the same aircraft or ship) we have a grand total of 208,027 for the year,” he said. Scheme’s Benefit Long-stay visitors over the last 10 years have shown a 318.8 per cent increase, Mr Thomson said.

“But about 1961 it became painfully apparent to those immediately concerned that we were not properly equipped to handle the sudden wave of tourists from overseas and that if something was not done—and done fast —the wave would roll over us never to return, leaving New Zealand a backwater of apathy in the world’s fastest growing tourist area,” said Mr Thomson. Since the “revitalising injection” of the tourist accommodation scheme, loans and mortgage guarantees for suitable visitor accommodation totalling $17,000,000 had been made. The Minister said the scheme had also been responsible for 16 important projects.