Govt aims to boost tourist arrivals

Press, 19 December 1981, Page 26

Govt aims to boost tourist arrivals

PA Wellington The Government is preparing a tourism development plan to double tourist arrivals to a million by 1990.

The Minister of Tourism (Mr Talbot) said the plan would be completed next year. Economic and social benefits of tourism, the state of the industry, and guidelines required to reach its full

potential in the 1980 s would be highlighted. “We need to plan more carefully where tourism in New Zealand is going in both the medium term and longer term,” said Mr Talbot. He said he had asked the Tourist and Publicity Department to increase its efforts to attract more tourists.

“I expect the department

to become increasingly involved. with a wide range of other government agencies, with the private sector and the associations representing it ■ and with planning and research bodies at a national and local level, as part of the drive in this direction,” said Mr Talbot.

The plans envisage an average annual growth in tourist numbers of 8 per cent during the 1980 s. The achievement of this target would double the number of arrivals from the present 450,000 a year to about a million by 1990. “The targets can be achieved only through full co-operation between the many companies and private interests involved, and the Government,” said Mr Talbot.

“The total tourism industry is very much an integral part of the Government’s growth strategy,” he said.