Japanese staff

Press, 1 May 1984, Page 16

Japanese staff

Sir,—Russell Black acknowledges the need for New Zealanders to learn Japanese and the excellence of the Christchurch Polytechnic course in Japanese. I am dismayed, however, at the continued use of the phrase “Japanese tourists are happier when dealing with their own people.” Mr David Lynch, Tokyo manager of the New Zealand Government Tourist Bureau, put paid to that comment at his seminar in Christchurch. He described the changes in Japanese tourism here, and stated categorically that the tourist of the future is younger, more adventurous, and wants to meet New Zealand people. He expressed a definite preference for New Zealand staff of suitable standards. For as long as negative employment policies and liberal work permit distribution are the norm, what incentive is there for New Zealanders to reach those standards? When are local employers going to accept some responsibility for training their staff,

instead of complaining that there are no trained people? — Yours, etc. ALASTAIR McLAUCHLAN. April 28, 1984.