Tourist hotels

Press, 17 January 1986, Page 14

Tourist hotels

Sir,—l find distinctly unalarming the news that New Zealand is being bypassed by Japanese tourists. Alarming is only the fact that influential reporters like Alan Goodall in Tokyo .can publish articles like that in “The Press” (January 15). Anyone who has travelled to countries that have exploited their tourist potentials to a high degree can attest to the deleterious, alienating effect this has had on culture and nature alike. Why do we continue to place our bets on short-sighted plunder industries which do not really enrich our country? Last century it was gold and kauri; this century it’s the rest of our beech and luxury hotels. — Yours, etc., ROBERT VISSER. January 14, 1986.

Sir,—Your front page article on Japanese tourists complaining about the South Island hotels makes me wonder just why these tourists come to New Zealand. Do they only come to see the hotels or the scenery? With the exchange rate as it is, they have little to complain about in regard to cost. Maybe if the South had the population, we could afford the luxury hotels. Then again who wants to mar the scenery with high rise buildings. Who is to finance these hotels in the off-season: the taxpayer? There is no way this country should change just to suit people who would not be here if it were not for the exchange rate. Then we would be left holding the bag, when the dollar changes back. I think the only way to see New Zealand is to stay in small pubs and meet the people as they are, not some false image wrapped in silver paper. The next thing they will want is for the Coast to stop the rain so they can see the scenery.—Yours, etc., TED CALDWELL. January 14, 1986.