ADVERTISING NEW ZEALAND

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 204, 26 May 1936, Page 6

ADVERTISING NEW ZEALAND

Tourist Department's Activities Clitiniing that tbc Tourist ami Publicity Department assisted in the promotion of peace—-its function being to increase travel, and travel leading to the understanding of many problems —Mr. L. J. Schmitt, general manager of the Department of Industries and Commerce, Tourist and Publicity, in an address delivered at the Overseas League’s Empire Day reception at the Hotel St. George last night, gave many facts regarding the activities of his department.

Mr. Schmitt, who apologised for the unavoidable absence of Hie Hou. F. Langstone, Minister in charge of the department, expressed Ills thanks for being afforded the opportunity of addressing the Overseas League, and spoke of the department’s connection with it through many channels. The fact that the gathering was in honour of Empire Day was also stressed, Mr. Schmitt emphasising its importance to the nation. Never more than now was the British Commonwealth of Nations needed to maintain peace throughout the world, and there was a real necessity to use every means to strengthen its influence.

In reviewing the activities of the Tourist Department, Mr. Schmitt told his audience that New Zealand was being well advertised abroad, and evidence of this was to be seen in the visitors’ book at the Waitomo Caves Hostel, where recent registrations showed that visitors had come from 17 cities in 12 different countries.. Mr. Schmitt pointed out that New Zealand was the first country in the world to have a Government Tourist Department, and also remarked that New Zealand had the most compact "scenic department” that the world had to offer to overseas visitors. He greatly regretted that numbers of New Zealanders did not know their own country, and advised all to see New Zealand before venturing abroad. This Dominion, he added, had all the scenic wonders of the world in a nutshellfiords, mountains, lakes, glaciers, and thermal regions. He described the activities of the Tourist Department both in New Zealand and overseas, and added that last year the Dominion attracted 14,000 visitors to its shores. Most; of these came here as a result of the department’s publicity work abroad. In conclusion he mentioned the thousands of posters, the coloured slides, maps and even talking films that were sent abroad to let the world know of the wonders of New Zealand.