TOURIST TRAFFIC

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 34, 8 August 1925, Page 13

TOURIST TRAFFIC

NEED FOR ORGANISATION

PUBLICITY ON LARGE SCALE

CONFERENCE OF BUSINESS MEN.

A conference of delegates, representing the various interests concerned, called by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, to consider proposals for the efficient development of the tourist traffic of the Dominion, met in the Chamber of Commerce rooms yesterday. Mr. D. J. M'Gowan, president of the chamber, was in the chair.. The delegates present were:—Messrs. L. o'. H. Tripp (N.Z. Acclimatisation Society), E. V. Bevan (Overseas Shipowners' Allotment Committee), E. L. Fitzgerald (Aard Motor Services), L. 0. H. Hooker (Hawera Winter Show Committee), A. H. Messenger (Publicity Department), Air. A.' Leigh Hunt was appointed chairman of the conference.

In the preamble to the report prepared by the Publicity and Tourist Committee of the' Chamber of Commerce, Mr. A. L. Hunt (chairman) said the natural attraction* of. New Zealand for tourists were emphasised, and the opinion was expressed that it was desirable that the tourist traffic should be placed on a commercial basis and developed so ai to become a permanent source of considerable and increasing revenue both to the State and to those providing facilities for tourists. "At present," stated the report, "the traffic is being conducted on lines which cannot reasonably be expected to show satisfactory results, because of the want of proper organisation, and by the absence of the co-ordination between the various interests directly concerned in the development' of the tourist traffic. ' "The chief rofoi'ms needed are:—

"'(a) Adequate publicity. "(b) Improved accommodation, better transport, etc. "(c) Co-ordinated effort. "It is desirable that the activities of the State Tourist and Publicity Services should be co-ordinated with those of private concerns haying similar objects, and that the principle of commercial methods and management should be applied to the operations of these Departments of State.

"It is unlikely that. those interested in the tourist traffic independently of the State Departments will be given a voice in the management of the-tour-ist resorts and services unless they contribute financially to .a joint Publicity Fund.

"It is only equitable that «uch nondepartmental services as motor, , shipping, hotels, etc., which will reap a direct benefit from increased tourist traffic, should contribute to a joint Publicity Fund; moreover, such a polling of funds as is suggested will prevent the duplication and consequent waste in individual action now going on. "Improved accommodation and service on the part of hotels, accommodation houses are essential. These improved facilities, if effectively provided, will warrant increased charges to tourists, and such charges should be on a scale commensurate with the accommodation and service given quite apart from any revenue derived from the sale of liquors or side lines.

"Tlie committee convening this conference has resolved, therefore, in the interests of all concerned, that questions relating to the liquor traffic shall be deemed to be outside the scope of this conference." THE MAIN PRINCIPLE Mr. Hunt said that the main principle wai whether private enterprise wai prepared to endorse the movement for organisation of the tourist traffic and to contribute funds towards such organisation. Mr. Hunt quoted the fignre» given by Mr. Wyley and published recently as to the enormous harvest of tourist traffic in Europe (estimated at £140,000,000) and in California and Hawaii. The number of tourists, in NewZealand last year was 7423, and the amount compared with the European and American figures was simply negligible. Publicity in connection with a whole Dominion could not be beet secured by individual expenditure. Would it not be better for all the funds to be pooled! ' What the speaker suggested was that all the parties concerned—Government, j hotels, motor services, and other private organisations—should pool their funds to secure better results. The essence of success was voluntary effort. Mr. Hooker (Taranaki) deprecated parochialism, and advocated co-operation along the line of the speech of the chairman. , SUSPICION AN OBSTACLE Mr. Fitzgerald (Aard Motor Service) agreed that the lack of organisation was a serious handicap, and he fully agreed with the proposal that all the parties concerned should contribute towards a common fund.. His own concern had experienced the great difficulty in securing co-operation. Mr. Bevan. said that the germ, of the ..idea of a Tourist Board, as suggested by the chairman, was a very good one. . Mr. Tripp stated that he felt sure the Acclimatisation Societies would co-oper-ate in the movement, though they were not rich' in funds. ■> Mr. Messenger said that he could endorse what had been said. There was no doubt they must all pull together to make a success of the work. Cooperation wM the one thing that would make a success of it. COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATIONS The conference then considered the recommendations of the committee :— (1) That the Government be urged to set up a Tourist and Publicity Board to administer the State tourist and health, resorts, and publicity services of the Dominion. The recommendation was approved informally. (2) That an annual publicity fund, to be placed at the disposal of the board,be the sum of £ , half of such amount to be voted by the Government, and the other half contributed (on a I basis to be determined) by such independent non-Government services, as motor, shipping, licensed and private hotels, accommodation houses, carriers, etc. The conference approved informally the recommendation. * ■ (3) That the board consist of eleven Government nominees and ten representatives' elected by the non-Govern-ment services concerned. The chairman suggested on a basis of £100,000 expenditure the Government should contribute £50,000; the licensed hotelkeepers, £20,000; private hotelkeepers, £5000; shipping companies, £15,000; motor services, £10,000. It was suggested :— (4) That the Government nominees should bo Iho Minister in Charge of Tourist and Health Resorts (who shall bo chairman of the board), aud reprejiMiiialive* of *'" 8tal« Department of Touriat and. Publicity, luilwayi, la-

ternal Affairs, and Health, and representatives of Chambers of Commerce, Progress Leagues, and Acclimatisation Societies.

(5) That the representative on the board of each of the non-Government services contributing to the board's funds, shall be elected respectively by the several interests concerned and in the same ratio ts their respective contributions bear to the aggregate of the amount contributed by non-Government services.

The chairman pointed out that these recommendations in regard to the personnel of the board were suggestions as a basis to work on.

6. It is proposed that the conference should suggest what may be regarded an equitable allocation of the contributions of the non-Government services to the board's funds, and when this is agreed upon then, each, section of such non-Government services be requested to suggest' an equitable graduated rating on which the contribution of members of its section should be based.

7. That the decisions' of the conference be referred :to the; non-Govern-ment services concerned for consideration, and that a further conference be called to endeavour to complete the scheme, and present same to the Government in a definitely approved form. 8. That the Publicity Committee of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce be the convenors of the next, conference, and that it be held in Wellington city. :

Mr. Bevan nrged that as the proposed board would practically do the work of the Tourist Department, the Government should contribute a larger proportion of. the fund, There were difficulties in regard to. contributions from private enterprise. The proposed shipping companies' contributions seemed rather heavy. The 50-50 was too heavy on private enterprise. ■ The chairman said the schedule was only provisional for the purposes of discussion. • ' . .

The conference agreed that the proposed contribution from licensed hotels should be reduced'to £15,000 and the private hotels raised to -£10,000. . The report then was informally approved with recommendations, and ■ it was decided .to circulate .the report amongst all the organisation concerned, and to ask them to consider the details.

It was decided to ask the principal newspapers to-assist the movement as far as they could. ;