TOURIST TRAFFIC

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 146, 22 June 1934, Page 10

TOURIST TRAFFIC

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

CO-OPERATION URGED

(From "The Post's" Representative.) ; SYDNEY, June 14.

The advantages to be derived from a reciprocal arrangement between Australia and New Zealand to develop the travel and tourist business were emphasised by the chairman of the New Zealand Government Railways Board (Mr. H. H. Sterling) in an address at a private luncheon at the Hotel Australia, Sydney. He expressed the view that tho co-ordination of efforts to attract-travellers and tourists must be of economic value to both Australia and New Zealand. Any barriers that stood in the way of a reciprocal social and economic development of the two countries were unreal. The time was ripe for something to be done towards real co-operation. There was not only an immense field for the development of travel between and beyond the two countries, but a concerted effort should be made to attract the world's travellers to the Pacific.

Mr. Sterling said that in the present days of quotas affecting primary produce it was inescapable that they should think of other assets on which they could "cash in." There was a remarkable opportunity for Australia and Now Zealand to act in concert. Undoubtedly New Zealand had gfeOr graphical advantages that could not bo denied. New Zealand also offered unusual attractions to the travelling public, but Australia also provided rare characteristic inducements. He felt confident that reciprocal action by Australia and New Zealand to attract travellers was a potential form of economic development that they, in their present parlous condition, could not, and ought not, ignore. With the annihilation of distance that had taken place in the development of the means of communication New Zealand should be the primary playground of Australia, and vice versa. He had been astonished to meet the number of people in Australia, to whom the cost could not have been any obstacle, who had not visited New Zealand. There were many people in New_ Zealand who had not seen Australia, although financially ablo to do so.

The larger problem of attracting world travellers to Australia and New Zealand was not one that could, or should, be handled by cither Australia or New Zealand alone. Ho felt that by united action they could command such attention and attain such achievements that it might mean the differ enco between economic solvency and insolvency of the two countries. The travel business had not been developed on sound lines. There was no travel industry in Australia and Now Zealand. Much had been done with.publicity, and the work of tbo: National Travel Association of Australia should be praised. It was only by^organising the travel industry on sound commercial lines that tho best results could be obtained. But something more should be done to enable Australia and New Zealand to make a concerted movo to divert tourist traffic to the Pacific.