TOURIST TRAFFIC

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 126, 23 November 1935, Page 19

TOURIST TRAFFIC

MR. APPLETON'S VIEW

The development of the tourist industry was strongly advocated by Mr. W. Appleton, the Independent candidate for Otaki, at the Social Hall, Silverstream, last evening. Mr. S. J. Blackley presided.

The candidate pointed out that the tourist, traffic represented America's greatest industry, ■ and that it was worth to the State of California, which was about the same size as New Zealand, approximately twenty-five - million dollars annually. The Government Tourist Department here, said Mr. Appleton, estimated that each overseas visitor who came here, spent on an average £100 on a tour pf the Dominion. In normal years, about 10,000 people came to this country, which meant at least one million extra of national revenue. As against that, something like 15,000 New Zealanders went abroad each year, and it was estimated that they spent about two and a half millions, which really meant a deficit in the tourist trade of about one and a half rfillions.

The speaker claimed that with his lengthy experience in publicity matters, and his intimate knowledge of conditions in other parts of the world, he was well qualified to assist the country in the development of a grater volume- of tourist traffic. He explained that a judicious expenditure on publicity in other lands would be well worth while.