TOURIST TRADE

Evening Star, Issue 22202, 3 December 1935, Page 10

TOURIST TRADE

PROSPECTS FOR SOUTH ISLAND MR C. CLIBBORN MOST OPTIMISTIC CO-OPERATIVE WORK FIRST ESSENTIAL A carrier of good nows for the South Island is Mr C. Clibborn, who returned to New Zealand by the Manama and travelled to Christchurch by tram today. Having completed a mission to Australia for the Lyttelton Harbour Board, of which he is secretary, Mr Clibborn is most optimistic of the future of the tourist trade to the South Island and the prospects of visits from the P. and 0. cruise ships, which, to date, have visited only the two main North Island ports. . The necessity for all m the South Island to work together in publicity campaigns and in obtaining direct service to the southern ports _ was stressed by Mr in an interview on the railway station. His enthusiasm for the development of the tourist trade was unconcealed, and wide interest should be created by the publication of the report he is preparing for the Lyttelton Harbour Board on the many phases of his investigations in Australia, where, he said, the people of all classes were hungry for information about the Dominion, which had far more to offer in the way of tourist attractions than the Commonwealth. “Of course, the main object of my visit was to negotiate_ with the P. and 0. Line with the object of getting it to extend its cruises from Aiistralia to the South Island,” said Mr Clibborn. “ I . had many important discussions, and there is every prospect of the ships coming to our ports.” For the information of his board, to assist it in making provision for a seaplane _ landing base, he had also made special inquiries as to the transtasman air service. The general manager of the air company in Sydney had informed him that although the scheme was Held up in the meantime, the company would continue with its plans, despite the loss of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith’s services. Mr Clibborn expressed himself as being “ tremendously impressed ” with the confidence of the Australians in Australia. and the wonderful development of all the States. In comparison with conditions in Australia, New Zealanders were probably a little self-complacent. There was money in Australia—and_ it was circulating, enormous sums being spent on ■ travel. The development of travel facilities was exceptional, and in every State he found the people hungry for information about New Zealand. However, there were two obstacles which New Zealand had to beat down. One was the idea that New Zealand had a cold climate, and the second misbelief, and a very common one, was that the Dominion suffered from an overdose of earthquakes. In meeting hundreds of Australians of all classes he had endeavoured to correct those two mistaken impressions, and figures which he had been able to quote of temperatures in the South Island had surprised people as far south as Melbourne. If all the interests in the South Island co-operated in tourist and trade publicity campaigns more tourists would b« the result, Mr Clibborn was sanguine. “ The • tourist trade is there, ready to bo developed and extended,” he said. To the Tourist Department’s agents in Sydney Mr Clibborn gave the fullest praise. ' For both the North and South Islands they had done and were doing wonderful work, and all the Dominion interests would have to cooperate with them. One of the schemes with, which Mr Clibborn returns is that the . Progress and Expansion Leagues, harbour hoards, and all services should form, a South Island Travel Association on'the lines of_ the Australian Travel Association, an independent body which was developing the Australian tourist trade with markedly successful results. A general experience of travel in Australia, where it was admitted that the country’s resorts could not compare with the attractions offered in New Zealand, was enjoyed by Mr Clibborn, ■who left Wellington on October 23 after an interview with leading officials of the Union Steam Ship Company. He travelled from Sydney to Brisbane by a palatial new steamer, the Duntroon, and. went by rail to Cairns. North Queensland was being boosted in the southern States as a holiday resort, and Mr Clibborn visited the district as the guest of the Government. He flew from Brisbane to Sydney, and he described the trip as beautiful. He left Brisbane at 8 a.m., and was lunching in a Sydney hotel at 1.30 p.m.