TOURIST TRAFFIC ASSET

Evening Star, Issue 25619, 20 October 1945, Page 9

TOURIST TRAFFIC ASSET

CONCENTRATION ON AUSTRALIA FULLER AIR SERVICE NEEDED (Special) WELLINGTON, Oct. 20. " I am ashamed of some of the accomodation in this country " remarked) the Minister of Tourists and Publicity, Mr Parry, when replying to many suggestions in the House yesterday for the development of New Zealand's tourist resorts, and the provision of better facilities to accommodate increased traffic. Mr W. J. Broadfoot (Nat., Waitomo) said that Australia was the main source of tourists at present. He asked whether it would be possible to speed up the trans-Tasman flying boat service, which seemedi to be the bottleneck in passenger traffic between the x two countries. So far as prospects of an influx of American tourists-were concerned, said Mr Broadfoot, Canada had! most of the attractions New Zealand could offer, and in the winter people. went south, to California and elsewhere. The distance .between North America and New Zealand was so great that there would always be difficulty in getting a flow of tourists from that source. He suggested that efforts be concentrated on Australia, India, and the Middle East. Mr R. M. Algie (Nat., Remuera) said the work of the department had been admirably handled under adverse conditions. It was amazing that it had been possible to maintain it at all. He hoped it would be possible to make use of the vast reservoir of tourists in Australia, and he hoped, that when air travel was extended it would be possible that tourists, from Melbourne for instance, would be able to get to places like Rotorua and the Hermitage in a single day from their base. The Minister in charge of the Department, Mr Parry, remarked that he did not know how the Christmas rush could be accommodated. There was insufficient accommodation, and most of it not up to date, though he could do nothing until manpower and materials became available. Members sometimes talked about the State cutting into private enterprise, but this was an instance where only the State could deal with the problem. The Dominion must also have a better transport system, using the air eo that if a tourist wished i to fish in Lake Rotorua in the morning I and on Wakatipu in the afternoon, it | could be done. Though the country might ultimately spend a million on the i development of its scenic resorts, it would always have the asset. The Minister of Works, Mr Semple, said) he was anxious to see the Homer Tunnel completed, because it would enable the finest scenery in the world to be made accessible. The tunnel had been bored, but had to be boredi out" to its full dimensions, and, as the rock was particularly hard, this was ajob needing the most skilled handling of explosives. There was also some work to be done connecting up the route, including the building of a big bridge.