“TIGHTWAD TOURISTS”

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 February 1939, Page 9

“TIGHTWAD TOURISTS”

N.Z. TRAVELLERS CRITICISED Seme comments on the behaviour of New Zealand tourists in Perth, Western Australia, particularly when it comes to spending money there, are contained in an article in the "Mirror,” published in Perth. Under the caption “Tightwad Tourists,” the article alleges that travellers from the Dominion are very mean in their spending and adds that it does not consider the Primo Minister need worry about too much money being spent outside New Zealand.

The issue of the “Mirror” on January 14 contained the following: — "Maybe some of the New Zealand tourists who were in Perth this week thought they were visiting Perth in Scotland. If that were so, it would explain that they didn’t like to be seen spending too much money lest they gave the locals 100 much of a shock. But not even a New Zealand earthquake could have given worse shocks than did some of the tightwads among the New Zealand tourists while in Peri

After saying that tradespeople had described the travellers as “the tightest crowd we have ever met” and quoting instances of the alleged disapproval of the New Zealanders at being called on to pay minor charges, such as for parking, tlie article continues:—

“There are many world tourists, however, who claim that, next to France, tourists are ’soaked’ more in New Zealand than anywhere else. So tight were some of the visitors that some ordered one serve of afternoon tea and halved it. But the climax came when, at a cool drink shop, two tourists contributed lid each tov/ards a glass of a cool drink and drank half each from the same glass.”