AMERICAN TOURISTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 March 1939, Page 2

AMERICAN TOURISTS

developing winter business. "Last winter, when the party from Honolulu found ~ . ’iii, ' ., r travel in the South Island eiiicyab'm. we promised a greater business in tourists Iron; North America Lor this winter and we will justify that promise,” said Mr. J. ,1. W. Pollard. Director of the South Island Travel Association. “Miss Sykes in her latest report announces that two parties will leave North Ante rica, one in June and the other in July, on a tour of the Dominion, with ihe- South Island- as their major interest. They will spend 44 days in the Dominion and 32 of these will bo devoted to the South island. "Our summer tourist trail!': is congested at, times and we feed that by developing winter tratlie we are increasing the general return in the period which can bo fairly regarded as slack. At the same time we are demonstrating that the South Island can be ‘sold’ overseas as the major attraction of a. tour of New Zealand. Tourists from distant countries spend more time in the country than those who come from closer neighbours, and they spend freely, so that though the parties from America may be fewer in number they are relatively of greater benefit to the revenue received from the tourist business. We know that the the party of 21 which came from Honolulu last year represented an outlay of more than .£2OOO in the South Island, and -while it is too soon to speak of figures in connection with the parties to come this winter we. feel that they will mean an inflow of at. least £sihhi to South Island business.

“This is not al]. One of the im portant parts of Miss Sykes s campaign in North America is devoted to travel agencies. By this we- seek to interest private travel concerns so that, they will hook more tourists tor this country and for the South Island. We know this is having an effect. Recently travel agencies in the United States have Im-on including in their jiinora ri< s the [dm rase ‘Now Zealand iSoiilli Llandj.' an indication that they foci it to be an advantage to mention tin.' South Island specially. This is evidence thud, our work is having ati effect. The parties Miss Sykes is organising specially will come in winter ;md in pre-Exliibit ion days, so llril iliov -.'ill also serve to publicise the dominion for tin? exhibit ion period. the association's fluids ami membert-hip increase we will lie. able' to do more; Inti in the meantime we consider \ve are justifying our existence- in a practmal manner."