TOURIST TRADE

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 August 1946, Page 3

TOURIST TRADE

MAY BOOST NEW ZEALAND’S INCOME

GREAT EXPANSION POSSIBLE The opinion that overseas tourist traffic to New Zealand is capable of great expansion when regular passenger services resume, is expressed in the annual report of the Department of Tourist and Health Resorts presented to Parliament. Tourist traffic, added the report, was an invisible export, and if this export trade was managed w’isely it would mean a minimum annual income of <£2,000,000 to New Zealand —it might even reach £5,000,000 or £10,000,000 during the next decade —and it was capable of almost indefinite expansion in terms of our capacity, nationally and individually, to service that traffic.

The report stated that no other export item could make such a spectacular contribution to New Zealand’s economic welfare nor could any otheritem secure such proportionately remunerative results for such relatively small expenditure. Conversely, however, few other items of our export trade were so dependent on unvarying high-quality service lor sustained sales volume. “Tourist traffic to New Zealand should be considered in regard to its economic significance,” stated the report. “.In the present circumstances the building up of sterling and dollar credits —foreign exchange generally—is a matter of prime importance, and it is desirable that every proper inducement and encouragement should be offered in promoting travel to New Zealand. Markets for Produce.

“Knowledge and experience prove that in certain countries we may find it most difficult to obtain a market for our staple products, with the possible exception of wool, and that in many cases we shall not enjoy even parity of trade, and that the visible balance of trade may never be in our favour. Especially is this _ the case with our larger Pacific neighbours. The tourist traffic provides the means for us to balance up our trade with some countries and to improve the position in respect of those which arc our best customers. “The department feels that the tourist traffic from overseas countries constitutes markets capable; of extensive exploration, and that it is our duty to explore those markets fully.” The prospects of resumption of shipping time-tables between Australia and New Zealand were now much brighter, and it was reasonable to assume that because of this and the improved and accelerated trans-Tasman air service visitors from the Commonwealth would constitute the vanguard of the external traffic, the report continued. North America was the other major field whence tourist visitors might be- expected. In travel circles generally the opinion was vouchsafed that the early part of 1947 should sec a return to normal transport conditions. Every effort had been made to ensure that the department would be in a position to handle the postwar traffic. . New Zealand’s attraction to people in the British Isles could hardly have been greater at any time in the past than it was to-day. At the present time tourist traffic from the United Kingdom was effectively blocked because of the lack of steamship and airline facilities, but as soon as that obstruction was removed we should be able to look forward confidently to a return of the traffic that we knew in the best pre-war years. Travel-minded Citizens. “The citizen of to-morrow will be travel minded,” concludes the report. “He will demand comfortable travel facilities by air, rail, road and watei, and will expect hotel accommodation of a reasonably high standard of seivice. There will be keen competition for this patronage, and this country will have an opportunity of takint, an increased share of the world s tourists. For this reason the tourist industry would be given a high priority in the national scheme for future progress.” Referring to the Chateau longariro. the report stated that during the year this hotel was handed back to the Department. The activity at Mount Ruapehu resulted in considerable damage to installations, principally in connection with the hydroelectric plant, owing to the abrasive qualities of the volcanic ash, and o the water supply system. Ihe nutter of locating alternative sources oi water was investigated during the year, and a report from the Public Works Department was awaited.