TOURIST TRAFFIC

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 23 September 1925, Page 9

TOURIST TRAFFIC

REORGANISATION WANTED. FOR BETTER RESULTS. i VALUE OF PUBLICITY. (BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, Sep. 23. A Dominion conference called by the Wellingjton Chamber of Commerce t '> discuss publicity in relation to tourist traffic opened to-day. Mr. A. L. Hunt, chairman of the Publicity and Tourist Committee of the chamber, presided. He Said that representatives of the Tourist department were not invited, not from discourtesy, but in order to. give delegates a free hand. The object of the, conference should be to build up public opinion. The results of the tourist traffic in New Zealand were almost negligible, whereas other countries reaped huge profits. This failure was due not .to advertising, but the tourist traffic needed organising on business lines and the amount available for publicity should be greatly increased. Mr. Sargood, Dunedin, stressed the need for co-ordination qf tourist trips, even before finances were organised. He regretted there was no one at the High Gommisisioneris office well versed in New Zealand’s attractions. There should be such a nran there. The Tourist Department should send officers round the country to. become fully acquainted with all the resorts and attractions.

Mr. L. O. Hooker, Hawera, said that there was <a great deal of criticism about what was being done or not done, but what wals wanted was action. There was too much parochialism in this matter. The work should be done in the interest of New Zealand as a whole. He thought the Publicity Department had done wonders in the short time at its disposal, and he felt the Government would do far more if it was approached in the right way, than if it were being continually criticised.