ROTORUA LOTTERY SUGGESTION.

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 26 August 1933, Page 4

ROTORUA LOTTERY SUGGESTION.

The Rotorua Borough Council has endorsed the suggestion of a “business promotion committee” that the Government be asked to authorise an international lottery, organised on the lines of the Irish sweepstakes, for the purpose of transforming Rotorua into huge amusement park for tourists. It iig unlikely that the suggestion will bo regarded very seriously by the Government or by the public- in other parts of Now Zealand, bub the proposal does once again draw attention to the need that -exists for the development of the overseas tourist /traffic. This is a subject which has been worn threadbare iini New Zealand. We ha,v<s> heard so often from overseas visitors that this is a wonderful country from the scenic point of view, and that it: lias only to be more widely known to become a serious competitor fo.r the patronage of the world's globe-trotters, thalt we have at last come 'to believe that something of the kind muist be true. However, W'Oi oontinuo t-o do little £L<l>o'U!t. it; no political party has ever come before the electors with anything in its platform suggesting that it appreciates that in the tourist trade New Zealand has a potential “industry” offering very definite advantages to the Dominion. The Government claims 1 to be doing a certain amount of publicity work abroad, but it would appear that a large number of overseas visitors come here on their own initiative nod not as a result of good sales argument. An American tourist, who was full of praise for the country, told a southern .newspaper this week .that “practically nothing” wa:s known of New Zealand in the United

States and that he obtained liis information through Canada. He further asserted that flio only effective publicity being done i.n America on behalf of New Zealand was by an American'

shipping' company. It is diisappointing that these eriticismis should be made, after the yeans of effort that have been' put into the. task of making this country conscious of the potentialities of the tourist trade. The economic deprdssion is', of course, the exieuse for the Government's inertia to-day. It is stated in political! quarters that a strongly-support'ed: move will 'be made in Parliament during tine forthcoming session for a State lottery. The mere possibility of the lottery principle being accepted by Parliament has probably had something to do with stimulating thought along ambitious lings in Rotorua. One of the most beneficial outletts for lottery funds would certainly be the expansion of New Zealand’s tourist trade which, if properly exploited, could be developed into an industry of tremendous value to the cou’ntry over a. period of yeans. Under alny scheme to that end Rotorua would have a strong claim for cofnsdideraition, buit the major need 1 would be the framing of a publicity and tourist scheme on comprehensive lines, with the object of bringing New Zealand into line with the world’s best known tourist attrac-

tions.