TOURIST INVASION FROM OVER THE SEA

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6803, 5 January 1929, Page 9

TOURIST INVASION FROM OVER THE SEA

HOTEL ACCOMMODATION TAXED. The need of extra hotel accommodation at tourist resorts, particularly at Rotorua, has been emphasised during the past few weeks, and New Zealand has lost a largo sum in revenue because there has not been adequate accommodation to meet the demands of tourists. The Christmas and New Year period has been an unusually active one for the Government Tourist Bureau and Thomas Cook and Son. Four' overseas mail steamers —one from Vancouver, and three from Sydney—have arrived since December 17, and each has brought a largo number of tourists.

The tourist offices have boon inundated with inquiries from visitors regarding itineraries, the mapping out of which has been made very difficult by the tax on accommodation. The inclusion of Rotorua just now is out of tho question. This is one- of the most popular resorts for tourists, but many have been forced to delay their visit there. Some tourists have gone further than merely recording their displeasure. They havo cancelled or greatly curtailed their proposed tours. For instance, some who arrived by the Aorangi fjxun Vancouver on Sunday, anticipating a month’s stay in New Zealand, will Jeavo for Sydney by the Maunganui to-clay. Tho overseas tourist traffic is increasing by leaps and bounds every year and it is pointed out that there should be a proportionate increaso in accommodation. Tourist authorities state that the numbers of tourists who will arrive this season should easily constitute a record. A feature of the tours arranged has been the inclusion of tho North and South Islands.