Observations

Northern Advocate, 14 January 1939, Page 11

Observations

■ , by ■ .. “The Man on the Look-Out”

IDVENT of tourists to a district or a 1 n country is an occasion for that district or country showing forth its best attributes. Whether those attributes be of scenery or of the people within the locality depends largely upon the individuality of the country. In many of the world’s older centres, such as the Mediterranean seaports, it is mainly the colourful dress of the inhabitants that attracts the tourists. In other instances it is the scenery of the country alone that attracts. In this latter category are mainly included the newer countries—the colonies of the Pacific and of Northern America.

MO, two countries have identically the * same physical structure. Although in many respects two Pacific Islands may appear much the same, there is to be found, on investigation, individual differences which make each a separate of land an entity within itself. When the people of those islands are compared, even greater differences of character stand out. True value of touring comes from studying the people visited. Their customs, characteristics, beliefs and habits of life make up the most interesting part of any tourist holiday. Take natives from the tropic Isles, take the Arabs from the desert, take rickshaw runners from Shanghai, and leave only the natural configuration of the land. Tourists would then be confined to those seeking solely the study of geology and topographical formations. The number of such would be very small.

•JOURISTS to-day rarely favour the wilderness that was once so magnetic to nomadic spirits. They want, and expect, home comforts away from home, and will pay for them on a much mere lavish scale than they would at home. It might even be said that the bulk of tourists expect better conditions when travelling than those they are accustomed to in normal life. Such is a flare of human nature. The holi-

daymaker goes holidaying, as the tourist goes touring, with the idea of having a- good time. For his brief spasm of freedom he want a higher standard of comfort and luxury than that to which he has grown accustomed. It is when the natural customs of a race are retained at the same time as enterprising hotel proprietors cater .for the touring public, that a successful tourist industry is built up.

IN our own Dominion we see this 1 illustrated in Rotorua, our most renowned tourist attraction. Rotorua without its Maori population would not be the same Rotorua which we know. It would be a resort lacking natural, living colour. It would simply be a domain of crude thermal activities. It is the human element that makes the colours of a tourist resort glisten and shine. Take, also, modem hotels, modern buses, modern facilities from this resort aiid New Zealand would take from itself the greater portion of overseas tourists. Few there would be who would adapt themselves to the roughness and lack of comfort which would necessarily have to be tolerated to view sights of Rotorua if modern facilities had not been provided.

MORTHLAND, like most of the rest of New Zealand, has its Individual touch of physical scenery. It has peculiarities and oddities seen nowhere else in the Dominion. • It has aspects which attract other New Zealanders. It has a tradition and a reputation known throughout the country. No one knows just where such traditions spring from, nor how they are maintained. Every district has them; some more than others. But while the scenery of Northland and the physical attractions of the province are outstanding within themselves, Northland has no individuality of personality commensurate with the potentialities at hand. Slow to adopt modern means of transport, slow to inaugurate

modern lighting systems, slow to see tpe value of tourist * resorts, Slow to grow out of a degree df self-content-ment which naturally comes to districts cut off from other centres, Northland to-day is on the verge of great changes. *

niFFERENT . farming methods will " have to be adopted* different outlooks towards the outside world will have to be inculcated. ! At present Northland is mainly governed by the reservedness natural to early pioneers. It suffers noticeably from a suspicious outlook towards visitors from other centres. It has learned to make shift for itself—what pioneer did not have to do this? —and finds it hard now to be asked to follow in the wake of others.

MO individuality of personality can *’ be discerned in the Northland Province, save that which has come of pioneer upbringing. If Northland is to become a prosperous province, it appears evident, judging by the success or failure of other attempted dis-trict-advertising schemes, that a new approach will have to be made towards our most profitable * industry—the tourists. 'Northland has always appeared ,lo grudge the tourist admission. Northland has always been wary of outside influence. To-day it must change this or it will fall by the wayside, while other districts pass over 1 its sleeping body. Northland this year has experienced a phenomenal tourist inrush. Most travellers were pleased with the scenery. Most were disappointed With the facilities. They wondered that Nofthlanders did not welcome them more openly. Here, it seems, is a chance for Northland to establish an individuality for the i'uture —not the mere' memory of a romantic past. Let it become tourist conscious, let it display the fine wares it possesses, and the district surely must prosper.