WEAITH FROM TOURISTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18773, 29 July 1924, Page 10

WEAITH FROM TOURISTS

' 1 nkm " 1 ' m v "\\ I SETTING UP ''AN INDUSTRY**' I - ' t - r :• • ! ; BRITISH WANTED, ACCOMMODATION AND TRANSITA spirited address in advocacy of tho full devolpment of Now Zealand tourist traffic was given at tho Rotary Club meeting yesterday by Mr. W. J. Broadfoot,, of Te Kuiti. Mr. J. F. Ewen presided. | Mr, Broadfoot referred to New Zealand's, need for greater wealth, production. To that end they should try to bring the country's!) potentialities before the notice of the outside World. ' The eoundest thiing to tackl<i for wealth production was the tourist traffic, which, was an industryAmerican tourists in Europe were worth huge sums to France, Italy and Switzerland. IIE tho business was placcd on a business footing, he thought the number of tourists to visit New Zealand would bij 100,000 a year. It was realised that New Zealand suffered somewhat from.iso■lation, but Australia, Canada,- and the United States were within striking distance. . , ,' Had New Zealand " wherewithal to warrant the creation of the trafhc? There was no country in the world with such wonders and beauties packed into such a small compafjs. _ He made special reference to tho splendid deep-sea fishing and tho National Park, where one .Amerii can said it was worth while spending a million dollars on a sanatorium. Why then was the traffic so small? Ho thought the main trouble was that the country lacked the standard of accommodation Which the tourist demanded. He suggested tha*- the cure was the introduction of Briiiinh capital. The capitalists should bo induced to erect a chain of hostels, offering accommodation of _ the highest order, with motor roads giving access to tho hostels, at a cost ot £6,000,(XX). The British capitalist would not upend the money unless ha were assured of repayment in a reasonable time. But the traffic would be controlled by the financiers who owned tho hotels, and they could arrange for an additional £15 or £20 to be added to the faxes and tariffs of each tourist. That sum was go small as not to. be missed by_ tho individual, yet in the aggregate it would give a huge annual sum to repay the cost of roads, the interest on the capital expenditure and the repair of the highways. Mr. Broadfoot outlined the advantages that would result from the schema in favour' of the business man. Every 3300 tourists would leave in the country £1,000,000. If the country got British capital, which it needed, business would get the greatest publicity and advertising all over the world for nothing. He aimed at a flow of 100,000 people. That would mean more steamer calls and new markets would be opened up. The chipping lines with steamers stopping in Sydney would bring their steamers on to New Zealand. The roading question was an all-import-ant one. Roading would benefit everybody, and remove the lack of a good method of settlement.

The increased prosperity would result in large increase in taxation revenue, while the burden on tho individual would be lightened. The need of thousands of men to handle the tourist traffic would arise, and the fostering of immigration could provide the people for this work. Tenacity and pluck, concluded the speaker, would be required to get the scheme going. If, after consideration, they were convinced of the need for tourist development, he asked them to givD it a little propaganda. It only wanted rapping on the doors sufficiently. In moving a vote of thanks to the speaker, Sir. R. Angus said there was a need for attracting the stream of traffic from the Northern Hemisphere. He advocated, as a practical start, the issue of printed matter, in the form of a wellillustrated small jpamphlet, to be sent abroad to all tourist agencies and shipping offices. A folder, with an issue of 500,000 copies, would help to make New Zealand's attractions better : known. -