TOURIST TRAFFIC

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25051, 15 November 1944, Page 7

TOURIST TRAFFIC

AUSTRALIAN VISITORS

PROSPECTS AFTER THE WAR

(Special Representative) SYDNEY, Nov. 10 A broad stream of tourist traffic is likely to flow across the Tasman from Australia to New Zealand after the war. For several years before the war about 60 per cent of the temporary visitors to New Zealand were from Australia. Nearly half of these were tourists, the total for 1939 being 3568. After deducting the amount absorbed by shipping companies, the sum distributed by these tourists merely for travel throughout New Zealand amounted to about £60,000.

The 1939 traffic was many times that of a decade before. Confidence that the immediate pre-war position could be fully restored when facilities were available was expressed by the New Zealand Tourist and Trade Commissioner, Mr W. Taylor, in an interview. "The goodwill that was the foundation of this business is still in evidence," he said. It is possible that the record pre-war figures will not be attained immediately after hostilities cease, but /will take several years to build up. Later further expansion is likely for a number of reasons. Australians are very interested in New Zealand. Many wish to visit its tourist resorts and to sample its fishing and other pastimes. Others are keen to study the country socially and. according to their impressions, to learn or to take heed. A large number of Australians and former New Zealanders wish to resume ties of family and friendship which have been severed for an abnormal period owing to the war. Some tourists in the immediate post-war period may find New Zealand a more attractive resort than the wrecked countries of Europe and the East.

The Dominion has been publicised throughout the Commonwealth in a variety of ways. Many former New Zealanders have themselves acted as ambassadors, but a greater influence still has been the hundreds of Australians who have already visited New Zealand and have told their friends what they saw and did. In direct publicity a tremendous amount of work lias been carried out by the _ New Zealand Government, bureaux in Sydney and Melbourne and by numerous agents in all States. These have brought the country and its attractions before public notice through newspaper and magazine articles and advertisements, lectures, films, posters and other media. The factor of time has always been a handicap to travel from Queensland and Western and South Australia. With a holiday limited to a specific period it has not been practicable for many people to visit the Dominion because of the number of days spent on the journey. With the development of air travel both within Australia and across the Tasman, this factor may to a large extent be eliminated in the future. AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION WAIKATO CENTRE PLAN (0.C.) HAMILTON, Tuesday Advice that Rotorua had strong objections to being included in the proposed Waikato centre of the St. John Ambulance Association was received from the Auckland Association by the Waikato Hospital Board. Mr I). J. Burgess suggested that all branches of the association in the Waikato should be advised of the proposed new arrangements and asked for their views. Mr V. W. Simms said the Waikato centre would be as generous to branches as Auckland had been. It was decided to write to the commandery in Wellington expressing regret at* the delay 111 forming the new centre and asking for immediate completion of the arrangement. It was also decided to advise all branches of the proposal.