TOURIST AND HEALTH RESORTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13985, 19 August 1907, Page 2 (Supplement)

TOURIST AND HEALTH RESORTS

The aiihuai i-cnoft of the Tourist and Health Resorts' Department, which was presented to Pafliafherit states that the year, ended Mafeli last showed the greatest increase in overeca traffic yet recorded in any one. year; The ihcreise was u '° fv ni ? dc U P of Australian visitors', arid thb Inhibition is credited with being resironslhl.Q for a great portion of tho expansion. The cardinal factbr, hmvevcr, is considbretl to bb the opening of agencies of tlto (icpaftmeiit at Melbourne and Sj-driey. Ihe number of recorded vTsiWrs frbfn all countries was 9f>34. as against 7142 for tho previous year. The .value .of the traffic i.M(;Ui)U for the ■ previbiiE v S ar. The amount of tlie direct fereijub collected was £iaao2, an ind'easS of £2381 over the preceding 12 mbiiths. The e.vctfSs tff arrivals over departures (or the five years that'the department had been in operation totalled 51,772, as against a total of 15,688 for the previous fiVft yctvis. Tlio Minister (Sir J. U \Vard) considers that it Mild lie advisable to add to the High Colnrtiissloher's staff in W m i on „j, Dmcfi |. fti j lo ]w m_a position to take mprc active stops iii bringing this country's attractions under the notice bf the vast population of Great Brilaiii. ROTDRTJA SANATORIUM. Df Holihah, GtiVeriirrient Baliiealogist in his fepott bn the. Rbtofiii. Salinforiiihi says:-"On the'whole the year has shbwii a distinct and favourable increase on thb previous onej in. spite of the fact that a largo propbrtion of the tourist traffic was diverted to Chfistchurch, arid that exceed'mgly wet wedtlier has prevailed ever since Christmas. . ; . The new bath biilldlhg, while not completing tlie Original scheme, shblild yet. bo one which for afchitectliral beahtyand for coinuletertesS of ihterrial fittings' woujd do credit to tho most famous spas of Europe., while for excellence and variety of mineral Waters supplibd it need few no cdiiipafisoh' with ahy bathing establishment in tlie world. •• . With the completion 6? tho various baths rtdtf being biiilt I would advise the even, more exforislve advertisement,of these New Zealand spas in Australia, Great Britain, America, India, and the South Pacific. Hitherto, with many of the baths in a soniewliat primitive condition, there niight be" some hcstitatiOn in attempting to iHdltce visitors to undertake a long and expensive journey, but fpr the future I think. wb may snfelv bntef into competition with the most famous spas of the world, jnd not fear invidious comparisons." The. total receipts tbf the year amounted to £4836, of, which bath 'fees accouhted for £2514. Tlie previous year's total was £4764; Free medical attbh'-yiieb during the year represented £235; whilst free baths;, etc., had been given to the value of £88.