AMERICAN TOURISTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20522, 25 September 1928, Page 10

AMERICAN TOURISTS.

OPINION OF NEW ZEALAND,

HOTEL ACCOMMODATION INADEQUATE. (Special to Daily Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, September 24. “ If New Zealand wants to be visited by American tourists in the future it will have to provide better hotel accommodation,” said Dr Robert H. Veitch, physician, of Medford, Boston, U.S.A., who is at present on a visit to Christchurch relatives, in the course of an interview. “ The great disadvantage about your hotels,” said the doctor/'is the lack of baths, What is badly needed is a chain of up-to-date hotels, not necessarily large ones, but, say, from SO to 100 rooms, and with a bathroom for each bedroom.” Dr Veitch stated that the general impression among Americans who had toured the Dominion was that it possessed wonderful scenery, but very poorly appointed hotels. A prominent member of the Chicago Chamber of Commerce, which was regarded as the most 'progressive chamber in the United States, told him that he considered New Zealand the most wonderful country in the world so far as scenery was concerned, “ but,” he said, “ God save us from their hotels.” In another instance an American actress who had toured the Dominion told him that when staying at a Christchurch hotel some time ago, she had to go along the passage to get to the bathroom, and knock at the door in order to ascertain if it were occupied.

“You have not begun in New Zealand so far as American tourist traffic is concerned,” continued Dr Veitch, “but before you can hope to get such tourists here you must improve your hotel accommodation as indicated.” He considered that if this were done an average of about 3000 tourists could be expected to visit these shores every year. Each tourist could be reasonably expected to leave about £2OO behind him in the Dominion, which would benefit the Government through the railways as well as the hotels and shopkeepers. It had been stated that New Zealand was omitted from the itineraries arranged by a large American concern which booked world tours and chartered liners for the transport of its patrons, because of remarks made concerning the visitors while in this country, but as a matter of fact that was not correct, for tourists were stared at and remarked about to a far greater extent in Egypt and other countries than they were in the Dominion.