FUTURE OF TOURIST RESORTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21773, 12 October 1932, Page 9

FUTURE OF TOURIST RESORTS

COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDA-

tions

CONDEMNED BY MR PERRELLE.

(From Oub Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, October 11.

The National Expenditure Commission's recommendations for the future of the tourist resorts in New Zealand were con demned by Mr P. A. de la Perrelle (Awarua) in the House of Representatives during the course of the Budget debate this afternoon on the ground that the tourist traffic was worth at least one million sterling to the Dominion during normal years. “ The commission recommends the selling or closing down of Glade House, the Milford Hostel and the Milford track,” he said, “ but it does not definitely determine what should be done with Rotorua. Glade House, Milford track and Milford Hostel are essential parts of the greatest attraction offered to tourists visiting New Zealand, and to suggest disposing of these facilities shows a lack of appreciation of the value of the tourist traffic to the country.” The commission appeared inclined to adopt a “penny wise and pound foolish” policy, Mr Perrelle said, and added, “ Fossilised ideas are of little use in a young country where development is absolutely essential to its progress.” The commission had decided that the Dominion’s tourist and trade representative in Australia was not worth'the money spent there. It had evidently taken the narrow view of considering office expenses without considering the enormous indirect benefit of the activities of thie representative there. The commission apparently looked askance at the tourist traffic, but he held that it was an important industry which brought about one million pounds into the Dominion during normal times. Every avenue of trade benefited from the overseas visitors and it was impossible to calculate just how much benefit was derived by the transport services, accommodation houses and business people generally through a strong influx of tourists. “ I am satisfied,” he said, “that the future holds for .New Zealand a wonderful tourist trade.”