TOURIST TRAFFIC

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22779, 15 January 1936, Page 2

TOURIST TRAFFIC

CLAIMS OF SOUTH ISLAND AUSTRALIAN VISITORS’ VIEWS According to passengers who arrived at Dunedin yesterday by the Mararaa from Melbourne thousands more tourists could be induced to come to the South Island 'every year from Australia if they only knew of the scenic attractions which it had to offer.

One of the passengers by the Marama was Professor A. Amies, professor of dental science at the Melbourne University, and, while speaking to a representative of the Otago Daily Times, he expressed the opinion that the South Island could easily command a much larger share of the tourist traffic from Australia if the beauties of the island were advertised more extensively on the other side of the Tasman. Professor Amies added that so far he had only seen the Sounds, and the Marama did not stay there very long, but so far as he could judge there was nothing in Australia to compare with them. The only countries in the world that possessed attractions equal to those of the Sounds, he said, were Norway and Scotland, and the lochs of Scotland were not nearly so extensive.

The trouble appeared to be, Professor Amies said, that not enough was known about the South Island in Australia, and he thought i much more could bo done to make its attractions more widely known. Even on the steamer on the way across to Milford it was difficult to obtain much reliable information, and no arrangements were made at this end to enable the passengers to see the best the district had to offer. Professor Amies agreed that the proposal of Mr C. H. Clibborn, secretary of the Lyttelton Harbour Board, who recently paid a visit to Australia in connection with the tourist trade, to form a travellers’ association with the object of advertising the tourist attractions of the South Island was a good one, but he pointed out that advertising in Australia would not serve its purpose unless * facilities were placed at the disposal of the tourists at this end to enable them to visit the best spots with the minimum amount of delay. He had been able to make a visit to Te Anau, and he thoroughly enjoyed it, but had some friends not made the necessary arrangements for him he would not have had the opportunity. He stressed the value of cooperation in developing the tourist trade in the South Island.

Another passenger by the Marama was Professor E. W. Skeats, professor of geology at the Melbourne University. _ He said that a good service was being given by the various tourist offices in Australia While it was possible to ascertain a good deal about New Zealand from these offices, he had found it very difficult to obtain any information about the Franz Josef Glacier and the Fox Glacier,