TOURIST PUBLICITY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23717, 26 January 1939, Page 12

TOURIST PUBLICITY

SOUTH ISLAND INTERESTS COMBINED EFFORT NEEDED NO PAROCHIAL VIEW (Per United Press Association) GREYMOUTH,' Jan. 25. The need for unification of the national tourist advertising was emphasised by speakers at an executive meeting of the South Islands Travel Association at Greymouth today. The question arose on the adoption of a renort by the director (Mr J. J. W. Pollard), who said the New Zealand Herald, Auckland, when commenting on the association’s annual conference, had chided it about spreading the North v. South idea. A reply had been sent to the newspaper pointing out that in none of its publicity did the association adopt that course. Individual Effort The chairman (Mr A. H. Allen), Mayor of Dunedin, said that the development of tourist advertising in the South Island had been largely through the individual effort of the provinces, but anything done for the benefit of the South Island benefited the Dominion as a whole. The association represented every district in the South Island, and by unification was able to drive home to people in other parts of New Zealand its, beauties and attractions. Members of, the association were big enough to admit that there were great attractions in all parts of New Zealand, but he believed there was, in the South Island in a concentrated form, far more natural beauty than could be found in any other part of the world. The development of the North Island would, of course, help New Zealand generally, and the association was not in existence for the purpose of decrying the North Island. Mr C. H. Clibborn (Christchurch); X think the Auckland Tourist League ie a little jealous of our activities in our own interest. Mr W. Begg, chairman of the Otago Harbour Board, criticised the Tourist Department in Auckland for failure to advise tourists of South Island attractions, and said that if the association were to succeed it must undermine that sort of thing or root it out altogether. Mr Allen's suggestion that the matter should be taken up with the Tourist Department was adopted. Biuff-Melboume Service It was decided to urge the Government to erect adequate moorings at Milford Sound,, where, it was stated, large ocean liners on cruises were unable to enter owing to the possibility of difficulties in the event of a sudden wind arising. It was also decided to draw the attention of the Government again to the necessity for resuscitating the Bluff-Melbourne passenger service all the year round, concerning which a deputation from the association some months ago waited on Mr Savage. The possibility of cruises from Australia including South Island Sortsl was envisaged in a report by Ir Pollard, who said the Orient Line was interested in giving its passengers an opportunity of travelling in the South Island. The completion of the new motor road between Otago and Westland would facilitate the project, but in the meantime it was likely that vessels would disembark passengers at Lyttelton and re-embark them at Picton.

The meeting decided that it was desirable to establish a South Island travel selling unit at the Centennial Exhibition in the South Island court, provided that’ sufficient finance was available. The estimated cost was £IOOO.