FUTURE OF ARROWTOWN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27345, 22 March 1950, Page 4

FUTURE OF ARROWTOWN

Importance Of Tourist Trade HOTEL LICENCES ESSENTIAL Staff Reporter QUEENSTOWN, Mar. 21. Retention of the two hotel, licences at Arrowtown was necessary both for tourists and the borough itself, declared the Mayor of Arrowtown, Mr E. Thompson, giving evidence to the Licensing Control Commission at its Queenstown sitting today. The Mayor said that if the licences were taken away the Borough Council might go out of existence. Hotels meant great revenue to the place. Mr Thompson described to the commission the unique attractions of Arrowtown, and the police evis deuce showed that the tourist traffic was increasing each year. Besides taking some overflow from the Queenstown hotels, Arrowtown had attractions of its own, and needed the hotels. The police report said that the two hotels at Arrowtown—the Central and the Royal Oajt—were both in a very good state of repair. The Central had turned down 200 bookings last Christmas because of pressure on accommodation. About 50,000 tourists visited the museum in Arrowtown last season. The heavy demands on the two hotels by tourists, skiers, and the travelling public justified increased hotel accommodation in Arrowtown, Constable G. P. Ogilvie, who presented the report, said. / . The constable expressed the opinion that the majority of visitors would prefer to live in Arrowtown rather than Queenstown. Arrowtown had its own attraction.