Tourist Traffic.

Thames Star, Volume LXV, Issue 19271, 28 November 1934, Page 2

Tourist Traffic.

VISITORS TO DOMINION. DIVERTED FROM CONTINENT. EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE. During the past few weeks passenger liners from England have brought a large number of v tourists to Wellington, among them . being people who previously have sought recreation and rest at Continental resorts. This raises the question of what bearing the favourable ex■change rate in New Zealand has on fc^who that be■hgpadays Hrtnere been in tourist traffic; that not so many people as previously were going from England to the pleasure resorts which have been fashionable for so long. Talking with a passenger who arrived from London last week by tho Kaugitanc, a Wellington "Post" reporter referred to the question of the exchange rate in relation to " tho number of people who lately havo come to the Dominion from overseas for the fishing and to spend a holiday in New Zealand in other ways. He agreed that the fact that the English pound was worth roughly 24/- in New Zealand was certainly an inducement to people to desert the Continental resorts in favour of the Dominion, but he also said that in his yiew there were other factors. First of all he mentioned that an intensive Empire campaign was bein*>" conducted in England. Then also there was \he fact that tho fishing that was to be had in New Zealand waters was being very well advertised in the Old Country.

"These two things," he continued, "have some bearing on the matter. Take, for instance, the Rangitano. Many of the passengers the Rangitane brought have come out for tho fishing. Still, apart from this and the fact also that English people aro being encouraged in England to visit Empire countries, I should think that the fact that the English pound is worth something more than 20/- in this country probably has quite a lot to do with the trek that is being made to New Zealand."