THE TO MUST TRAFFIC.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8101, 29 August 1904, Page 2

THE TO MUST TRAFFIC.

Tho annual report of the Tourist Department, which was laid before the House' of Representatives on Friday, containa a : number of suggestions and recommend-' ations which we hope will be carefully weighed by the authorities. Among these the one in favour of establishing tourist bureaux in other .parts of the world is specially deserving of sympathetic consideration. The idea of the Minister in charge of the Department is that bur-! eaux should be established in Sydney and Melbourne, and if they prove successful that the system should be extended to include t; some of the greater cities on popu- ■ lar routes of travel, with a central office in London." The Minister considers that t such an. arrangement would bring New Zea- A land into closer touch with the travelling public than is the case at the present £ime and we cordially agree with him. It i 5 be. yond question that if w© really desire to attract to the colony tourists' in large ntunbsrs, we must take such steps as are calcu-1 lated to induce them to come. It js use. leas to sit still and wait for them, to arrive. Doubtless in time they would come but the nrocess would necessarily involU considerable delay. The tradesman does nob sit down behind his counter and await the coming of his customers. He , gets in. t touch with them by means of canvassers, or through the medium of the newspapers, ] and in various ways brings under their no- I tice the goods he has for sale. When he b is in a large, way he establishes branches t of his business. The objects of these branches are twofold. They serve to r spread the faiSe of his wares, and at the i same time offer additional facilities to his i clients/ Such are the objects which New d Zealand tourist bureaux would fulfil. >j^ v would be the means of advertising- the v sc-enio, attractions of the colony, and at th© v same Aime they would be in a position to t furnish information and facilities tt > the n traveller who desired to visit New Zealand, h

It is owing vpry largely to the past activity of the Government that the tourist • traffic is growing steadily, and we are satis. I fled that if Sir Joseph Ward's latest proposals arc carried into effect the traffic mil expand even more rapidly than is th© case at present.