U.S. TOURISTS SING PRAISES OF N.Z.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17698, 19 November 1925, Page 5

U.S. TOURISTS SING PRAISES OF N.Z.

MAGNIFICENT COUNTRY, BUT NEEDS BOOSTING. . 1 These people are great boosters for New Zealand, and they have been 1 pleased and surprised at the reception ; they have had in this country.” said j Mr 11. Wilfred Kelley, manager of a | party of touring Americans who arriv- • ed in Christchurch on Tuesday evening, Mr Kelley is conducting the tour on behalf of the Raymond-Whitcomb Tours Company, this being the company’s pioneer tour to New. Zealand. The party consists of nine people. The tour began on October 7. when the party left San Francisco, and on arrival of the Tahiti at Wellington, on October 26, the Dominion tour began. . The tourist resorts in the North Island were visited, and already in the South Island the party has visited the Cold I Lakes district and Mount Cook. To- I day a start will be made for the West I Coast. After leaving New Zealand the i party will go to South Africa, East j Africa, Egypt and France. Mr Kelley said his party was greatly impressed by the beauty of New Zealand. and they were agreeably surprised at the quality of the hotels and the food in the country. However, they felt that the tourist attractions were not sufficiently advertised. Mr Kelley, who has had extensive travelling experience, is of opinion that the Government should make a greater effort to advertise New Zealand in America. “ People in the States think that New Zealand is ‘ down under,’ and inhabited by savages.” he said. “ New 1 Zealand is a magnificent country, and ; it should be boomed. The beauty of Mount Cook scenery is equal to any in Switzerland, and besides that there is the glorious scenery further south.

In the North Island there is the marvellous thermal activity. All this should be boosted.” The motor and ’bus services in New Zealand were equal to any in the world, said Mr Kelley. The roads he thinks good, although there are some that Ik? regards as less good than they might lie. Mr Kelley said that the encouragement of American tourist traffic would be a great advertisement for New Zealand. Americans were now the travelling people,' and there* were, wealthy retired folk fetich as those in his party who were continually in search for something new. “In America a town or resort without anything to offer can !>e boosted throughout the States in such a way that the people rush to it, but New Zealand has much to offer and it is not boosted at all. I can sav that my people will do what they can to boost the country, and they are sure to talk about it when they get home.” Dr Alder C. Muttart, a retired New York phvsician, who is with the party, is an enthusiastic photographer, and he taken many pictures in New Zealand. When he returns home he will hake many of these made into slides, and will deliver lectures on the Dominion in New \ ork. Another tourist party under control of the Raymond- Whitcomb Company will be in Christchurch in about two