TOURIST “INVASION”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 249, 20 October 1937, Page 8

TOURIST “INVASION”

Record Summer For New Zealand TRAFFIC DIVERTED FROM THE EAST [ Per Press Association. ] WELLINGTON, Oct. 19. Prospects for a record tourist influx face New Zealand. “Our most serious problem this summer will be a shortage of hotel accommodation, not only at the major resorts, but at smaller places,” said Mr. R. W. Marshall, Wellington district manager of the Government Tourist Bureau today. “Advance itineraries from overseas offices in England, Australia and America indicate that the coming tourist season will be the heaviest ever experienced. In addition to the cruise ships coming, there will be a number of parties coming on conducted tours, staying from 10 days to three weeks in the Dominion. We have received, too, a large number of inquiries from American sources due to tourist traffic normally directed to Japan and China being diverted to New Zealand on account of the hostilities in the East.” AUSTRALIAN FARMERS PARTY ARRIVING NEXT WEEK [ Per Press Association. ] WELLINGTON, Oct. 19. The vanguard of what is expected to be the biggest army of tourists yet to invade New Zealand in a single season, is a party of more than 30 Australian primary producers who will arrive by the Wanganella at Wellington on Wednesday next. They will tour extensively through the North Island dairying districts. Theirs will be a return visit to that recently paid Queensland and New South Wales by a party of New Zealand farmers. Arrangements for the tour are being made by the Government Tourist Bureau.

Among the party will be Hon. M. P. Dunlop, M.L.C., general president of the New South Wales Primary Producers’ Union, Aiderman R. L. Fitzgerald, Mayor of Dungog, vicepresident of the union, Mr. A. J. Taylor, secretary of the Upper Hunter district council of the union, Mr. L. G. Ashton, editor of “The Primary Producer.”

The visitors will be officially welcomed by Government representatives and officials of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. On Thursday they drive to Palmerston North to visit the Massey College dairy research institute and plant research station. On the way to Wanganui and Hawera they will stop to inspect farms and dairy factories. They will continue by way of New Plymouth to Waitomo and Hamilton and the Waikato dairy country, including Ruakura State farm. They will see over the Arapuni power works and afforestation plantations en route to Rotorua. Finally, before ending their tour at Auckland, they will traverse the Tauranga and Te Aroha dairying districts. They leave Auckland on November 15.