“ ADVERTISE!”

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 17877, 25 November 1929, Page 8

“ ADVERTISE!”

ATTRACTING TOURISTS. THE PACIFIC ERA. Prophesying that the Pacific' era, when it came, would he the greatest the world had ever seen, Mr G. T. Armitage, secretary ■of the Hawaiian Tourist Bureau, in addressing the Wanganui Rotary Club, appealed to the business men of New Zealund to back up their own Publicity Office in order to attract tourist traffic with Its new money. Mr Armitage, who is revisiting New Zealand after an absence of six years, spoke of the value to a country of tourist traffic because of the new money that was set in circulation. Over half a million Americans went abroad last year, he said, while three million American cars travelled to Canada. It was estimated that travelling Americans spent 1,300,000,000 dollars annually, and that last year’s half-million Americans who went abroad spent 818,000,000 dollars. If figures were available showing how much Americans spent in the Pacific the total would he pitiful beside the amount they spent in the East. Dwellers in the Pacific were too Pacific-minded. A Travelling Urge. “The Pacific era, in this generation or the next, is going to be the greatest the world has ever seen,” said Mr Armitage. “If we want to bring this very productive business our way it is our business to do so. People are seeking for new fields. There is a travelling urge in the worJd to-day, particularly in America. They arc just itching and aching for new places to go and for new sports and recreation facilities, but they have to be told about it.” The tourist’s affairs in New Zealand were handled very well indeed, continued Mr Armitage, and the service in that direction was a fine one. Also, he had seen the Dominion’s advertising and publicity methods abroad. He felt sure that if the business men of New Zealand backed up its Publicity Department with adequate funds—and it was necessary “to make a noise” in America —that in time the money expended would be returned manyfold. * “Some people shrug their shoulders at this toiirist business—they do not like the idea of dealing in people and getting money away from them,” said the speaker. "I think it is a legitimate and honourable business." Many believed that only hotels and only a small section of the community reaped the benefit of tourist traffic; but in ;i a wall, by a system of checking •jurist dollar bills, it was proved that ,’ e money that came into the country .vis spent in the most unexpected ■ laces. The Hawaii Tourist Bureau .•as co-operating with the New Zea;,nd publicity officers, and it distributed New Zealand literature free ,r charge, besides taking tourists to •,iw New Zealand publicity films. If .iiese two countries worked together a years to come they would hasten jia" prosperity of the Pacific.”