'Tourism Hindered’

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31109, 12 July 1966, Page 3

'Tourism Hindered’

(From Our Own Reporter) • TIMARU, July 11. What was the good of Air! New Zealand, or the Tourist Department (which was doing and excellent job overseas selling New Zealand) not being able to accommodate everyone who was persuaded to visit the country? Mr H. Wigley, managing director of Mount Cook Airlines, asked today. Mr Wigley has returned from an extensive trip overseas convinced that if New; Zealand is to get its share of! I the tourism it must co-1 ordinate the development of 1 its facilities. The size of the tourist industry in Britain and on the Continent was as staggering las that in America, yielding about £330 million a year in overseas exchange to Britain, he said. Equally spectacular figures applied to most Con-' tinental countries. New Zealand could enjoy a share of' the traffic if she provided the facilities to cater for it. Air New Zealand had reequipped with DCB’s and there were no better jets in the world today, first-class international airports had been built at Christchurch and Auckland, some excellent hotels had been built by private enterprise and the Government at various places, but, in most cases, they were not sufficient.

Mr Wigley said there was growing interest in New Zealand. However, many agents found they were frustrated in selling New Zealand because of the country’s lack of facilities.