More People Are Visiting Tourist Resorts

Chronicle (Levin), 3 May 1949, Page 5

More People Are Visiting Tourist Resorts

Press Association)

(Per

WELLINGTON, May 2. In a preliminarv siirvey of the recent tourist season, the Minister in eharge of tourist and health resorts, Mr. Parry, stated todav that his department had reported reeord saies for the past linancial year. "Saies of tours within New Zealand were niade by our Government tourist bureaux to more than 200,000 people and the turnover increased by over £275,000 on the saies for the 1947-48 season," stated Mr. Parry. "Some of this substailtial increase was due to larger arrivals of tourists from overseas, particularly from Australia. This is the direct result of the resumption of regular trans-Tasman passenger ship1. ping services and increased airways i'requencies between this country and Australia and North America. It is also a definite indication of what may be expected in the immediate future." The past year had also seen an extension of the popular conducted tour programme. Over 3000 persons undertook tliese tours arranged by Govern* inent tourist burea.ux and these were almost exclusively residents of New Zealand who took advantage of this very convenient method of seeing their own country. Referring to the general revenue of tourist resorts, Mr. Parry said returns from Government tourist hotels and resorts had also reaehed a record total this year. The year had been notable for the effecting of improved fa'cilities at many of the resorts under the control of the department. Partieularly was such development evident at the Ohateau Tongariro, the Ilermitage and at Wairakei. - In_tke oversehs field the department had been active in renewing interest in the possibilities of tlie Dominion by the equipping of principal travel agents abroad with informative and travel selling material. This had brought immediate inquiries for future New Zealand travel. The department 's offices in Australia report record inquiries and saies flgures for the year just ended.