EASY MONEY

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 1, 2 January 1936, Page 7

EASY MONEY

'SELLING NEW ZEALAND'

TO OVERSEA TOURISTS

"New Zealand, apart from its healthy, sunny climate and fertile soils, possesses many advantages and attractions unique throughout the Empire, in Hie wealth of scenic beauty within a relatively small area, displayed by its mountains, rivers, sounds, glaciers, lakes, and in the wonders of ifs thermal area and its glow-worm caves, not to mention its sporting facilities, and the rich feast which it offers the naturalist." Taking the above words of "Lord Bledisloe as his text, Mr. G. M. Fowlds, president of the New Zealand Tourist League, urges the Dominion to make fuller use of the great asset which lies in its scenic attractions. The revenue from the tourist traffic, he, maintains, could and should be largely increased.

"At a time when the country's products are bringing in their lowest prices and there is a threat of quotas on their export to the markets of the Motherland, this is the time to turn to the utilisation of something on which there is no talk of an embargo," he says. "If restrictions are going to be imposed on the export of our butter, cheese, fruit, potatoes, pork, eggs, etc., the only way to avoid excessive loss is to invite thousands of people from across the seas to come and consume these products within our own borders, and so save us the freight on their shipment abroad. This can be done by attracting a stream of visitors to tour the country, viewing its scenery and sampling its sport.

"Since the close of the Great War, travel has developed as one of the greatest businesses of all time. Millions of people are on the move, spending billions of pounds on pleasure. What is New Zealand's share of this 'fertilising stream of gold?' Less than 7000 visitors in 1934, who according to the estimate of the Tourist Department, by spending £100 each, left perhaps £700,000. After thirty years of effort, the country which was the first to set up a State Tourist Bureau, has fewer arrivals than it had twentyfive years qgo! Is it good enough? Despite the expenditure of large sums on publicity, up to £35,000 annually for a few years prior to the depression, we have made comparatively little impression on oversea globe-trot-ters, whereas other countries have doubled and even quadrupled rtheir tourist returns. Some observers consider that this unsatisfactory condition is due to the paralysing effect of State management and the failure to enlist the co-operation of private enterprise which has as much at stake as the Government. The communities which are making the best success in tourist traffic are those operating under nonofficial direction or a co-ordination of State and private groups. OUR OPPORTUNITY. "Considering that New Zealand, to judge by the many comments of world travellers, has about the finest selection of scenic attractions in a small area we are failing in our duty in not capitalising these natural resources. The commercial record of New Zealand shows that one thing after another, on which the colony depended, fell away to insignificant proportions. In the case of scenery, and in a lesser degree sport, the major provision of the capital asset has been provided by Nature, and it remains for us to supply the necessary facilities and service to reap rich dividends. The experience of numerous other countries where the exploitation of their scenic attractions has been taken up in earnest, proves that by judicious advertising, supplemented by adequate selling organisation, it is possible to divert a profitable stream of tourist traffic. There are actually firms in the Dominion spending more on publicity than the Government spends on oversea advertising. Was there ever a time in our history when both the citizens and the State could not do with an additional source of revenue, from a business which probably brings in the highest rate of net profit? Is it realised that if we could increase our tourist traffic over 1000 per cent, or twelve times to 120,000 annual visitors they would leave in the country an amount equal to the interest on our National Debt of £260,000,000. TOURIST REVENUES IN OTHER LANDS. "The payments of visitors in a country circulate to a very wide circle, and individuals and the Slate directly orj indirectly benefit. Nearly every civilised country in the world, having only few features of interest to visitors, is making strenuous efforts to attract the tourist. The figures in this connection are reaching tremendous proportions. The internal travel disbursements in the U.S.A. are estimated by Roger Babson, eminent business statistician, at £700.000,000 per annum in normal years. Over 500,000 Americans travel to foreign lands, taking £150,000,000 with them. One State alone, California, about the size of New Zealand, values the vacation expenditure within its borders at £25,000,000. Canada now assesses her tourist revenue at £60,000,000, and it is her third best industry. In France 1,800.000 visitors used to leave £60,000,000; Germany drew 2.000,000 visitors who also left £60,000,000; visitors to Italy numbered 1,100,000. and left £40,000,000; tourists left £20,000,000 in Switzerland; 250,000 visitors, to England, left £10,000,000; little Hawaii had nearly 50,000 visitors who spent £2,500.000; Australia drew 26.000 visitors worth £2,000,000. Probably few people realise that one factor of our adverse economic situation must have been the disbursements of the 15,000 New Zealanders who prior to the slump used to take about £2,500.000 out of the country. On the other hand, in the best years we used -to get 10,000 visitors who left about £1,000,000,. so that we were still £1,500,000 to the bad annually."