The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated' the West Coast limes. FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 1929.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 January 1929, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated' the West Coast limes. FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 1929.

TOURIST TRAFFIC. A champion for the rights of the South island in regard to a larger share of tourist traffic coining to New Zealand, has arisen in the person of Sir John Findlay, and his utterances on the matter have received a good deal of publicity. Westland can present many a grievance for neglect in the scheme directing the tourist traffic, and it is to be hoped will participate in a practical way in some of the advantages to be derived from the new born zeal which may result from the stirring up of the authorities on this matter. The Otago Daily Times in referring to the subject remarks that this is the time of the year at which the tourift reports of the Dominion should be exert-

iny to tlio. full their call to visitors from overseas, and it is to he hoped that when the tourist season has run its course there will he evidence available that the natural attractions of New Zenaml are receiving steadily increasing recognition. It has. reasonably, been a rather sore point with the South Island that many visitors to this country never come further south than Cook Strait, and jmssihly never understand that they have missed anything of importance or interest. The time seems again opportune to emphasise the need that there should be, on the part of the Tourist Department, a thoroughly dispassionate desire to see that tourists receive the most comprehensive information concerning the beauty spots of the Dominion and a really adequate idea of their claims to attention, irrespective of their situation in the north or in the south. The department has always repudiated the idea that its officials would discriminate between the North and the South Islands, to the disadvantage of the South, when assisting tourists to plan their movements while in this country. On the other hand, the impression is frequently gained from persons whose veracity cannot be questioned that the information supplied them lias not been calculated to enlighten them regarding the manifold attractions of the South Island, or induce them to make an effort to visit it. The fact remains that visitors who come expressly to see what New Zealand has to show too often leave its shores without having beheld the outstanding scenic features of the country. These, we think it may be claimed with justice, are in the South 'lsland. For variety, at all events, the scenic attractions of the South Island more than hold their own with those of the North. The southern lakes, the fiord region, nml the alpine resorts constitute assets that are capable of exploitation to the immense advantage of the country as a whole. It is unfair to tourists themselves that they should Ik* deprived of tile opportunity of viewing the attractions of the South Island, possibly been use the nature of these has not been brought home to them, or because their itineraries, prepared with official assistance, have been so arranged that they have insufficient time to spare for them. Attention has been drawn to the advertising in Australia of a personally conducted tour of the North Island of New Zealand, organised by an Australian company, in conjunction with the New Zealand Government Tourist Department The department may have nothing whatever to do with the limitation of the tour to the North Island, but the circumstances seem to afford a fresh illustration of the manner in which the existence of the South Island appears somehow to he too often quite overlooked. There is evidently some need for persistent effort to counteract, in the interests of the South, the eiieet of the circumstance that tourists generally begin their itineraries in the North. This is largely due to the fact, which only aggravates the general position, that the South Island sufferers seriously from the lack of direct intercolonial shipping communications. But an important factor will always lie publicity, and the South Island deserves and needs more than the relative share of this than it iias been receiving if it is to bo marked down as a matter of course hv the prospective tourist for visitation. This is matter in respect of which it is to he imped the South may now look to Mr Taverner, as Minister in charge of tlii department, to see thflt justice is done to its scenic attractions.