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Hokitika Guardian, 31 January 1929, Page 4

A writer in a northern paper a avs many people are wondering what the new Government is doing : n regard t 1 the question of advertising the Dominion in other countries. Rotarians from New Zealand who attended the recent conference in Japan report the* they saw advertising matter belonging to every country except the one they came from. We have no agent in America. Surely this is a very had state of affairs. We should have agents in America. Australia and the East. New Zealand had 1008 less tourists last year than the year before.

Our tourist traffic from Australia t is considerably less than it was many years ago. Nothing lias been done in America to lot the' wealthy Americans Know that they can reach this country in a comparatively short time at small cost. It is estimated that the tourists til Hu rope and America spend £450,001),000 every year and New Zealand gets only £1 ,000,OIK) of that amount. Surely it is only the lack of good gogeiting representatives from the Dominion in America and Europe and the expenditure of a few thousands yearly that prevents the swelling of this amount to £1.5,000,000 per annum. The ..overnment should first of all appoint half a dozen men to represent us in other countries. Those men should he New Zealanders who know their country thoroughly. When 1 was in rxmdon I found that most of the High ("ommissioiier’s staff was composed of Englishmen who had never seen ,Xcw Zealand and who knew nothing about the Dominion. All those who come in contact with the general public in the High Commissioner’s office should be New Zealanders with an up-to-date knowledge of tlioir own Country. The present Government has a splendid opportunity in connection with tourist traffic and proper advertising of the Dominion’s attractions. Will they Let the. opportunity pass?