“ADVERTISE”

Hokitika Guardian, 23 November 1929, Page 3

“ADVERTISE”

A Till A (TIN G T() U RUSTS

THE PACIFIC ERA. Prophesying that the Pacific era, when it came would be the greatest the world had ever seen, Mr G. T. Armitage, secretary of the Hawaiian Tourist Bureau, in adressing the Wellington Rotary Club appealed to the business men of New Zealand to back uj? their own Publicity Office in order to attract tourist traffic with its new money. Mr Armitage, who is revisiting-New .Zealand after an absence of six years, spoke of the value to a country of to’urist traffic because of the new/ money that was set in circulation.. Over half a million Americans went abroad lart year, lie said, while three million American cars travelled dto Canada. It was estimated-that travelling Americans spent 1,3000,000,000 dohars annually, and that last year’s half million Ameri ans who went abroad spent 818,000,000 dollars. Tf figures were avai.able showing how much Americans spent in the Pacific- the total would lie pitiful beside the amount they spent in the East. Dwellers in the Pacific were too Pacificminded.

A TRAVELLING HUGE. “The Pacific era, in this generation or the next, is going to be the greatest the world has ever seen,” said Mr Annitage. “If we want to bring this very productive business our way it is our business to do so. People are seeking for new fields. There is a tavelling urge in the world to-day; pa. tVularlv in America. They are just itching and aching for new places to go and for new sports and recreation facilities, but they have to be ;old about it.” The tourist’s affairs in New Zealand were handled very well indeed, continued Mr Armitage, and the ser- \ ice in that direction was a fine one. Also, he had seen the Dominion’s advertising and publicity methods abroad. He felt sure tfiat if the business men of New Zealand backed up its Publicity Department with adequate funds —and it was necessary to “make a noise” in America—that in time the money expended would be returned in a n v-f old.

“Some people shrug their shoulders at this tourist business—they do not like the idea of dealing in people and getting money away from them,” said the speaker. “I think it is a legitimate and honourable business.” Many believed that only hotels and a small section of the community reaped the benefit of tourist traffic, but in Hawaii, by a, system of checking tourist dollar bills, it was proved that the money that came into the country was spent in the most unexpected places. The Hawaii Tourist Bureau was cooperating with the New Zealand publicity officers and it distributed New Zealand literature free of charge, besides taking tourists to view New Zealand publicity films. If these two countries worked together in years to come they would hasten the prosperity of the Pacific.”