CANDID CRITIC

Hokitika Guardian, 8 March 1933, Page 7

CANDID CRITIC

AUSTRALIANS AS HOSTS. ■ \ ! ’ . -• . SYIHvJf/,’February :28. ' ...- Kis seldom, that,a politician adopts the’role of .a candid critic of the people to whom he must look. for power/- Mr ■R. G. ’ Menzieis, Mincer for; Railways in -Victoria, must b e in a,class 'by himself,• for he gaid the other day that Austra- • liaris, ,in the national sense, ~ were abominable ■ hosts. >H e >was ;addressing >• a meetingof - ~lhe ; Travel .Promotion League, toO, and while he piraiked ' the Whrlt of those who wer e inducing touristy to visit’ AuHtralia he asked'!' ',‘What are we doing at , this end p What are we doing to make our visitor*; feel at home «nd bodily comfortable P; In sup’ plying his own answer he <d'id not mince his words, “We fall down completely, ’> het: said. • •

In what way do Australians fail a-s hosts? In every'conceivable way, according to : (Mr MenzTes.' They ..possess an insularity that j S magnificent in its grandeur, h e ; went on. They had :no idea of catering for the traveller. They wer e too satisfied vith the way things .were done. They were too content with their country hotels, which were among the worst imaginable. They were too imitative in choosing their beauty spots and tourists attractions. They displayed no , imagination in . exI plotting their , places of beauty and their, ■flora and fauna. They had', no origin, ality. Strange,. to say, there has been no general outburst 0 f indignation' and it is even suggested that Mr Menzies hit th e nail on the head. Never before m its history have so many tourists been attracted to Australia as is the case this year. There are more member s 01 th e British nobility in the Commonwealth to-day than at any in its history, but.no special efforts are being made to show them the way round. They are left to themselves. Country hotels in Australia have few attractions, and. in the citie s the restrictions are so great as to b € almost embarrassing. The fact is that once a tourist reaches Australia ho must. fend for. himself, and this sort of thing is not likely to be a good advertisement for the Commonwealth. It is not sufficient 10 provide special facilities for thoi?e who come here in large parties or organised tours. The casual, tourist is probably of greater value, for he stays much longer. and is keener on seeing more of the country.

It would not be surprising if the candid criticism of Mr Menzies bears fruit. Meanwhile it is oT interest to mot e that a correspondent of a Sydney paper said that Australia had a great deal to learn from New , Zealand in the matter of receiving tourists, and referred particu. larly to the tourist facilities granted by the Dominion railways.