Tourist Facilities Criticised

Lake County Mail, Issue 41, 17 March 1948, Page 1

Tourist Facilities Criticised

By Visiting American Poor Standard of Accommodation

and Transport

When interviewed last week an American journalist Mr Marc T. B. Greene gave some friendly and constructive criticism. It is directed at the standard of accommodation and transport at the various beauty spots in New Zealand. He claims that the. present position is the worst possible advertisement for the tourist trade. „ ,

When Americans come they will not be satisfied with second-rate conditions and the country must be prepared to cater for tourists who will spend up to a million pounds in a season. Overseas Standards Required First-class accommodation and transport which at present are lacking arc required, for although the district offers some of the most beautiful scenery in the world this in itself is not sufficient inducement to travellers who are used to and are prepared to pay for the best. Mr Greene stated that some time ago he met a party of fellow' countrymen at Suva. They liad flown to New Zealand in a private plane and had endeavoured to obtain accommodation at To Anau. They were unsuccessful and some of the party found themselves billeted out in a second rate hotel in South Otago. This state of affairs is a poor advertisement to New Zealand as a tour-

ist resort, as travellers who have been treated in this manner return home and discourage others who may be thinking of visiting this country. Mr Greene also criticised the New Zealander as well. He said that he liked the easy-going and tolerant manner that we had but at the same-time pointed out that there was a stage where this virtue became a vice. He considers that local holiday-makers put up with a lot of inconveniences that would be eliminated if they would only active!v oppose them. Mr 'Greene’s home is in one of the smallest American States, Rhode Island, and he is connected with the Providence Journal. During the years 1927-31 he travelled the world for the Christian Science Monitor as a special correspondent. He is also American correspondent for several New Zealand newspapers, including the New Zealand Standard and the Mirror.