PUBLICITY FAILURE

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 4, 27 August 1931, Page 2

PUBLICITY FAILURE

The criticism of New Zealand's publicity methods voiced by an overseas journalist in an interview published by the "Post" yesterday morning raises a question which closely concerns the welfare of Rotorua; and indeed of all tourist resorts in the country. The full development of Rotorua as a tourist resort, Mr. Joseph Major pointed out, depended solely upon the efficiency of the publicity methods which were used to advertise it abroad. But Mr. Major went further. As an international journalist with ten years' experience and opportunity of observing the efficiency of Continental publicity methods, he offered a criticism which is a significant indictment of the methods which the New Zealand Goyernment has seen fit to adopt in advertising its tourist attractions abroad. . I simply cannot understand how it is possible that I have never heard about your wonders before arriving in New Zealand. It seems to me the bulk of your advertising goes to England, a country which knOws more or less about New Zealand as a part of the British Empire," he states. Taken in conjunction with other known facts, this commentary only goes to reinforce the criticisms of New Zealand's. overseas publicity methods, which have been expressed by visitors to the Dominion from time to time We do not deprecate by any means the value of publicity in Great Britain tho value of the British tourist traffic in itself is an incentive to further efforts in that direction — but Mr. Major's criticism that our publicity energies are being conducted along one fairly worn channel, to the neglect of other very profitable fields, is eminently justified. New Zealand's publicity work has fallen back into the stereotyped and unenterprising rut from which it was partially lifted before the rearrangement of the Government Departments brought it under new departmental control. A singular lack of imagination and enterprise .appears to be its chief characteristic and the stultifying results of its policy are at present being largely felt in ah New Zealand tourist resorts. Making full allowanco for the effects of the depression and the shortness of money, the fact still remains that the Government Publicity Department appears to have developed an entirely departmental mind — a fault which must handicap an organisation whose chief asset should be originality and enterprise. Contrary to all the jeremiads of the depression mongers, among whom our Parliamentarians probably take pre-eminence, a time of depression like the present is not the time to pull a poor mouth and sit in glum despair. It is time to muster the energies of the nation and capitalise every productiva avenue. Tourist traffic is one of the most remunerative of these avenues, and a depression is no excuse for its neglect, but rather an incentive to its encouragement. We would be the last to criticise any economies in the national administration which can be made without depleting the national income. The pity is that they were not made years ago before dire necessity revealed the inefficiency of bureaucratic administration, and the Reform Government has a strong indictment to face in this respect. Rotorua citizens will not readily forget the gross neglect that this resort suffered under the previous Minister. However, we do not propose to delve into recriminations now, but to point the course of the future. That course must follow the> lines that other countries have found profitable. The old stereotyped ideas of folder and leaflet advertising must go overboard and be replaced by bright newspaper advertising and encouragement to the great tourist agencies of the world to >bring their clients here. We/ would refer the administrators to the views of Mr. Ernest Davis which were published in Rotorua shortly after his return from abroad. In them they will find mqch that is sound and a policy advocated which might well be adopted.