TO EXTEND OUR TOURIST TRAFFIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 202, 15 November 1927, Page 9

TO EXTEND OUR TOURIST TRAFFIC

BIG FIELD IN AUSTRALIA VIEWS OF MISS ROCHE QUITE 75 per cent, of the tourists who visit Australia would come on to New Z.e3i\Ar\d if they were approached, says Miss Violet Roche. Miss Roche, a New Zealander who has mad© a niche for herself in the tourist world in Australia, had some interesting remarks to make to-day about the business of inducing travellers to make the extra journey from Australia to New Zealand. She is manager of the travel bureau in the Hotel Australia, Sydney, where every facility is provided guests to plan their travel without voyaging around the different tourist agencies and bureaus in the city. This is accomplished by the fact that the shipping and other agencies have made the travel bureau of the hotel their agents; the New South Wales Government Tourist Bureau has a special private telephone wire to the hotel bureau. In the circumstances Miss Roche finds many opportunities of interesting, travellers in the charms of her native land, and finds that quite 75 per cent, of them would, with a little cordiality in handling them, extend their trip from Australia to New Zealand. That Australia offers a vast field in which to popularise New Zealand’s scenic advantages is Miss Roche’s opinion, and every effort should be made to coordinate the work of the various agencies in each country in the tourist business, so that maximum value could be obtained from the advertising expenditure. The thermal attractions of New Zealand are the things that most tourists are interested in, thinks Miss Roche, probably because they are unique, but possibly because the other attractions are not featured so prominently. The general public in the eastern Australian States is taking much greater interest in the idea of adding to the national revenue by the marketing of tourist attractions and big things are being planned. The oversea shipping companies are taking a much increased interest in Australia as a field for travel, and the special trains organised in Victoria, whereby visitors are taken on inland journeys on which the commercial as well as the scenic advantages of the State are exhibited, has so captivated the officials of one big shipping concern that it is promoting special steamer trips from England to co-operate with the Victorian Government. The increasing interest in Australia may be well turned to New Zealand's advantage.