GOOD PUBLICITY

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 597, 25 February 1929, Page 13

GOOD PUBLICITY

VALUE OF PERSONAL TOUCH AMERICAN’S CHANGED PLANS That the persoral touch bf publicity is of immense value in promoting New Zealand’s tourist traffic, was demonstrated yesterday by the case of an American passenger on the Aorangi, which arrived from Vancouver. Mr. and Mrs. John E. Woodside, of Boston. Mass., were on their way to Australia and South Africa. They had lveard next to nothing of New Zealand in the United States. Most people regarded it as "part of Australia,” so it was not included in their itinerary. But because they met a publicity officer on the Aorangi, chatted with him. and learned the geographical truth of the position, they changed both their minds and their plans. "We are now extremely keen to stop a while in New Zealand,” Mr. Woodside told a Sun man. "Originally we had no intention of including it in our tour, but have been interested and charmed by what the Government agent has told us. Now we are planning an 18-day trip before we continue on to Australia.”

The proposed alteration in Mr. Woodside’s itinerary had resulted in some little difficulty over his bookings, but the ship's officials had undertaken to see what could be done. Mr. and Mrs. YVoodside are regular tourists who travel for pleasure every winter. They have visited every part of the world except -New Zealand. Australia and South Africa.