TOURIST CONTROL

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1009, 27 June 1930, Page 16

TOURIST CONTROL

RATIONALISED OR PRIVATE ENTERPRISE?

'SUGGESTION BEFORE LEAGUE

The New Zealand Tourist League yesterday considered a proposal by Mr. W. J. Broadfoot, M.P., a former president of the league, that as the whole question of tourist traffic development is receiving such scanty attention from the Government he was inclined to think that the control should be rationalised or turned over to private enterprise. if rationalised, it would mean that a board would have to bo set up representing all the interests concerned in I the tourist traffic, and giving it power ito handle publicity and the develop- ; ment of the business. The Government j should subsidise such expenditure as would be entailed. Mr. George Finn J said that ho was beginning to despair of the success of Government activity, and if the State was not to make th<*» utmost use of the opportunity then private enterprise should have a chance, lie was not in accord with the reported policy of the Cabinet to slash down the expenditure on publicity; it was essential to keep up the pressure on the market for tourist business. Otherwise the money already spent would be wasted for the most part.

Mr. CJ. M. Fowlds: So much of the available tourist resort assets are public owned that it is difficult to see how private enterprise could effectually nandle all the matter, unless some bigger concerns than we now* have were to take over the resorts. In that case the expenditure on publicity might well be subsidised by the State, seeing that so many interests benefit. %lr. A. A. Browne gave some Instances where red tape of officialism had killed promising openings in tli* control of State-owned tourist assets More energy was essential. It was resolved to give general support to the plan for a board, which fo»* three years the league had been pressing the Government to set up. Tht» Hon. P. A. do la Perelle had recently promised that he would summon a conference of all parties to consider this very matter. It was agreed that far more vigorous efforts by the State were needed and if the Government did not wish to push on with the development of tourist resorts then it should permit private parties to do so

The fact that next summer will seo much motor traffic on the new scenic* route to Lake Waikaremoana is of sucb importance that the Government should now make provision for accommodation at the hostel. The present accommodation is restricted.

The appeal of the Hastings Chamber of Commerce, for help in preserving the natural scenery on the Te-Wliaiti-Waikaremoana Road will be supported The chamber also desires that the sources of water feed for the lake should be conserved and that native birds should be protected. Loth thes* objects have the support of the Tourist League. There was some acid comment on the fact that the report of the Publicity Department is merely a few words in the annual report of the Department of Internal Affairs, and that this year the Tourist Department report did not contain such-a highly important question as the number of tourist arriv als in the Dominion. It was considered that both reports should be accompanied by a balance sheet showing results against expenditure, particularly as the Publicity Department las* - year handled about £35,000. Representations had been made to the Prime Minister and the other authorities against the reduction of the publicity vote and urging that efforts be made to get the maximum value for the money, by planning a campaign abroad to sell trips to New Zealand.