“Selling” the Pacific

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1070, 6 September 1930, Page 16

“Selling” the Pacific

EXPLOITING TOURIST ATT R ACT lONS

Big Association Formed in U.S.A. “'l’llE day is fast approaching when the world maritime 1 commerce will be on the Pacific and not on the Atlantic,” recently asserted Captain Robert Dollar, the millionaire steamship owner, of San Francisco. He was speaking at a conference on July 22 in that city, at which a Pacific Travel Association was formed. Captain. Dollar added that he was laughed at when lie made a similar prediction 20 years ago, but time had justified his optimism.

The conference was convened for the purpose of launching a great “push" to direct world tourist business Pacific-wards. More than TO delegates, representing steamship, railroad, accommodation and tourist bureau interests, attended. Included in the number were observers for the Dutch East Indies, Japan,- Australia and New Zealand.

This Dominion was very capably represented by Mr. Will French, a native of Auckland, but now holding a big political post in Sau Francisco He acted on the invitation of the New Zealand Tourist League, Incorporated. The Union Steamship Company and the C. and A. Royal Mail Line were also officially represented by Mr. E H. Green.

Two years had been spent promot tug the idea of forming a Pacific force cajiable of combining all interests con cerned with securing for the Pacific a greater sharg of the commerce and travel existing, as well as creating new business. Figures placed before the conference showed that 434,000 Arne ricans visited foreign countries last year. Of these 87 per cent, crossed the Atlantic. Europe, from being the motherland of many of the people, has a huge advantage in the tourist business, but there was the added effect of knowing more about Europe and its history and culture. Tbe Pacific is still an unknown area to the world. To secure greater travel about this immense ocean several problems have to be faced. "Selling” the Pacific area is too big a job for any one interest, because it has not only to sell its own service but first to “sell” the Pacific idea. Obviously, the first step in the campaign is to get the world thinking collectively of the Pacific, and then fo>each section to promote its owd iu terests.

This can be accomplished by collective action in the same way that the selling of goods has been promoted by co-operative marketing This basic plan was thoroughly

grasped by the conference just held, and it was resolved to create a publicity fund of 500,000 dollars for tho next three years, and to get busy educating American people, for a start, on the advantages of Pan-Pacific travel; to develop co-operative iufor matiou services among travel agencies and to co-ordinate research ou common problems to develop the bes* methods of directing tourists into tlio Pacific area. If but one-seventh of the Atlautlc passengers travelling for pleasure could be turued toward the Pacific it would mean doubling the present patrouage in that ocean. Community advertising had had a wonderfully successful vogue in America, and it is an extension of this plan that is now proposed for the consideration of the lands bordering the Pacific, which house almost half of the population of the world.

Japan has manifested intense Interest. in the projects for increasing travel to the Orient. That country's steamship groups have built up big services, and now a company with ;£3,000,000 capital is being organised to start a dirigible airship service from America to Japan by the end of 1931. In the New’ Zealand end of tho ocean the steamers are being improved by the new boats to be put in the service of the Matson Line, and by the Uuion Steam Ship Company. The conference knew well, however, that all the travel accommodation is useless without a commercial machine that can fill it up. To this end the conference applied itself. A management committee was set up, composed of Mr. Paul Shoup, Southern Pacific; Mr. Harry Chandler, of the “Los Angeles Times’’; Mr. Stanley Dollar, of the Dollar Steamship Company; Mr. W. P. Roth. Mat son Navigation Company; Mr. Frank Robinson, Union Pacific system, and Mr. J. C. Ainsworth, a Portland banker. Five organisation com mittees were also set up. A further conference is to be called short!}' in I San Francisco to put the plans into I actual working order.