DEPARTMENT OF TOURIST AND HEALTH RESORTS AND PUBLICITY (ANNUAL REPORT OF THE).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1942 Session I, H-02

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1942. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF TOURIST AND HEALTH RESORTS AND PUBLICITY (ANNUAL REPORT OF THE).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

The Hon. the Minister in Charge op the Department op Tourist and Health Resorts and Publicity to His Excellency the Governor-General. Wellington, 7th August, 1942. I have the honour to submit to Your Excellency the report of the Department of Tourist and Health Resorts and Publicity for the year ended 31st March, 1942. W. E. Parry, For Minister of Tourist and Health Resorts and Publicity. His Excellency the Governor-General of New Zealand. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TOURIST AND HEALTH RESORTS AND PUBLICITY. k IB > Wellington, 28th July, 1942. I have the honour to submit the following report on the organization and work of the Department of Tourist and Health Resorts, with which is now incorporated the Publicity Department for the year ended 31st March, 1942. I have, &c., L. J. Schmitt, General Manager. The Hon. W. E. Parry, Acting Minister of Tourist and Health Resorts and Publicity.

ANNUAL REPORT. The extension of the war to the Pacific had the immediate effect of cutting off the promising flow of tourist traffic which had been setting in from India, the Malay States, and the Dutch East Indies. Within the Dominion itself the Department's Bureaux and agency offices continue to record a large amount of internal travel business which has helped in some measure to offset the cessation of overseas traffic. Business done in this direction is well up to, and in several cases exceeds, that recorded during the previous year, this being no doubt mainly accounted for by the fact that NewZealanders are largely confined to travel within the Dominion in lieu of proceeding overseas. Overseas offices of the Department have turned their attention to the urgent problems of supply in connection with the war. This applies with equal force to the New Zealand Trade and Tourist Commissioners in the United States, Canada, and Australia, where their efforts are proving of great value to this Dominion.

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Publicity. All matters in connection with overseas publicity, with the exception of those bearing on the Dominion's war effort, have had to be drastically curtailed. Owing to the shortage of paper it has been necessary to reduce the despatch of literature overseas to the minimum requirements of the mam offices, and stocks are being rigidly conserved in order that immediate supplies may be available lor & resumption of the tourist drive at the end of hostilities. Financial. The revenue collected from the various activities controlled by the Department, and the ■expenditure from the Consolidated and Public Works Fund, for the past six years was as follows Return of Receipts, 1936-41. 1936-37. 1937-38. 1939-39. 1939-40. 1940-41. 1941-42. Receipts .. .. ..100,678 111, 973 124,134 113,482 109,940 98,885 Return of Expenditure, 1936-41. 1936-37. 1937-38. 1938-39. 1939-40. 1940-41. 1941-42. Consolidated Fund 148* 389* 175,120* 203,200* 184,908* IJI.JJJ* 141,083 Public Works Fund .. .. 16,789 23,159 24,551 24,892 21,575 12,207 * Includes expenditure on overseas publicity. Ticket sales at the Government Tourist Bureaux for the past six years were as follows £ 1936-37 .. .. •• 480,789 1939-40 .. .. 544,517 1937-38 •• 533,847 1940-41 .. •• 523,141 1938-39 '' •• •• 564,787 1941-42 .. .. .. 527,270 \ Department's Film and Advertising Studios. The Studio-manager reports that the major operations have been confined to the production of war-propaganda films, showing something of what is being actually accomplished by the Dominion in this field. Much valuable work has been performed in this direction, particularly m the circulation of short films dealing with the problem of the saving of waste materials for the war efiort. .°tner pictures which have been much appreciated by the public have shown the training of our men m t e use of modern weapons, and the means being adopted in the defence of New Zealand against possible <lggl Aseries of excellent still photographs, and a large variety of topical posters covering urgent problems in connection with the war effort, have also been prepared and distributed. Further copies of films have been despatched overseas, requests having been received for these m connection with the general war effort. APPENDICES. APPENDIX. (EXTRACTS FROM REPORTS OF CONTROLLING OFFICERS.) The Trade and Tourist Commissioner in Australia. The Trade and Tourist Commissioner reports that travel within Australia is no longer a matter of recreation, and all sections of the community must now justify their departure from Australia upon some grounds of essential business or urgent necessity. Over the past year this has been enforced through the machinery of the Customs Department, its basic justification being the progressive development of the war and the necessity for conserving full monetary resources and man-power upon defence efiorts. . . . Every endeavour is, however, being made to maintain good will and potential co-operation with those Australian organizations which, over the past ten years, have proved so helpful, and which can again be turned to good purpose when normal conditions prevail. District Manager, Rotorua. Revenue from all sources, compared with that of the previous year, shows a further increase in spite of the adverse circumstances affecting the whole position. The year s activities have been directed towards the improvement of the distribution of electrical energy to existing consumers and the extension of water-supply and drainage within the borough. The Sanatorium shows an increase in revenue, although the average number of patients per (lay was slightly below that of the previous year. The various baths m the Sanatorium have proved increasingly popular, particularly the Ward and Blue Baths, which, have been well patronized, while the gardens have won praise from all visitors.

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The Balneologist, Botorua. The Balneologist reports that there has been an increase in the revenue from out-patients', consultation, and massage fees, and a slight decrease from Sanatorium fees. There has also been a decrease in revenue from the bath fees, particularly from the swimming-pools. This latter decrease has been mainly due to the war period and the restriction in petrol. The Sanatorium. —The daily number of patients in the Sanatorium was forty-five. During the year the work in our institutions has been increasingly difficult owing to the shortage of nursing and domestic staff. There is a long list of patients awaiting admission. The number of baths and special treatments given to patients in the Sanatorium during the year were : Baths, 10,323 ; massage and special treatments, 8,157. The general therapeutic results were excellent. The Main Bathhouse. —Since the introduction of the social security benefits the work in our treatment establishment has increased enormously, to such a degree that in some cases special treatments have had to be rationed. This is because the number of baths is limited, our massage staff is inadequate, and the treatment-rooms can only work to capacity. The Department has only been able to obtain the services of two extra masseurs and two extra masseuses. Additional massagerooms have been built within the available spaces of the main bathhouse. Massage and Physiotherapy. —New apparatus installed comprises three Schalls combined galvanic and faradic units, one portable Bristowe, and one portable galvanic set. These have been in service for some time past and are of great value in carrying out physiotherapy treatments. Manager, Waitomo Caves and Hotel. While there was a natural falling off in the numbers of visitors to Waitomo during the year, detailed figures disclose that approximately 5,472 people inspected the caves and 2,872 stayed at the hotel. This is considered to be a very satisfactory return when the general travel position is taken into account. There were five special parties during the winter in addition to the usual flow of visitors. Manager, Lake House, Waikaremoana. The Manager reports that war conditions had led to a definite falling off in the numbers of visitors to the resort. Those arriving, however, had taken full advantage of the many interesting excursions to be made to various points along the lake shore. Huts at the camping-ground were all occupied over the Christmas and Easter holiday periods. The tracks and grounds were in good order. The Chateau, Tongariro National Park. The Manager advises that the year just passed has been a record one for visitors and revenue. A factor in this result has been the proximity of the armed forces to the Chateau. No new works have been undertaken, with the exception of the erection of a new reservoir which is now nearing completion. This will hold 40,000 gallons of water and will solve the matter of water-supply for some considerable time to come. The golf-course has been kept in good condition in spite of exceptionally adverse weather conditions experienced during the summer season. The annual Easter golf tournament was cancelled chiefly on account of this. The ski-ing season and snow sports held in July and August attracted a record attendance. Snow conditions were generally good with early falls, the access road to the Chateau being blocked in June, a most unusual occurrence. The postal branch experienced a big increase in business. Queenstown. The tourist season for the year proved an exceptionally quiet one, as was to be expected, travel being seriously affected owing to the general conditions prevailing. The gardens have been well cared for and have presented a most attractive appearance. Most of the visitors arriving were short-distance travellers, the absence of overseas visitors being very marked in contrast to usual conditions at the resort. The Manager, Milford Track and Hotel. The Manager reports that the Milford Track has experienced a very disappointing season owing to the petrol and travel restrictions. Prior to the restrictions being imposed we had record bookings. These were mostly cancelled. The track closed on the 10th February. The Hotel Milford has been reasonably well patronized during the past twelve months. Access through the Homer Tunnel makes it possible for tourists to visit Milford Sound at almost any time during the year. Quite a number of visitors arrive during the winter months and stay for a week or ten days. The work in the tunnel has been stopped for the duration of the war ; the tunnel is quite passable. The road to Milford Sound is to be kept open and maintained, and should result in a fair amount of patronage, providing transport is available. Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not, given ; printing (705 copies), £5 10a.

By Authority: E. V. Paul, Government Printer, Wellington.—l 942.

Price 3d,]

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