H.—2.

1902. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF TOURIST AND HEALTH RESORTS (FIRST ANNUAL REPORT).

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

The Superintendent of Touelst and Health Besoets to the Hon. the Minister in Charge. Department of Tourist and Health Eesorts, g IE _ Wellington, 4th July, 1902. I have the honour to submit herewith the first annual report of the Department of Tourist and Health Eesorts for the year ended 31st March, 1902. I have, &c, T. E. Donne, Superintendent. The Hon. Sir J. G. Ward, K.C.M.G., Wellington. Immediately on coming into existence this Department was required to assist in making arrangements in connection with the tour through New Zealand of the Imperial Representative Military Corps, numbering one thousand officers and men, who arrived in the s.s. " Britannic " in February, 1901. This tour was a thorough success, and our military visitors were impressed in a marked .degree with the agricultural, pastoral, and industrial progress which had been made in so young a colony, and were also delighted with its scenic beauties and thermal wonders. Evidence of the good impression made on these visitors is to be found in the large number of favourable articles written by them which have appeared in various newspapers and magazines since their return to Britain; also from the fact that some members of the Middlesex Volunteer Begiments have returned to make their homes in New Zealand. Boyal Visit. Early last year devolved on this Department, and occupied several months' arduous labour, the task of providing house and hotel accommodation, carriages, transport of luggage, &c, for Their Boyal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York, their suite and servants ; His Excellency the Governor, suite and servants; hon. members of the Ministry, the Australian guests of the Government, and visiting English pressmen. The whole of the arrangements made were acknowledged by the Government and the Fress of the colony generally to have been excellent. Agencies. Agencies of the Department have been established at Auckland, Botorua (combined with Works office), Wellington, Christchurch, and Invercargill. An office will be opened in Dunedin as soon as suitable premises can be obtained at a reasonable rental. As far as practicable these offices have been located in positions near the main business thoroughfares. They are intended primarily to afford information regarding New Zealand—such as where to go, when to go, how to go, what to pay —to all inquirers, whether residents in or tourists from outside the colony; particulars of hotel charges, routes, fares, time-tables, and other important matters in connection with travel being kept for the public benefit. Information is also being compiled to enable the district officers to give accurate directions to sportsmen regarding the locality of and means of access to fishing-streams, deer-forests, game-shooting grounds, together with particulars of licenses, seasons for protected game, &c. Visitors to these agencies may also obtain local information, such as the positions of streets, locality of public or other buildings, cab and train fares, &c. For instance, a Christchurch resident going to Auckland, before leaving the former city could ascertain at the Tourist Office the names and localities of hotels in Auckland and their tariffs, or other information, the aim of the Department being to make them, as far as possible, bureaux of general information. The many thousands of inquiries which have been made at the various offices, both orally and in writing, show that they are filling a public requirement. I—H. 2.