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1908. NEW ZEALAND.

TOURIST AND HEALTH RESORTS DEPARTMENT (SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE). BY THE MINISTER OF TOURIST AND HEALTH RESORTS, HON. JAMES McGOWAN

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

The Minister in Charge of Tourist ahd Healtb Resorts Department to His Excellency the Governor. Department of Tourist and Health Resorts, Wellington, My Lord, — L3tb September, 1908. I have the honour to submit to Your Excellency the report of the Department of Tourist and Health Resorts for the year ending the 31st March, 1908. I have, &c, Jas. MoGowas Minister in Charge, Tourist and Health Resorts Department. His Excellency the Governor of New Zealand. For the year under review there was a decrease of 1,082 visitors from oversea as compared with ar 1906-7. This was to be expected, as the previous year's traffic was higher than usual on account of the International Exhibition held at Christchuroh. A comparison can only fairly be made with the year 1905-6 : over this year the traffic shows an increase of 1,460. with an estimated increased value of £73,000, giving a normal increase of £36,500 per annum for the two years. As before, the bulk of the visitors came from Australia; there is, however, an increase from the United Kingdom for the present year, but a large falling-off from the United States and Canada, due to the cessation of the direct steam service between San Francisco and New Zealand. The total numbers of visitors for the past four years have been, — 1904-5 ... ...' ... 5,992 | 1906-7 ... ... .. 9,684 1905-6*... ... ... 7,112 1907-8... ... ... 8,602 Estimating the amount of expenditure per head as hitherto, the value of the traffic for the past four years is as follows : — £ £ 1904-5 ... ... 299,000 1906-7 ... ... 484,000 1905-6 ... ... 357,000 1907-8 ... ... 430.000 The normal increase over 1904-5 shown in the number and value of visitors must be considered upon the whole to be exceedingly satisfactory. As pointed out in my statement for 1906-7, although the Exhibition was responsible for an increase in the oversea traffic to NewZealand, it did not, except in one or two cases, contribute largely to the direct revenue of the Department, as a large number of our local people who generally spend their holidays at the several resorts took the opportunity of visiting the Exhibition instead, and, therefore, the direct revenue of the Department was not increased in the same ratio as the increase in the number of visitors to the Dominion. This year it is satisfactory to note, although the number of visitors to the Dominion wa ssomewhat less than last year, the direct revenue of the Department has risen fmm C 15,202 ss. 4d. to £20,487 18s. 4d., showing an increase of £2.285 13s.

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