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APPENDICES. APPENDIX A. (EXTRACTS FROM REPORTS OP CONTROLLING OFFICERS.) The Trade and Tourist Commissioner in Canada and the Eastern United States. The Trade and Tourist Commissioner reports that a national advertising campaign on lines similar to those followed in 1937-38 was conducted during the year, selected media of the United States and Canada being utilized to carry announcements. Definite evidence of its stimulating effect on better-type prospects was received, and reports from travel agencies indicated a greater general interest in New Zealand amongst those clients who habitually undertake the more expensive tours. Only certain class publications were utilized, and these were particularly selected for the fields in which they were distributed, such as women's appeal, business men, the literary type, and the educational field. To appeal to winter sports followers the American Ski Annual was used, and to cover the travel-agency trade the Official Steamship and Airways Guide. The publications used had a total circulation of 7,250,000 readers. Wherever possible four-colour advertisements were used, and these were the subject of much favourable comment not only from travel agencies, but also from advertising authorities in both the United States and Canada. This magazine advertising was supported by a series of announcements in the newspapers throughout Canada, and thus it was possible to cover the whole of the Dominion for a limited period of the year with inexpensive announcements. A direct-mail scheme was instituted and is currently being operated with a selected list of 50,000 names. The result of this effort will not be evident for some considerable time, but it is calculated to produce concrete returns amongst those people to whom general advertising has been directed. General Publicity.—ln the field of general publicity wide dissemination of information has been achieved by the judicious distribution of literature, including a considerable amount of material drawing attention to the New Zealand Centennial celebration. By newspaper and magazine articles supplied from both Toronto and Los Angeles offices, by distribution of photographs, frequent lectures to groups by staff members, by steady circularization of lantern slides and 16 mm. films, and by the placing of window-display material in travel agencies at principal points New Zealand has gained much favourable notice. Wide publicity, not of a tourist nature, has been obtained for New Zealand by the appearance in newspapers and magazines of articles referring to Dominion legislation and Governmental undertakings. Tour Sales.—During the year under review an intensive programme of personal canvassing of travel agents throughout the United States was undertaken to stimulate sales of inland tours in New Zealand. Four officers visited various sections of the country, called on leading travel-service executives and branch offices, and outlined the attractions, the improved facilities, and the services rendered to visitors in the Dominion, and left with each selling unit complete details of New Zealand's tours and rates. The immediate result of these calls was an appreciable increase in the numbers of itineraries requested by agencies for submission to their clients, and a tangible increase of tour sales cleared through Toronto and Los Angeles offices. Agencies were encouraged to promote group tours, and, despite unsettled economic conditions in North America affecting such promotions generally, several group movements were very successfully undertaken. A noticeable improvement in the number of private groups proceeding to New Zealand primarily for sporting reasons was evident and leads one to the conclusion that more emphasis might well be placed on this particular feature of New Zealand. A ticket interchange between New Zealand and Australia brought into effect during the year by the shipping companies has removed a disability which previously affected stop-over business in New Zealand, and the advantage of the new arrangement will be more evident as the traffic increases. An increase in the number of passenger bookings actually handled through the Toronto office of 87£ per cent, was achieved, with a financial increase of 55 per cent. Other tours which have been booked in New Zealand as the result of introductions from this office should greatly appreciate the value of the business emanating from Toronto. To achieve this result a large number of individual special itineraries were planned ; thus there is ample evidence that the sales resulting from the itineraries submitted from this office are encouragingly high. Many other itineraries have been submitted to prospective visitors in printed form, and in our special pamphlet " See All of New Zealand," wherein more or less standardized tours are offered for sale to the public through travel agents. Displays at Exhibitions.—Displays at leading exhibitions were undertaken during the year, and each involved considerable detail in planning and execution.

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