Pacific Tourist

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No Matson Liners This Year

IT was officially announced from San Francisco on March 10 that while the Matson liner Lurline will be ready for the Frisco-Los Angeles-Honolulu service in September, the liners Mariposa and Monterey will not be restored to the trans-Pacific run until late in 1947. Un foreseen circumstances have delayed re construction.

It is not now expected that the Union liner Aorangi will be ready for Pacific service before 1948.

These circumstances definitely retard plans for the organisation of a Pacific Islands tourist traffic, for which many Administrations and business firms have been waiting.

Fiji, particularly, is interested in the development of tourism. Of all the Paci fic archipelagoes, there is none better placed than Fiji in this regard.

But, even if the steamers were running again, Fiji could not undertake tourist business to any extent, because of the lack of hotel accommodation in Suva.

Suva’s lamentable lack of housing has driven so many people into the town’s seven hotels that there is little room for travellers. Two big boardinghouses have closed up owing to lack of servants. Plans are announced for two or three new hotels, and additions to others. But these are held up by lack of material and skilled labour.

Even if Fiji applies itself now to the task of providing hotel accommodation, it can scarcely get ready in time for the inevitable tourist rush when it comes.

Mr. and Mrs. P. Costello, Suva, left Fiji by Sunderland on February 17, to spend several weeks’ holiday in New Zealand.