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p. 69 · Read in the full issue
He Says New Guinea Hotels Can
Be Improved By Legislation
A couple of articles in March “PIM” brought a swift response from Mr Malcolm McDcugall, of Goroka, New Guinea, and some practical suggestions as to how New Guinea can improve its hotel position and attract overseas tourists (if it wants them, which seems doubtful).
MR. McDOUGALL has had a lot nf hotel exnerience overseas what he is hJ is an Associate SiJSSSr a nf o1 thp Hotel and Catering
Medallist?-a Membel
and Secretaries; he was at various times manager of the George Hotel, Edinburgh - manager of Rubens Hotel London; manager of Mt.
Lavinia Hotel, Ceylon, secretarymanager of the Wagga Wagga Commercial Club; secretary-manager of the Cricketers’ Club of NSW, and more recently, manager of the Moresby Hotel, Port Moresby. He brings all these talents to bear on tle Panua-New Guinea situation 2nd says: Both Mrs Tudor’s account of the
Qantas-sponsored journalists’ tour
panua-New Guinea, and the article on tourism in the South towards mllSonaf tourists) all in March PIM, emphasise the need for a change m the oiitiook of hotel proprietors and the P-NG public generally towards visitors.
When I took over the management of an hotel in Port Moresby last year, there was much lamenting
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up on verandahs.
The idea, prevalent in Australia, as well as in Papua-New Guinea, that the bar trade is the primary function of an hotel and the pro vision of accommodation and meals an Irksome necessity, could be MI by one simple piece of legislation.
In the UK, the licensing laws provide for a substantial reduction i n the licence fee for hotels deriving mo re than 50 per cent, of their eaoss income from items other than liquor. since the fees there are high, this may resu it i n the saving of £l,OOO per an num in the fee for a mod erate-sized hotel and is a sub stantial inducement to provide at tractive accommodation and meals. a similar enactment here would provide a similar effect.
Even in the matter of drinking facilities, hotel proprietors here show air-condiUoned at a -.W installation in a very short time Air conditioning in bedrooms can s]mila rly be made to pay for itself, ag can the pro vision of private bath rooms
Ok. Sjst & ?Xstt
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