£170,000 Hotel
pp. 23-25 · Read in the full issue
Tonga Round-Up
Work Starts On
In Nukualofa
Tonga intends to challenge
iji’s tourist industry in a small ay with the erection of a [Odern, two-storey hotel on the ukualofa waterfront, close to ellow Pier, and within walking stance of the town and existing harf.
'HE hotel, designed by Derrick and Derrick, of Suva, is estima -1 to cost about £170,000, and will ve most of the amenities the tourist today seeks.
The ground floor will have a din l room, lounge and bar, and a mber of shops. There will be 55 Jrooms on the first floor. Later, night club may be incorporated the basement. In the grounds H be a swimming pool and tennis Lirt.
In May, after the final drawings re approved, the Government thorised the Tonga Construction . to go ahead. Early in July, ; foundations were marked out, 3 were being excavated, ft now appears certain that after irs of indecision Tonga will have irst-class hotel. The last proposal build a hotel, financed by joint ngan-American interests, fell ough late 1962.
Fhe new hotel is expected to in ase the number of visitors to nga to see the many attractions Kingdom has to offer.
ONGA’S new newspaper, the weekly English-language Chron ’ and Tongan-language Kalonikali, I only been in existence for two ies when it came under criticism Parliament, not for anything it ated, but because it had been nded. !. Tu’akoi, debating the Tonga iditions Committee and Printing partment Estimates, questioned the fulness of the newspaper. He felt t any money spent on the Chron should have been diverted to the iga Traditions Committee, which i carrying out a valuable investiga i into the Kingdom’s history and i'itions. le said the newspaper was only
likely to stimulate controversy, and it was doubtful if it would earn enough revenue to cover the provision allowed in the Estimates.
The Deputy Premier, Prince Tu’ipelehake, answered the criticism with details of likely receipts from sales.
Another member, S. Fakalata, was so impressed by the revenue-earning potential of the newspaper that he suggested the price should be reduced from 3d to Id.
Since the first edition was pub lished on June 19, the circulation has settled down to about 800 copies of the English edition, and 5,000 of the Tongan.
Chronicle is planned and issued from the Premier’s Department with Mr. Michael Challons, Secretary to the Government, and Mr. Jack Riechelmann, Assistant Secretary to the Government, as joint editors, At present, both the English and Tongan editions of the paper are only
>uble page spread, but it’s hoped the paper will be enlarged to eekly magazine incorporating a azine and photographic section, will then become an independent ern with a complete newspaper lOUT 200 delegates from countries and territories in and lering the Pacific will attend the conference of the Pan Pacific South-East Asia Women’s As ition at Nukualofa in August, ueen Salote is in charge of ngements, while the detailed nisation is in the hands of eight committees of the Tonga branch PPSEAWA accommodation, rtainment, catering, finance, bition, reception and transport, icity and entertainment and floral •ration. he theme of the conference is ; role of women in preserving cultural heritage of mankind”, will be discussed each day by fferent speaker, after which there be “round table” discussions, he main conference will be in Fa’ahau Building, a new block of ►s and offices in the main street Nukualofa. In front of the ding, the flag of every country esented will be flown.