Growing Interest In

Tourism In Geic,

Micronesia

By a Staff Writer

The United States Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and the neighbouring Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony may be opened up to tourists in a big way before long.

K.

AT present, the two territories are rarely visited by tourists, as air links with the outside world are poor and hotels are either small or non existent.

However, both territories have shown considerable interest in de veloping a tourist industry in the past few months; and there has been a good deal of talk about linking the two territories by air, thereby creat ing a new tourist route between the North and South Pacific.

Concrete evidence of the increasing interest in tourism in the two terri tories in recent months includes: • Surveys on the tourist potential of the US Trust Territory (the Mariana. Marshall and Caroline Is lands) by two American experts— Mr. James E. Paris, former Director of Tourism in American Samoa; and Mr. R. W. Hemphill. • A resolution by the Congress of Micronesia (the legislative body in the Trust Territory) asking the US High Commissioner to make a thorough study of ways of promoting tourism in the territory (PIM, Sept., p. 73). • A visit to Nauru by the Ad ministrator of Marianas District, Mr.

Peter Coleman, about the possibility of establishing an air link between the Marianas and Nauru. • The commencement of work in April on the building of a 50-room hotel at Saipan in the Marianas ( PIM , May, p. 127). • The appointment of Mr. J.

Hall, a British tourism consultant, to make a survey of the tourist industry potential in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. (Mr. Hall is due to arrive in Tarawa on November 18 for a week’s visit and will inspect suggested sites for a tourist hotel on the atoll.) • The visit of the GEIC Whole sale Society’s vessel Moana Raoi to the Marshall Islands in October to investigate commercial and tourist possibilities “with a view to the colony having greater contact with the Trust

Territory”. On board the Moana Raoi were the manager of the Whole sale Society, Mr. W. J. Kirkby-Jones, and the GEIC Travel Officer, Mr. P.

Barker. • The granting of permission to two US charter airlines, Southern Air Transport and Trans-International Airlines, to fly between the US, American Samoa, Guam, Johnston Island, the Marshall Islands, Okinawa, Wake Island and points in Australia, Indonesia and Asia.

In making his survey of the tourist potential of the US Trust Territory, Mr. Paris visited all six districts— Marianas, Marshalls, Ponape, Truk, Yap and Palau.

He thought Palau had the “greatest developable potential” and that this should form the “key or anchor point for a tourist development pro gramme”.

“Palau has sufficient attractions to draw people to it as a destination point, whereas most of the other places are points to visit en route to or from Palau,” he said.

“This being the case, I believe the Palau development should be one of the primary ones, and that as

a starting point one should consider building at least 300 double-bedded rooms.”

Mr. Paris suggested that hotels should also be built at Saipan in the Marianas (150 double rooms), Majuro in the Marshalls (150 rooms), and at Ponape, Truk and Yap (each 100 rooms).

All hotels should be first-class to international standards double bedded and air-conditioned.

They should not be “high-rise” buildings, as these would mar the fundamental charm of the district.

Air Links

Referring to the means of reach ing these places, Mr, Paris said it should be borne in mind that tourists do not like backtracking, because this was costly and time-consuming. It was therefore necessary to think in terms of north-south or east-west routes into and through the territory.

Mr. Paris suggested that Wake Is land (a US possession midway be tween Honolulu and Guam) could be used as a point of entry into the territory from the east, or US side.

“Wake has full long-range jet facilities and has a quite adequate terminal building,” he said.

“It is questionable whether Wake would be able to accommodate any large number of transient passengers on an overnight basis, but if Trust Territory passenger schedules were carefully co-ordinated, there need not be any great span of time spent at Wake.

“Since both Wake and Guam have long-range jet facilities, I would sug gest that the airports which are in existence in the various districts and the one to be built in Ponape be built up to accommodate short-haul jets.

“If this concept is accepted, then the long-haul jets could put down from Honolulu, and points east, in Wake, discharge the passengers who wish to visit the Trust Territory, and they, in turn, could be picked up by short-haul jets.

“From Wake to Majuro, which would be the point of entry into the Trust Territory, is about 800 miles.

With a short-range jet, this would be something less than a two-hour haul.

“Then traffic originating in Hono lulu and the east could flow from Majuro westward to Truk, Ponape, Yap, Palau, Saipan and exit at Guam.

“Of course, some passengers would not care or have time to make all

the stops, but they would be there should they wish to do so.”

Mr. Paris said that traffic emanating from the west—Tokyo, Manila, Okinawa, Hong Kong, etc.—could enter the Trust Territory through Guam, and flow unimpeded to the east, leaving at Majuro for Wake Island.

“There is also a very good chance that an air link could be developed between Majuro and the Gilbert and Ellice Islands,” Mr. Paris said.

“Currently, Fiji Airways is operating out of Fiji to Funafuti and Tarawa using, at last report, a fourengined Heron aircraft.

“Of course, these are very small aircraft, but the development of the airstrips and hotel facilities in the Trust Territory, would, I am sure, occasion an expansion of the airlift capacity of Fiji Airways to the point that it might be possible for them to put on Lockheed Electras.

“The alternative to using Wake as a point of entry would be to develop a long-range jet operational airfield at Majuro.”

The report on tourist potential in the Trust Teritory by Mr. Hemphill was less specific than that of Mr.

Paris, but it arrived at a number of the same conclusions.