Strong Point

Atoll Life

Of Geic

The Gilbert and Ellice Islands

Colony Government in April

was considering the report of Mr. P. Wales-Smith, a tourist consultant who was asked to investigate tourist potential in the

Colony.

AMONG the proposals made in the report are the suggested construction of a 32-bed tourist hotel on South Tarawa, and the establish ment of “atoll camps” at Abaokoro, Abemama and Funafuti.

The report says an improved air service is needed, as the present necessity for visitors to backtrack to Fiji is “frustrating and expensive”.

With a better, and preferably, through air service, enough traffic might be generated to warrant hotels and atoll holiday camps, which ‘would really get the colony’s infant industry under way”.

Mr. Wales-Smith said tourism should be one of several means of strengthening the colony’s economy against the day when the phosphate sland of Ocean Island was abandon ed. The tourist potential of the area vas “both novel and adequate enough” to warrant the creation of he facilities required at an early date.

Fine fishing

He said no islands in the Mediter ranean or the Caribbean had anything similar to offer in the way of scenery, md none of the islands in either the s acific or Indian Oceans which were ilready discovered by tourists was of he atoll type. The atoll was a strong idling point. On a flying visit to the :olony nobody could fail to marvel it their beauty from the air, and on he ground the atolls had an intimacy vhich must appeal to visitors.

About sport, the consultant said: “Marlin, sail-fish, tuna, king-fish md other big game have been caught )ff the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, isually by the islanders in canoes, construction of these canoes, in mrticular the carved-plank canoes of he Gjlbertese, requires real crafts manship, The fishing trip arranged or my visit was rewarded by a fine :atch of a 42 lb bluefin tuna and a '8 lb king-fish, before breakfast, mder overcast conditions and with joor visibility.”