Tourism More

Tonga To Take

Seriously

With a new hotel rising on V avail, plus a new company dedicated to the promotion of tourism, extensions to Tongatapu’s airport and the doubling of accommodation at Nukualofa's 100-bed International Dateline Hotel, Tonga’s tourist industry may start to boom.

For years, Tonga has regarded the tourist as an evil necessary to keep up the image of the kingdom as the Friendly Isles. But that idea is going by the board.

Tourists can be as valuable as oil and with the arrival a few months ago of Mr. Peter Wallis, tourist pro motion adviser from the United Kingdom, to open a tourist office for the government, things have got moving.

A new company, the Tonga Tour ist and Development Company Ltd., a title which speaks for itself, looks like playing a big part in the growth of the industry in Tonga.

Recently, it held its first meeting, at Neiafu on Vavau, and its principal shareholders were able to see the progress which has been made with the construction of their first ven ture, the Port-of-Refuge International Hotel.

The first stage, costing $500,000, will provide accommodation for 110 guests, and the second stage, also for $500,000, will include air-condition ing throughout and two large swim ming pools.

Even now, the hotel is bringing $5OO a week to workers on Vavau and this is likely to increase greatly when staff is engaged and the hotel opens for business.

The company is casting around for sites for more hotels. Already it has secured a block on Nukualofa’s waterfront and is negotiating with the government over a hotel on the site.

Tongatapu’s grassed runways, one 7,000 ft and the other 5,000 ft, are to be extended by another 5,000 ft to take Tonga into the jet age. Vavau, ’Eua and Ha’apai are to get airstrips.

To open up the islands in the groups outside Tongatapu is a wise move. Places like Vavau and ’Eua are likely to impress as the tourist’s idea of a South Seas paradise.