The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-11-23
THE VALUE OF TOURIST TRADE.


London Times gives some interesting
data as to the value of the tourist
trade, citing Switzerland as an exam
pie. Hawaii may well be willing to
spend many times the amount OF the
fund already placed at the disposal of
the Hawaii Promotion Committee If it
gets one-tenth the returns, with which
the little Alpine country is credited. The
Times says:
$50 far we have only knowledge, and
that of recent date, as to how many
people visit the Alps annually for
mountaineering purposes. In July Of
last year a Berne physician made the
necessary statistical inquiries, and es-
tablished the fact that about one hun
6red thousand people go each year to
the Alps. But, of course, as the doc
tor then pointed out, these figures form
only small part of the total number
of annual visitors to Switzerland. Herr
Freuler's carefully compiled statistics
show that the actual number is no
fewer than $50, 900. 1t must, however, be
borne in mind that Freulers figures ap-
ply only to those who visit Switzerland
for curative or recreative purposes.
Further, we are also informed as to
the average length of sojourn of each
visitor, which, to put it briefly, a.
mounts to from two to three weeks.
thus making total of seven or eight
million days which visitors spend in
Switzerland annually. The most inter-
esting part of Herr Freuler's essay is
that which refers to the financial and
economical side of the hotel and SINH
lar businesses in Switzerland.
According to Herr Freuler the total
amount of money paid over to the pro-
prietors of hotels and pensions in the
course of a year is between eighty-six
and ninety-eight million francs, about
20 per cent of which comes from the
pockets of the native population. we
see, therefore, that foreign visitors
spend about three million pounds ster-
ling for board and lodging, and it is
further calculated that they disburse
sixteen to eighteen million francs-say
f675OO0-to the railway companies,
steamboat proprietors and owners OF
vehicles. Against this total sum Of a.
475, 900 we have to place an expenditure
on the parts of the caterers, railway
companies, of ffty-twc to sixty-tWo
million francs, or at least f2,ooO,eoo
Herr Freuler goes on to point out that
from this gross profit of f2,47500O as
much as f1,3OO,0oo has to be deducted
for depreciation and improvements, and
that consequently the net profit on the
capital outlay, which he estimates at a
sum amounting to over $50 million
francs, is decidedly small. 1t follows,
therefore, as Herr Freuler says, that
visitors travel and are entertained very
cheaply in Switzerland, and he goes on
to remark.
''It must however, be remembered
that there are frequent, and on some
occasions considerable fluctuations in
prices, according to the season; that
the demands made by visitors are not
always justifiable; that various COM
panies offering facilities for touring
produce an unhealthy competition, bas-
ed on thoughtlessness and want of
business principle; and, further, that
the competitive envy of some restau-
rant keepers leads to catering which
is not in keeping with honest manage
ment.
For the reception of visitors there
are according to the author 1886 hotels,
pensions and private lodging-houses,
which together contain l04,S00 beds.
Having circularised all these places, the
statistician is able to say that 945 of
them are open only during the season,
and that these contain $780, so we see
that the 951 that are open all the year
round only contain $4,000 beds. Herr
Freuler also inquired as to the number
pensions, and found that $4,000 are
given full occupation, and that a fur
Their 5000 are required irregularly, there
being almost equal numbers of both
sexes There is, therefore, on an aver
age, one servant to every four beds.
On the whole the hotel business gives
direct or indirect employment to be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000 people at the
height of the season, whose wages a
mount to from nine to eleven million
francs, exclusive of both their board
and residence, which Freuler estimates
at from $500, 900 to S,5Oo,OOO francs and of
gratuities, which amount to as large
a sum as from 100000 to 4,OO0,O
francs.
AS regards the nationality of the at |
tendants, the author was able to ascer-
tain that, with the exception of small |
number-about 3500-they are all Swiss |