The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1903-11-20
LOWER FARES NEEDED TO
GET TOURISTS TO COME


time have read reports concerning the
doings of the Hawaiian Promotion
Committee, relative to the best meas
ures for inducing tourists to visit us;
and as citizen having large business
interests here, beg permission to offer
u few practical suggestions, through
your valuable paper. to the Committee
and all who have the future develop
ment and interest of these Islands at
heart.
During my recent visit to the Coast
which took me through the greater
portion of the Northwest of the Uni
ted States. l had occasion to travel
over great many railroad lines, and
found that at least one-half of my
fellow passengers on the crowded cars,
were tourists who had taken advantage
of the cheap rates existing to visit the
Pacific Coast And this class was
made up of well-to-do farmers, manu-
facturers, and business men generally,
from all over the Middle West, and
many of them from the States farther
east.
WHAT EXCURSIONISTS SAY.
1 personally conversed with quite
number of these excursionists, on the
roads. and at hotels where we stopped,
and during the descriptive talks of the
country and things In general, when 1t
was discovered by my fellow travellers,
that | was from Honolulu, they were
all interest at once, to find out all
about these far away islands, on which
occasions, of course, i did my best to
talk up, the beauties of the climate and
attractions here; and then, would fol-
low. generally the fatal question,
What is the fare to the Islands from
s. F.?'' and when | would tell them
that it was from $l35 to $3.50 for the
round trip their interest would imme-
diately fall fiat" Now these were not
labornS men who were travelling on "A
few dollars which they had Iaboriously
saved up, with barely enough to return
home upon, but were, as l have said,
well to do. many of them wealthy.
Two gentlemen with whom l came in
contact were bankers.
I learned that those travelling from
New York and vicinity, were doing so
on round trip rates OF SIS; those from
Chicago and cities near there, for $50.
These tickets carried them to S. F. and
return by one of the northern roads.
via Seattle and Portland.
can personally testify to the fact,
that most of these tourists stopped at
the best hotels in the cities they visited
and spent their money freely, in buy
ing curios and doing the towns thor
oughly.
/ could say much more regarding the
Impressions I gathered from conversa-
tons that listened to, and facts which
came under my personal observation,
but think / have said enough to sus-
tain the argument shall herein set
forth
CLASSES OF TOURISTS.
It has been said by few whom
have spoken to In Honolulu regarding
the tourist question. that 'the class of
tourists who would hesitate to pay the
present rates to this place, are not
those desired" Such assertions should
never come from the practical business
man.
In the first place facts will prove that
seven-eighths OF the tourist travel Is |
made up of the middle class. before
many are successful busi-
Htoo ihNii VIM nave WtdltU
through conservative methods and
shrewd dealing, who have set aside a
thousand or two. TO have long plan
ned round OF pleasure, for themselves
and families; and while they will spend
their money freely, and have the best.
when they reach their destinations, are
the very men, on account OF their bust
ness schooling, who, when they go into
a railroad or steamship office. study
to save every dollar possible in travel
Ing expense.
The Promotion Committee OF Homo
lulu might furnish beautiful oil paint
lngs and illustrated catalogues, de-
scrlptive of these Islands to every
house In the States. and employ spell
binders" to talk up the beauties and
here. but such measures
will avail nothing as long as the high