Evening star., 1946-10-24
|An Europe Preparing
ForU s. Tourist Trade,
Travel Survey Shows
BY Willard Dc Lue
North American kswsnapss Alliance


LONDON, Oct. 24.-All Europe
Is standing with open arms, ready
to welcome the American tourist
And though hotel accommodation
will continue to be problem fol
some time, by next year the steam
ship lines will be offering adequate
service - not prewar service but
something fairly good - and the
great stream of tourist trafiic should
get underway with rush.
That is a summary of talk ]
had recently with Ralph Reed
president of the American Expires.
Co, who now is making a long
trip through Europe to study the
travel situation at first hand.
"A lot Of Americans" he said
regardless of stories they may heal
about travel problems. will want tt
say, we were the first to get over.
They won't worry about minor in
conveniences. They're ready to move
right along rs soon rs the chance
n offered.
"Our company is deluged righ'
now with demands for information
demands that in some cases arr
ahead OF what we can actually give
We have = great amount OF traye
information on hand, and were
gathering more as rapidly as We can
Getting Ready for the Rush.
eve are reopening our foreign
ofYices everywhere, and are opening
new ones, too. We're spending lol
of money in advance of any rev.
enues; yet In spite of all our prep
arations. I feel that we aren't gong
to be able to handle the crowds
when the rush really begins.
England" said Mr.. Reed, Il am
confident. will relax its restric-
tions on tourist travel by next year
Food is almost the only question
holding things up today and cer-
tainly right now they don't want
the general tourist.
But England" he went on, lis
desirous of having its old tourist
trade back just as quickly as it can
get it. The Cunarder Queen Eliza
beth will be in service a" a passenger
liner. and the Queen Mary will join
her in a m-tter of few months,
after being completely refitted. The
United States Lines and others are
getting back to service to European
ports. So the general prospect is
good. England is just waiting to
open her arms to the tourist.
France Awaits Tourists.
France, too, is eager to see the
American tourist back. Reports on
French railways indicate that there
will be plenty of transportation
And I think that France
is ahead of England in the matter
of hotels.
I'm the Scandinavian countries
we're expecting a big trade. We've
already reopened our ONCE in Copen-
hagen, and we're opening new one
in Stockholm. I believe that next
summer will see q big call for Scan
dinavian travel, and the people OF
the Scandinavian countries them
selves are going in for it heavily.
Switzerland, too, has her arms
wide open to receive American tour
lists; and now that the matter OF
money exchange has been cleared
up, next year should see a big infiux.
South America Beckons.
South America is one of our in
tourist spots. haven't
been there since 1898, but I'm going
again just as soon as possible.
should open up very
rapidly: and though there are some
visa difficulties to be cleared up. the
South American travel picture
seems to be 1 favorable one. I
Travel in the Orient is going to
bs difncult; indications are that
maybe India will be ready for tour
lists before China Is.
Were getting q lot Of inquiries
about Australia. There's quite
bond Of friendship being established
between the United States and
Australia, and it's certain to be re-
fiected In growing tourist travel to
that continent.
80 we look for busy days ahead
Americans are just waiting for the
opportunity-and as soon as the
barrier goes down, they'll be Of"