C'Church blooms as eyes turn to New Zealand
Rising visitor numbers to Christchurch are expected to receive an additional boost as the release of The Hobbit 2 over the holiday season threw New Zealand into the limelight once again, but the city's recovery has already been gathering momentum.
Almost three years on from the magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck the Canterbury region of the South Island on February 22, 2011, causing NZ$40 billion of damage, the garden city of Christchurch is beginning to bloom again and is welcoming back visitors with open arms.
This time around, it is seeing a new kind of tourist. As Tim Hunter, chief executive of Canterbury and Christchurch Tourism told Travel Today: “We’re seeing a new kind of visitor. People are interested in the stories, in the human element of what happened in the earthquakes.”
And the success of Quake City, which received its 50,000th visitor last week, is testament to this. The earthquake visitor centre opened in the city’s Re:START mall on February 15 this year and since then has become a key attraction for locals and travellers alike.
The city’s historic trams got back on their tracks last month after an almost three year absence, marking another important milestone in the recovery of Christchurch. While in storage, the trams have been carefully maintained and each has been fitted with new screens and video content to show visitors what Christchurch looked like before the quakes, in addition to detailed local commentary on the city.
“The Christchurch tram is an iconic symbol of the city and their re-appearance in central Christchurch marks a significant step in the city’s recovery. This is something we should all celebrate,” Hunter said. He is confident the trams will bring additional visitors and street activity into the heart of Christchurch as it heads into the busy summer months.
All of the city’s iconic tourist attractions have now re-opened including the Christchurch Gondola, New Regent Street and the double-decker Discover Christchurch Hassle-Free Tours, along with new attractions such as Victorian-style shopping arcade The Tannery and the Transitional ‘Cardboard’ Cathedral. There are over 825 cafes, restaurants and bars now open in the city and hospitality outlets are at 85% of pre-quake levels.
Visitor numbers are on the increase, with international guest nights rising 11.1% and accommodation capacity increasing by 6.4%, year on year to October 2013. Christchurch can accommodate these growing numbers with 20 hotels now operating in the city and 1870 brand new hotel rooms. The launch this month of twice-weekly direct flights from Perth to Christchurch with Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand, will further boost travel to the region opening it up to the Western Australian market.
With the retail precinct set for completion in late 2014, a performing arts precinct due in 2016 and convention centre precinct to be finished by 2017 the rebuild is gaining real momentum.
Meanwhile, the latest Peter Jackson adaptation of the JRR Tolkien epic, filmed in New Zealand, was released in Australia on December 26, with interest in the destination expected to grow as a result.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
christchurch hobbit new zealand tim hunter tourismLatest News
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