Christchurch on Australia mission

Christchurch on Australia mission
By admin


Christchurch tourism officials are visiting Australia this week as they work towards a campaign to entice stay-away Aussies back to the city and wider South Island region.

Tim Hunter, Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism chief executive, called on Australians to “be brave” and see for themselves how the city and communities are re-building.

So stringent are building regulations and so prepared has Christchurch become that Hunter declared it “probably one of the safest cities in the world”.

Hunter last week said its neighbour has been the slowest market to return to Christchurch despite the “bravado” of Australians.

Tourism officials are seeking an agency in Australia to draw up a marketing campaign and are visiting this week to speak to a shortlist of companies.

“The campaign will be about education and addressing negative perceptions and focusing on the exciting developments of the pop up city,” Hunter told Travel Today.

The previous campaign last year halved the decline from 28% to 14% from Australia.

“Australia typically doesn’t have earthquakes and when they see the ghastly images on tv it freaks them out,” Hunter said. “We would like to see them be brave. The city has taken a lot of care to ensure anything potentially unsafe has been demolished or is out of bounds. The city is prepared and is probably one of the safest cities in the world.”

Tour operators in New Zealand enjoy Australians on their tours and “have fun”, he added.

“Both countries are very dependent on each others’ tourism,” Hunter said.
The marketing campaign is expected to launch in July or August.

Latest News

  • Products

Embrace the journey: Traversing the world with the Shokz OpenRun

If you’ve been on the wrong side of a final call in the airport, or missed the stop on rail journey, it might be time to invest in a pair of Shokz OpenRun headphones. Originally marketed as headphones for fitness fanatics, runners or cyclists with a keen to steer clear of a prang with a car, […]

  • Tour Operators
  • Tourism

TTC: Deals are driving up demand for September trips

The latest market research from TTC Tour Brands shows interest in international leisure travel remains high for 2024, with 77 per cent of Australians over 18 still planning trips this year. Notably, 28 per cent of those travellers are eyeing September for their journeys. Europe continues to be the most popular destination, with 68 per […]

  • Aviation

Qantas ‘working urgently’ to fix app data leak

Qantas is looking into customer reports that passengers have this morning been able to access other passengers’ personal information on the airlines app. X user Lachlan posted that he was able log into different accounts every time he opened the app. My @Qantas app logs me in to a different person each time I open […]

  • Hotels

Revamped Wailoaloa Beach hotel opens as Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa

Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa is open and ready for bookings after the first phase of a multi-million-dollar transformation. Part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ premium collection, the transformation has seen the completion of 106 guestrooms showcasing contemporary interiors reflective of the premium Crowne Plaza brand and is a first for the […]

  • Luxury
  • News

Kamalaya Koh Samui clinches clutch of wellness awards

Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa has so far clinched five prestigious awards in 2024, including being inducted into the ‘Hall of Fame’ at the World Spa & Wellness Awards in London. Founders of the Koh Samui sanctuary and spa John and Karina Stewart expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the awards. “We are profoundly honoured […]