Christchurch gets all clear
Wednesday, 17 Sep, 2010
0
New Zealand authorities have lifted the state of emergency in Christchurch following the earthquake that shook the city.
The quake, which reached 7.1 on the Richter scale, caused damage to 100,000 houses and destroyed 500 buildings.
Mayor Bob Parker lifted the state of emergency on Thursday and is now encouraging visitors to the area whose tourism needs a lift after the natural disaster, which it is estimated will cost the country £1.8 billion.
One of the city largest hotel operators, meanwhile, has made its own request to the world to support the city.
Accor vice president New Zealand Paul Richardson said: “With the lifting of the state of emergency in the city, Christchurch is effectively back in full swing and we need to tell visitors that it is not only safe for them to return, but that this is the best way to help the city get back on its feet.”
Accor has a Novotel and an Ibis in the city’s Cathedral Square and an All Seasons hotel nearby.
Richardson added: “Most services, including transport, water and electricity in the centre of the city have returned to full operational capacity, and now businesses, schools and other enterprises are running normally.
“Some areas of Christchurch were more affected than others, but there is little evidence of damage in the city centre, and particularly in Cathedral Square.
“Now, with Cathedral Square fully open along with most of the city’s other major tourist attractions it really is important that New Zealand and the rest of the world knows that we are open for business and looking forward to welcoming people to the Canterbury region.
“Christchurch is such an important international gateway that it is essential we give reassurance to potential visitors who might be concerned as to the city’s readiness to host them. We also need to highlight that the earthquake’s affect was centred on the Canterbury region and did not affect other areas of the country.”
by Dinah Hatch
Dinah
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Clearing CSS/JS assets' cache... Please wait until this notice disappears...
Updating... Please wait...
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports