Industry can take heart from Christchurch's lead

Weather weary attractions operators and tourist destinations in Australia can take a leaf from the Christchurch recovery book as they put a summer of cyclones, storms and floods behind them.

Two years after the earthquake that devastated New Zealand's second-largest city, a long-term, forward-thinking approach to rebuilding tourism is paying decisive dividends.

Professor Susanne Becken, from Griffith University's Department of Tourism, Sport and Hotel Management explains "tourist numbers (to Christchurch) are still down but not as bad as after the earthquake when they were reduced by over 40%.

"They are now where they were about 10 years ago."

Professor Becken, an expert in disaster management and tourism, says that regenerating confidence and stimulating investment are vital to rebuilding a tourism destination in the wake of a natural disaster.

She adds "you cannot start to market a place if you don't have a product. This is crucial after a natural disaster.

"There may be a temptation to push on and get a city's profile back on its feet, but without core infrastructure and suitable attractions in place, this kind of marketing could have a reverse effect. When tourist expectations are not met, negative word of mouth further undermines the destination."

Professor Becken was among 200 delegates to attend the annual Council of Australasian Tourism Hospitality Education conference in Christchurch last month, where she witnessed firsthand the extent of the destruction and the rebuild effort.

Professor Becken continued "take your time and don't make quick decisions in the recovery. It is worth spending a bit of time on understanding how big the impact is, what it means and how best to recover.

"Having a disaster plan is important but when disaster strikes it is likely to be utter chaos and you have to make things up. Thoughtful innovation can lay the foundations for a successful future.

"Local creativity and grassroots initiatives are essential for making a place interesting and worth visiting again."

In spite of its difficulties, Lonely Planet named Christchurch in its top 10 places to visit in the Best in Travel guide 2013.

Image: A dust cloud spreads over Christchurch after the February 2011 earthquake 

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