Chch promoted as the 'English’ city

Press, 30 May 1985, Page 5

Chch promoted as the 'English’ city

Christchurch should be promoted for its own attractions instead of being shown as a gateway to the rest of the South Island, a public meeting held by the Canterbury Promotion Council was told last evening. To this end. the council has prepared a new leisure guide and map for Christchurch and Canterbury which should be ready for distribution in a month. The guide should do much

to promote the activities and attractions available in the region for tourists, said the president of the council, Mr Vic Claude. A video which was prepared by the New Zealand Tourist Industry Federation on domestic travel was shown to the meeting. It indicated clearly that domestic tourism made up a big part of the entire tourist market in New Zealand. It was this element the

tourist market which should be actively drawn to Canterbury. Mr Claude said. A report was then presented to the meeting by Mrs Jeanette Elliott, the author of a Canterbury tourism marketing study. Mrs Elliott pointed out that Christchurch Airport's share of the inbound international market has declined in recent years while Auckland’s had increased.

“Christchurch tends to be treated as a stopover or gateway for international visitors, not as a principal destination in its own right," she said. She recommended that Christchurch be emphasised rather than the wider region of Canterbury. Christchurch’s fame as "the most English city outside England” could be promottj?' much more and

linked to such “English" activities as boating on the Avon River. Her report also recommended that the Promotion ■Council’s role be extended to marketing Canterbury, through the appointment of an experienced, professional marketing officer. Mr Claude said that advertising for this position would begin this wee*.