Christchurch and Canterbury Marketing

Destination Christchurch Trust is the 100% shareholder of  Christchurch & Canterbury Marketing Ltd., an incorporated company. The two trustees are responsible for appointing the Board of Directors for the company, which currently consists of eight board members, with representation from the Christchurch City Council and various commercial enterprises both internal and external to the tourism industry. Board members are typically appointed for a three year term, as is the chairman of the board.

The CEO of Christchurch & Canterbury Marketing Ltd is not a board member, and reports directly to the board.

The internal structure of Christchurch & Canterbury Marketing Ltd is outlined below.

Christchurch and Canterbury Marketing Ltd is the regional tourism organization (RTO), responsible for the destinational marketing of the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island - a region which stretches from Kaikoura in the North to Waimate in the South, and from the East Coast to the Southern Alps. The region comprises nine separate districts - (North to South) Kaikoura, Hurunui, Waimakariri, Banks Peninsula, Selwyn, Ashburton, Central South Island, Mackenzie and Waimate. Each district has an autonomous tourism marketing body, responsible for individual marketing programmes.

In turn, Christchurch and Canterbury Marketing Ltd is one of 28 regional tourism organizations throughout New Zealand, and we operate in conjunction with the national tourism body - Tourism New Zealand.

Our purpose is to enhance the prosperity of Christchurch and Canterbury by increasing visitor numbers, their length of stay and spend, from markets which are sustainable and impact positively on the Canterbury region.

We will do this by marketing the diversity and uniqueness of Christchurch and Canterbury to New Zealand and selected world markets, and supporting the principles of environmental consciousness and sustainability.

We will support our tourism business partners' efforts to exceed visitor expectations.

The marketing of the Canterbury region internationally is based on a platform of joint venture promotional activity, offshore tourism trade education, participation in Tourism New Zealand promotional activity, relationship building with offshore wholesalers/retailers/inbound tour operators, an international media programme targeted at developing and increasing offshore media coverage of the region as a desirable tourist destination, and the distribution of promotional collateral throughout selected offshore trade.

Domestically the marketing of Canterbury is specifically targeted at  major New Zealand city markets with emphasis on Auckland and Wellington. 

Christchurch and Canterbury Marketing Ltd is also responsible for the operation of the Christchurch i-SITE Visitor Centre and the Christchurch and Canterbury Convention Bureau