Updated Australian travel advisory welcomed

The Government has welcomed news the Australian Government has revised its travel warning for Christchurch and Lyttelton, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee and Associate Tourism Minister Chris Tremain say.

“Getting tourism back on its feet in the region is incredibly important for the rebuild and recovery of the wider Canterbury region,” Mr Brownlee says.

“The Australian Government updated its travel advisory for Christchurch and Lyttelton yesterday and removed reference to the need to exercise a high degree of caution, which is great news,” Mr Brownlee says.

“We want to encourage visitors back to the region and to support local tourism businesses,” Mr Brownlee says.

Mr Tremain says the advice on the smartraveller.gov.au website, run by the Australian Foreign Affairs and Trade Department, has been updated to advise tourists to "exercise normal safety precautions" in Christchurch and Lyttelton, which is the same for the rest of the New Zealand.

“Australia is our biggest market for inbound tourists, accounting for around half of all visitors,” Mr Tremain says.

“Last year about 1.1 million Australians visited New Zealand and we want to encourage them to head to Christchurch because there are still plenty of attractions and activities for them to enjoy safely in the city and the wider region,” Mr Tremain says.

“The updated travel advice removes any doubt over the fact that Christchurch Airport is fully operational. This is important as the airport is and remains the gateway to the South Island for tourism," Mr Tremain says.