Sometimes, I think Chicken Little was right. When I think about the number of disasters, both natural and man-made, that have occurred over the past ten years, it’s easy to believe sky is falling. As a travel writer, I’m especially sensitive to the effects of natural disasters on tourism. Travelers who were planning to visit such a destination usually cancel their reservations and choose an alternative, depriving the country of their valuable revenue during a time when it is most needed. This is happening right now in New Zealand.
Though Christchurch (which happens to be one of my favorite places in New Zealand) suffered two recent earthquakes, the country of New Zealand is sending a message that it is open for business. In support, travel bloggers are banding together for three days to promote the country by writing about their experiences in New Zealand, an effort that has been branded “Blog4NZ.” I had the good fortune to visit in 2007 and discovered that not only does New Zealand have some of the most exquisite scenery on earth, it has some of the friendliest people I have ever met. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I decided to put together a video slide show of my best photography from that visit.
Christchurch may not be in a condition to accept visitors yet, but the rest of the country is waiting with open arms. If you had plans to visit New Zealand, please know that the sky is not falling. And if you’re wondering where to take your next vacation, you can’t make a better choice than New Zealand.
Indeed New Zealand is one of the most beautiful place on earth. Their lakes, beaches, and natural environment is still pristine. Although tourism can boost their economy sadly it also accounts for pollution. Hope people visiting NZ will appreciate its beauty and contribute to its preservation.
I’m so glad I read this article because I am one of those people who would consider not following through on a trip following a natural disaster. Not only would it be a great way to give back to their economy, but it would be a great chance to turn your trip into a volunteer vacation and give back to the community while getting to experience an entirely different culture.
Often times people see natural disasters as inherently destructive to economies because the revenue generated from this industry could suddenly be lost if the country’s appeal is suddenly lost. However, this sparked a different perspective in my mind – perhaps natural disasters could be instead seen as a way of bringing positive attention (no such thing as bad press right?) to a country after a state of distress. Of course there are differing degrees to which this can be successful – the country still has to be in a somewhat safe and orderly condition – but we can also perhaps see an opportunity for a sort of “relief” tourism. this could be in the form of actual mission trips or in the form of travel in order to gain a deeper appreciation for the country that experiences such a disaster. Either way, it is always nice to hear that people are not simply abandoning country’s in distress, thus, it is nice to hear someone express that travel to New Zealand is still quite possible, and is still quite attractive.
Hi Melanie: thanks so much for your very thoughtful comment. At almost the same instant as I received it, I got an email from the four New Zealand bloggers who put together the three day event, thanking us all for our outpouring of support for the country and telling us how much great exposure we’ve generated. Apparently, based on the articles, photos, and videos that flooded the Internet, twitter is heaped with tweets from people now saying they are making plans to visit New Zealand.
Wow! That is so great to hear. However, I guess it isn’t too surprising – I can imagine how the internet is enabling such communication between people from country’s requiring assistance and people from those countries who can offer assistance. The internet sometimes gets a bad rep but this is clearly an instance in which the internet is so advantageous.
Thanks for this Barbara,
You are very welcome, Jim!
It’s definitely on my list of places to visit!!!