Embargoed until 4.00pm, Wednesday, 31 July

Christchurch’s new Rebuild Tour launched today.

Red Bus today launched a new Christchurch Central City bus tour – titled The Christchurch Rebuild Tour. The new tour focuses on the future of Christchurch’s emerging CBD and the exciting new projects within it.

Tourism Industry Association New Zealand Chief Executive Martin Snedden attended the tours official opening.

“This tour is a really positive way to show visitors the progress that is being made in rebuilding Christchurch. Reviving the visitor economy is a critical part of the city’s recovery from the earthquake, and introducing activities like this will encourage visitors to stay longer and spend more.” says Martin Snedden.

The Christchurch Rebuild Tour replaces Red Buses Red Zone Tour continuing a successful collaboration between Red Bus and Canterbury Museum. The extremely popular visitor attraction completed its last tour of Christchurch’s cordoned city centre on June 30th – to coincide with CERA reducing most of the Red Zone.

Red Bus Chief Executive Paul McNoe expects the new Tour will build on the success of the Red Zone Tour that showed 37 000 visitors around the City.

Red Bus Chief Executive Paul McNoe says “There’s a lot of development going on in our City, and it’s exciting to take visitors on a journey showing the extraordinary developments planned and underway in the City’s recovery”

The completely revised tour consists of a new route, commentary and audio-visual material and will show visitors what was, what is happening and what is coming in the new Christchurch CBD. Canterbury Museum tour guides will once again lead the tours.

Canterbury Museum Director Anthony Wright says the tours are a unique opportunity to

“reflect on the City’s past, help visitors learn about where we’ve come from and give them an insight to what lies ahead ”

A key focus of the tour experience is what the future holds for the Christchurch City and it is designed to evolve as the City does.

The Christchurch Rebuild Tour will:

· Give background on the Central City Recovery Plan and explain the City’s major anchor projects such as the proposed stadium and convention centre.

· Visit some of Christchurch’s transitional projects, including Greening the Rubble, Gap Filler and Street Art.

· Explain the technology that is being incorporated into the new city using examples such as EPIC and Transitional Cathedral.

· Provide both historical and future focussed information on specific points of interest along the route including earthquake impacts, ‘The Terrace’ development, Knox Church and Christchurch Cathedral.

The tours will run seven days a week and cost $29 per person. The tour will be around 90 minutes long depending on the route that is subject to change. Given the nature of demolitions, construction and road works in the City Red Bus will liaise regularly with CERA and SCIRT.

The tours will depart from Rolleston Avenue, outside the Canterbury Museum. Bookings are essential.

ENDS

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