New home for Christchurch's i-SITE Visitor Centre

Christchurch’s i-SITE Visitor Centre is soon to move to a new prominent location beside Canterbury Museum, at the entrance to the Botanic Gardens.

The i-SITE will be housed in temporary buildings on a section of the Botanic Gardens’ lawn on Rolleston Avenue.

Christchurch City Council this week approved the new location, which is likely to open in late September and remain there for at least 12 months.

Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism chief executive Tim Hunter says the i-SITE Visitor Centre is a vital part of Christchurch’s tourism infrastructure and will be ideally situated in this central location.

“This high-profile site ticks all the boxes because it is close to coach and bus parking, it is very visible, easy to find, secure at night, and it’s close to attractions such as the Botanic Gardens, Hagley Park Events Village and Punting on the Avon,” Mr Hunter says.

“Here visitors to Christchurch will have a central point from which to access information and make bookings for activities and accommodation in the Canterbury region and beyond.

“It is also provides an important booking and information service for locals, who make up 20 per cent of visitors to the i-SITE,” he says.

Since March the i-SITE has been located at a temporary spot in the foyer of The Chateau on the Park hotel, opposite Hagley Park. Prior to the February 22 earthquake it was located in the Old Post Office Building in Cathedral Square.

The i-SITE provides information and booking options for visitors and locals, seven days a week, covering all the experiences and activities they can enjoy around Canterbury, the South Island and the rest of New Zealand too.

“We are expecting 100,000 visitors to the city over spring and summer and it’s important we cater to their needs and provide them with easy access to information about accommodation, transport, events and attractions and everything they can do while they’re in our region,” says i-SITE Visitor Centre manager Sandra Caldwell.

Christchurch i-SITE’s will be staffed by its knowledgeable team of professionals seven days a week, from 8.30am to 5pm, with longer hours during summer.

The i-SITE also provides a ticketing service for most major events in Christchurch, making it a one-stop shop for both visitors and locals wanting to enjoy what’s on offer.

“We are thrilled to have a new home for the i-SITE because it is such an essential service for visitors,” Ms Caldwell says.