ChristchurchNZ is pulling out halfway through its contract to provide tourism promotion for the Ashburton District.
The regional tourism group was awarded a three-year contract, $195,000 a year, for destination marketing from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2024.
ChristchurchNZ has informed the council it will terminate its role in February in line with a new strategic decision to withdraw from the surrounding districts and focus on the city.
Council group manager compliance and development, Jane Donaldson, said the council is determining options and working through an analysis.
Those options will go before the council, likely in February.
The district had previously been promoted by the council controlled Experience Mid Canterbury, from 2013 until it wound up in 2020.
The marketing of the district moved into the hands of ChristchurchNZ Ltd, which employed the district’s tourism manager Bruce Moffatt.
ChristchurchNZ was then awarded a three-year contract in 2021.
During its tenure, ChristchurchNZ was required to report quarterly to the council.
“It employed a dedicated Mid Canterbury-focused staff member to leverage other functions of the wider ChristchurchNZ organisation to manage day-to-day district tourism duties,” Donaldson said.
“Benefits included domestic visitor campaigns, industry partnership and engagements, media and trade exposure to national and international markets.”
A locally-based Mid Canterbury Tourism Advisory Group provided local guidance and feedback into the ChristchurchNZ work programme, Donaldson said.
ChristchurchNZ will, however, still complete the Destination Management Plan for the region.
As part of that work, ChristchurchNZ acting general manager of destination and attraction, Tracey Wilson, said the organisation reviewed its priorities for the future.
The decision to end the contract with Ashburton came after an extensive review the ChristchurchNZ board approved in October, she said.
The Destination Management Plan covers Mid Canterbury and Wilson said the process and implementation of that plan will raise important decisions for the Mid Canterbury community and the council.

• By Jonathan Leask