[ad_1]
MBIE defines it as bringing together different stakeholders to achieve the common goal of developing a well-managed, sustainable visitor destination. It is an ongoing process that requires destinations to plan for the future and considers the social, economic, cultural and environmental risks and opportunities. It is much more than just marketing and promoting a destination, which is just one of the 16 main components that MBIE says is required in a DMP.
To fully understand that full range of opportunities and risks, the work has begun with community consultation. As well as many individual interviews with a wide range of stakeholders, this includes group interviews and public surveys. Those surveys have just closed and we recorded almost 10,000 responses to the survey aimed at visitors to our region and more than 4,000 responses for the community survey. These numbers far exceeded the expectations of the international agency doing this work with us, who typically works with much larger cities. That tells me that our community cares deeply about the questions I outlined above.
To produce these plans and do related work on redefining our place, after a rigorous selection process we selected a project team led by Resonance Consultancy, a globally recognised agency headquartered in Canada, in partnership with local agencies Narrative, Creative Agent and Fabriko. Part of understanding what makes our place special is comparing it to other destinations, and working with international experts who have worked with cities around the world will give us fresh insights.
We also need your insights, because to ensure this work is rooted in authenticity and informed by a diversity of viewpoints, we really want to hear from as many residents as possible. The survey responses were great, but if you didn’t get to respond to those and you’d like to make any comments about Christchurch, head to our social comment board, have your say and see what other ideas people have for our place.
Your insights and opinions will contribute to the large bedrock of research that will then inform the DMPs and a city narrative and identity for Christchurch. The DMPs, which MBIE is funding, will be delivered by mid-2023 and will be followed by work to reintroduce our place to the world.
The city narrative and our stories are not just about attracting visitors, they also help define what is truly special about our place. The world is increasingly globalised, meaning that cities all around the world are competing for the same visitors, workers and investment. That is why our reputation and attractiveness are key priorities for us as the city’s economic development agency.
[ad_2]
More at ChristchurchNZ