ChristchurchNZ has signalled the city’s transition from regeneration to global competitor with the launch of Made For It, a major destination marketing campaign aimed at capturing the Australian and domestic tourism markets.
The campaign, which debuted on January 19, arrives just as the city prepares for a busy 2026 events calendar, anchored by the highly anticipated April opening of the 30,000-seat One New Zealand Stadium.
Designed to showcase Christchurch as a modern, high-energy destination, the Made For It campaign highlights a city that has moved past its rebuilding phase, and shows the world that Christchurch is “open, ready and made for big events”, according to Christchurch’s mayor Phil Mauger.
The city’s transformation is backed by a robust pipeline of city-shaping infrastructure. This will be put to the test this year with several South Island “firsts”, including New Zealand’s first Super Rugby Pacific Super Round, the South Island’s inaugural Supercars event – the Repco Supercars Championship – ITM Christchurch Super 440 – and the first major international concerts at the new stadium.
A key focus of the campaign is Australia’s eastern coast, leveraging improved air connectivity to draw international visitors. The initiative received a NZ$500,000 boost from the government’s NZ$10 million Events Boost Fund, specifically to drive visitation during the city’s autumn events peak.
Steve Backe-Hansen, Acting General Manager of Visitor Economy at ChristchurchNZ, says the campaign reflects a city that is no longer rebuilding but accelerating. He noted that the city is ready to compete on the global stage and make 2026 a massive year for tourism.
The campaign was also developed with flexibility and longevity in mind, allowing the Made For It messaging to evolve across different seasons and event types.
