Many overseas people have little knowledge of New Zealand's geography, meaning the Christchurch earthquake is already having a significant impact on the tourism industry.
Without wanting to belittle the harrowing and tragic situation Christchurch's people and businesses find themselves in, the world needs to be told the effects of the quake
are limited to a very small geographical area - even if the emotional and economic impacts are much more far-reaching.
Christchurch contributes 15 per cent of this country's gross domestic product.
Until the city is back up and running, New Zealand cannot afford to lose the considerable income its tourism industry brings in because of perceptions that this is a dangerous country to visit or that we are unable to host tourists because of the damage.
The Government has invested heavily in tourism as one of the industries to lead New Zealand through the recession recovery. Now, with a second and more devastating earthquake recovery to finance, it needs to act quickly to minimise the impact on the industry and keep money coming into the country.
Because of worldwide media attention, awareness of the earthquake and the devastation in Christchurch is widely known. The number of foreign students trapped or injured in the English language school in the CTV building means pictures of the city's ruined buildings and shattered population will feature very strongly in the minds of the Asian tourism markets so badly affected by SARS, swine flu and other travel scares.
Operators tell of North Island-only tours that have been cancelled in the wake of the quake, illustrating how dangerous the entire country is now perceived to be.
Understandably, little has been done to correct the international belief that "New Zealand" has been badly damaged by the quake, as the focus has rightfully been on rescue and recovery.
But as the initial shock fades and the urgency of the immediate rescue phase diminishes, some action needs to be taken to correct such misconceptions.
And this needs to be led from the top. Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism John Key needs to let the world know we are upset, we are in shock, but we are, for the most part, still open for business and a safe destination.
As well as protecting tourism's economic contribution, Christchurch is a key part of New Zealand's industry and it will need a healthy sector to come back to, however long that may take.
- Julie Taylor is the business editor at The Daily Post
