Christchurch has once again lost its only information centre after 6 months in operation.

On Tuesday, VIN Inc, an entity of Tourism New Zealand terminated the membership of the iSite located at Cathedral Square.

ChristchurchNZ Head of Tourism Kath Low told chrislynchmedia.com “VIN Inc last week terminated their membership due to their inability to meet membership standards on an ongoing basis.” She added that trading ceased on May 20, 2024.

“ChristchurchNZ will be working with VIN Inc to identify a future potential iSite operator in the city in time for the start of the spring cruise season in October,” she said.

The Christchurch iSite was owned and operated by The Grand Cathedral Square Ltd and was opening temporarily at the Novotel hotel on the other side of the square.

The Grand hospitality and visitor centre, located in the historic central post office in Cathedral Square, created a successful crowd sourcing campaign, but has faced delays reportedly due to funding shortfalls.

The Grand includes a downstairs bar-restaurant, a bakery, a café, an upstairs restaurant and wine lounge, an outdoor dining area, and a florist and gift store,

The Grand last posted on its Facebook page in February saying “we are thrilled to share that big things are on the horizon. Get ready for some amazing developments that will take our journey to new heights!  Stay tuned as we prepare to unveil what we’ve been working on behind the scenes. Trust us, it’s going to be worth the wait.”

Christchurch City Councillor for the Central Ward Jake McLellan said “It’s regrettable that Christchurch will be without a Visitor Centre for a period of time.

“I know the team at Christchurch NZ will be working to restore this service soon and ideally before the cruise season begins in October.”