Christchurch, New Zealand.

When a natural disaster strikes a destination, particularly one whose economy relies heavily on tourism, the next marketing campaign for that destination has to walk a certain line. It has to pull on the heartstrings but it can’t be too sad, because people want to know they’ll have an enjoyable time.

I’ve seen many a recovery-focused tourism campaign over the years – after Sandy in New Jersey and New York, after Katrina in New Orleans, and more recently after the typhoon that devastated parts of the Philippines.

But none of them are quite as moving as the latest tourism campaign from Christchurch, New Zealand, whose tourism economy suffered after the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. They have literally (and I mean that the way it’s supposed to be used, not in the Oxford Dictionary way) picked up the broken pieces and put them together again.

Christchurch Repaired With Gold from Digital Arts Network Sydney on Vimeo.

If that doesn’t drive leisure travelers to Christchurch, I don’t know what will. If I had the money, I’d go in a heartbeat.