Disrupted hospitality – The impact of the Christchurch earthquake/s on accommodation hosts

Abstract

This study examines the impact of the Christchurch earthquake/s on accommodation hosts. A total of 24 hosts, representing a range of accommodation types and spatial locations in the city, were interviewed about the impact of the earthquake/s and their post-earthquake hosting experiences during the eighteen-month period immediately following the February 2011 earthquake. By highlighting the resultant disruption to the hospitality encounter the research provides considerable insight into the criteria perceived to make a ‘good’ accommodation host and the importance of the wider city environments in which they operate their business. The article also adds empirical data to a growing body of research and literature on tourism destinations’ post-disaster response and recovery. What stands out in these accounts of earthquake impact was the extent to which these accommodation hosts felt connected with, and shouldered community responsibility for, what happened in ‘their’ city.