Social media’s role in disaster recovery

This year New Zealand was hit by the worst tragedy the country has experienced in my lifetime.  The aftershocks of the Christchurch earthquake were felt worldwide by Kiwis in all corners of the globe.

New Zealanders on the ground have very quickly started picking up the physical pieces to start to rebuild the Garden City.  What has been very clearly demonstrated is how social media played, and is still playing, a huge part in the recovery effort – on both local and global scales.

As soon as the quake hit Google launched a people search tool to help people look for loved ones, the first time such a tool had been used in a disaster.

Locally, the University of Canterbury’s UC Volunteer Army rallied together on Facebook to pool human resource and help those affected, shovelling silt and helping the elderly put furniture back in place. And nationally, a TV presenter in New Zealand has been gathering talent and volunteers via social to create Telethon for Christchurch.

But the activity that has caught my attention on a global level is #blog4NZ, a grassroots campaign led by independent bloggers, which is using the power of the web to tell the world that New Zealand is open for business.

This was a 72-hour campaign from March 21 – 23 where bloggers worldwide were asked to post, repost, share and hashtag their experiences in New Zealand. Why they love it and most importantly to show that Kiwis are welcoming tourists with open arms.

What has amazed me is that a month later, my Twitter search stream on #blog4nz is still filling up with articles from bloggers, joggers and journalists around the world.

Let’s keep it going, here’s my top five.

Wharariki Point – I don’t tell many people about this beach.  It’s where the top of the South Island meets the West Coast, one hour’s drive from Takaka in Golden Bay.  It’s the place time forgot and somewhere you never will.

Hauraki Gulf – Auckland is known as the City of Sails for a reason and I recommend all visitors either kayak from Mission Bay to Rangitoto, or take the easier option of a ferry to Waiheke Island to enjoy city view from the comfort of the Mudbrick vineyard’s balcony.

Martinborough – Marlborough sauvignon blanc is one of the most well-known wines in the world and Marlborough is a wonderful place.  But I recommend exploring the boutique vineyards of Martinborough, north of Wellington, instead. Palliser Estate and Te Kairangi are my favourites.

Queenstown – Without a doubt this is the best party in town.  With the most stunning scenery and the most fun adventure sports.  You just have to go there.

Abel Tasman National Park – the smallest of New Zealand’s national parks, and my favourite.  The park follows the coastline of Golden and Tasman Bays, which means you can walk and kayak you way around.

Tourism is vital to New Zealand, it is one of the few countries that have a Minister for Tourism – and he is the Prime Minister.  It is the main contributor to the country’s GDP.  The Christchurch earthquake affected just 1% of the South Island, yet small business and towns across the island are being affected, with South Island tourism down by 30%.

So give your tourism dollar to New Zealand. Go, be amazed, and be sure to blog about it!