Nearly 18 months after New Zealand's devastating Christchurch earthquake, Australia's government has revised its travel warning for the area.
Advice on Australia's Smart Traveller website, run by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, was updated on Tuesday to remove a warning to travellers to exercise a high degree of caution in Christchurch and Lyttelton.
The updated website advises tourists to "exercise normal safety precautions" in Christchurch and Lyttelton, which is the same for the rest of the New Zealand.
NZ Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says the updated advisory will help restore confidence for Australian travellers, and remove any doubt about operations at Christchurch Airport, which is the international gateway to the South Island.
Australia is New Zealand's biggest market for inbound tourists, who account for about half of all visitors.
"Getting tourism back on its feet in the region is incredibly important for the rebuild and recovery of the wider Canterbury region," Mr Brownlee said.
"We want to encourage visitors back to the region and to support local tourism businesses."
About 1.1 million Australians visited New Zealand last year.
