BNZ chief economist Tony Alexander is shocked by how expensive it is to visit Christchurch, citing excessive taxi fares and inflated hotel prices.
Mr Alexander said he was recently surprised by a $48 taxi fare from the airport to the edge of the city.
He said Christchurch has the highest average hotel room rate of the four main cities. However, that will decrease as more hotels are rebuilt.
Mr Alexander acknowledged many increases are a direct result of an imbalance in supply and demand following the earthquakes.
