Eco-attraction wins Responsible Tourism award

New Zealand eco-attraction wins world Responsible Tourism award

New Zealand eco-attraction wins world  Responsible Tourism award
ZEALANDIA: The Karori Sanctuary Experience in Wellington has fought off stiff competition from over 1500 visitor attractions and accommodation providers around the world to win a coveted Responsible Tourism award in the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards. Winners were announced at the World Travel Market in London yesterday.

Image: One of ZEALANDIA's biggest conservation breakhroughs: the first tuatara to hatch on the mainland in over 200 years. © ZEALANDIA 

The groundbreaking conservation attraction, which is located just 2km from Wellington CBD, won the 'Conservation of Wildlife and Habitats' category for its extraordinary 500-year vision to restore a corner of mainland New Zealand as closely as possible to the way it was the day before humans arrived and for the way it "immediately stood out as an ambitious conservation initiative which engages with tourism to secure local support".

Entrants were judged on their contribution to the economic benefit of tourism to the local community; the conservation of local culture and biodiversity; and the steps they have taken to reduce negative environmental, social and cultural impacts of tourism. ZEALANDIA joins a growing list of New Zealand winners including last year's supreme winner, WhaleWatch Kaikoura, and accommodation category winner Wellington YHA.

"We're absolutely thrilled to have won," said ZEALANDIA CEO Nancy McIntosh-Ward.   

"This is a great recognition of ZEALANDIA's international reputation as a model eco-tourism attraction, and the groundbreaking work we have done with the assistance of many dedicated local volunteers to bring many of New Zealand's rarest species back to the mainland. As a not for profit attraction, every single visitor makes a real, tangible contribution to New Zealand's natural heritage and takes away with them a deeper appreciation of our impact on the natural environment."

Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive Kevin Bowler said New Zealand operators has a proud history at the Responsible Tourism Awards and ZEALANDIA's success further reinforced New Zealand's reputation as a responsible and sustainable tourism destination.

“This is an outstanding achievement for ZEALANDIA and New Zealand. The award for conservation of wildlife and habitats is well deserved and I hope ZEALANDIA's success will encourage other operators in New Zealand to see the international marketing value in making responsible tourism part of their everyday business practices."

The announcement comes just days after leading travel guide Lonely Planet described ZEALANDIA's night tour as a 'life-changing experience' in its recently-published Best In Travel Guide 2011.

"ZEALANDIA’s vision to turn back the clock 500 years to restore a piece of New Zealand was of significant international importance and was duly being recognised for it," said Positively Wellington Tourism Chief Executive David Perks.

“ZEALANDIA isn't just an attraction - it's a journey we can all be part of. It's about restoring a piece of the youngest country on earth back to what it once was and every day we get one step closer. Already we’ve seen kakariki nesting in Wellington city for the first time in what’s believed to be a century and tuatara hatch in the wild on mainland New Zealand for the first time in over 200 years. This is an incredibly important part of what makes Wellington the coolest little capital in the world.”  
ENDS

Additional Information:

About ZEALANDIA 
 
ZEALANDIA: The Karori Sanctuary Experience is managed by Karori Sanctuary Trust, a registered charitablecommunity trust established in 1995. Located 2km (1 mile) from Wellington CBD, it is the most accessible ‘mainland conservation island’ in NZ and one of the most significant urban conservation projects in the world. Visitors are able to see and hear some of NZ’s rarest wildlife in its natural environment and experience cutting-edge conservation in action just ten minutes from Wellington CBD.

A unique indoor educational experience, opened in 2010, uses state-of-the-art multimedia displays to tell the story of the evolution of New Zealand’s unique ecosystems, their dramatic degradation, and the world-renowned conservation movement that has developed in response to it. The Trust is funded through visitor charges, memberships, donations, sponsorships and grants.

Other notable awards and accolades

In February 2010 ZEALANDIA was named by British newspaper The Guardian as one of the top 75 green tourism companies in the world http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/feb/20/guardian-green-list-2010-uk-attractions
In May 2010 ZEALANDIA was named by USA Today as one of the best places to see kiwi in its natural habitat http://traveltips.usatoday.com/places-see-kiwi-its-natural-habitat-12327.html
In September 2009, ZEALANDIA one of the first visitor attractions in Wellington to attain Qualmark EnviroGold accreditation http://www.qualmark.co.nz/account.php?region=Wellington&envirorating=Enviro-Gold&pn=0&a=AJF94A100002
In April 2009 ZEALANDIA was voted one of the ‘top 25 ecological restoration projects in Australasia’ http://www.globalrestorationnetwork.org/countries/australianew-zealand/new-zealand/
In August 2008 ZEALANDIA won the New Zealand Tourism Award for Conservation in Action.  

About the Awards

The Responsible Tourism Awards were founded in 2004 by responsibletravel.com, who run the Awards in partnership with Metro Newspaper, Geographical Magazine - the magazine of The Royal Geographical Society, and World Travel Market. Virgin Holidays became headline sponsors of the Awards in 2007.

The Awards recognise individuals, companies and organisations in the travel industry that are making a significant commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and are providing a positive contribution to biodiversity conservation. Unlike other responsible tourism awards, winners are nominated by tourists.

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