Wellington’s Ika Rere Electric Ferry Wins Global Skål Sustainable Tourism Award

Kiwi innovation and a passion for sustainable marine tourism have resulted in East by West Ferries (EBW) winning a 2022 Skål Sustainable Tourism Award for Ika Rere (Flying Fish), the first fully electric, zero-emission fast passenger ferry in the Southern Hemisphere. The Wellington-based company was recognised today as a global leader in the Tourists Transportation category at the Opening Ceremony of the 81ST Skål World Congress held in Rijeka, Croatia. Skål International is a global professional organisation that unites all tourism industry sectors.

“We’re proud that East by West Ferries, one of our Wellington club members, has made a big global impression by leaving a small carbon footprint. It’s an inspiration for businesses across our sector and signals that we can all play our part toward sustainable tourism – whether it’s changing technology and design for carbon zero emissions, using local suppliers or introducing recycling programmes, every effort counts, and for many tourism businesses investment in protecting the environment will become their competitive advantage as tourists look for sustainable experiences,” said Leigh Frame, Skål International Wellington President and General Manager for Novotel and Ibis, Wellington.

Jeremy Ward, Managing Director of East by West Ferries says, “We are humbled to receive the Skål Sustainable Tourism Award and be recognised as a leader in sustainable tourism by a global judging panel. It’s our privilege to live and work in one of the most beautiful marine environments on the planet, so it’s our responsibility to protect our harbour for generations to come, and that is what inspired us to move to a fully electric ferry that runs on 100% renewable energy.”

“We’ve been providing ferry services for over 30 years, and now half of our passengers are tourists. We’ve had steady domestic tourism with many coming to experience the quietness and swiftness of Ika Rere’s unique design as they enjoy the harbour views, and with our borders open we are looking forward to more international tourists travelling with us,” says Jeremy.

EBW also recently won the Greater Wellington Regional Council’s Green Gold Award for sustainability programmes and products at the 2022 Wellington Gold Awards.

“Reimagining our business through a sustainability lens transformed how we think about our business, its purpose and the delivery of our services. By operating differently, we can make significant changes to our energy efficiency, reduce CO2 emissions to zero and protect our environment by minimising our impact on water, waste, air and noise – and our team, local suppliers, and passengers play a vital role in achieving that,” Jeremy says.

Kiwi expertise and talent also played a role in the successful build of Ika Rere. In 2018, Jeremy searched overseas for suitable electric vessels but found no boats that fit his brief. It was then he and his business partner, boat builder Fraser Foote, decided to establish Wellington Electric Boat Building Company (WEBBCo) for the purpose of building a fully electric boat.

“We have plans to replace our two diesel ferries with electric ferries and expand operations with new routes across Wellington harbour. Furthermore, we’ve received enquiries for electric ferries from around 80 local and overseas companies. That could mean a potential boost of $800 million to the local economy. It’s an opportunity to have a positive impact on sustainable tourism globally while reducing the impact on our environment,” says Jeremy.

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