23 June, 2008
Guides give sustainability tips to tourism businesses

New sector-specific guides to help tourism operators ensure their businesses are sustainable were launched today by Tourism Minister Damien O’Connor.

The new guides aim to help operators implement the recommendations of the New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015 and outline ways businesses can help create a sustainable tourism industry – environmentally, economically, socially and culturally.

Mr O’Connor said operating sustainably is no longer optional.

“In today’s world, sustainability is essential to business success. Doing what we can to protect and enhance our natural environment will also reward us financially, ensuring the industry’s economic sustainability.

“These guides provide a useful checklist for businesses to tick off the actions they are already doing, and find out what else they can do to develop and strengthen their businesses. Advice is provided in four areas – providing a world-class visitor experience, running a profitable business, protecting and enhancing the environment, and working with local communities for mutual benefit.

“Our 100% Pure New Zealand promise means we have to do all we can to protect what New Zealanders and our overseas visitors have always enjoyed. To deliver on our 100% Pure image we need to take credible and visible steps to reduce our environmental impact and improve our environmental management, as well as ensuring we are economically, socially and culturally sustainable.

“The New Zealand Tourism Strategy seeks to create a sustainable tourism industry that delivers maximum benefit to New Zealand. It requires action from both the government and the private sector, including individual operators, to ensure that it is implemented successfully.

“The government, along with private sector agencies have agreed the roles they will play in an implementation plan for the Tourism Strategy. The plan sets out a lead agency and contributing agency for each of the Strategy’s 92 actions and will be available within the next month.”

So far, the four-page guides have been developed for three sectors – accommodation and hospitality, transport, and visitor activities. The next three to be completed over the next few weeks are: Maori tourism, distribution and cultural tourism.

The guides were developed in partnership by the government and the Tourism Industry Association. To download the guides visit www.nztourismstrategy.com

ENDS

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