Responsible Tourism

Responsible tourism is about respecting, protecting and benefiting local communities, cultures and the environment. For travellers, this can mean making holiday choices with these concerns in mind, from the destinations they visit and the way they travel, to the services they choose once they arrive.

For the tourism industry, responsible tourism is about doing business in a way that protects communities, cultures and the natural environment for future generations. It is about meeting the expectations of travellers, but also protecting what is unique and special about a destination like New Zealand.

It can also be about the bottom line, with many operators recognising that responsible tourism practices boost profits by cutting consumption and offering a marketing edge over the competition.

In the New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015 responsible tourism is described by the Māori value of kaitiakitanga: "Kaitiakitanga means guardianship, care and protection. It provides a basis for our approach to sustainably managing our natural, cultural, and built environment for current and future generations."

  • Responsible Tourism in New Zealand

    Marketing our country to the world under the brand 100% Pure New Zealand has helped set high expectations of what a New Zealand holiday should be. Increasingly, our visitors...

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  • Tourism New Zealand's Role

    Tourism New Zealand has a responsibility to lead by example when it comes to helping meet visitor expectations of our environment and living up to the 100% Pure New...

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  • What Operators Can Do

    Visitors to New Zealand are becoming increasingly aware of the sustainability practices tourism businesses have in place. Incorporating sustainability into the way you manage your business can help ensure...

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  • Ecotourism in New Zealand

    There is some debate over how ecotourism is defined, but it is generally accepted that an ecotourism business gives visitors the opportunity to interact with nature in an environmentally...

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