New Zealand’s natural environment and dramatic scenery contribute to its tourism appeal, so the country is keen to protect its assets and make the industry as sustainable as possible.

“Nature’s pulling power is undeniable for visitors who choose to holiday here,” Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) Chief Executive Rebecca Ingram told TRENZ yesterday, adding: “The progress the tourism industry is making in the environmental space is something I take great pride in.”

Ingram (pictured above with New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Luxon) said more than 1900 businesses had signed up for the Tourism Sustainability Commitment, also known as the TSC.

“The TSC takes a wide view of sustainability, looking at economic and visitor sentiment,  cultural and community engagement, as well as environmental aspects – reflecting the holistic direction of the tourism industry,” she said.

“Each year, we ask TSC businesses to complete a stocktake of their progress against the 12 commitments. The industry’s 2023 overall sustainability score was 8.1 out of 10, the same as in 2022. This highlights that even while the tourism industry was in the midst of its recovery, its commitment to sustainability remained intact.

“Most respondents – 92% in fact – are contributing to protecting and enhancing the natural environment. For example, 69% are involved in predator control. And 41% are measuring their carbon footprint up; from 29% in 2022 – that’s a substantial shift in a year and shows the industry leaning into climate action.”

Ingram warned, “The geopolitical situation overseas is volatile, and inflation is proving stubborn. The need to mitigate climate change will bring profound change.

“We need to keep up the momentum for many reasons, and TRENZ has a key role to play.

“TRENZ is the most significant business event in our tourism calendar. There are 1000 delegates and 25 countries represented here, and the way it works, in theory, is simple: it brings tourism buyers and sellers together, schedules 15,000 business appointments between them, and watches future business gets done.

“We hold TRENZ for the straightforward reason that we need to gather in one place so international buyers can see what New Zealand tourism has to offer and how it is changing to meet the evolving demands of would-be visitors.

“TRENZ is also a front and centre reminder that tourism is a global and highly competitive industry.

“Marketing New Zealand isn’t a luxury. Without the work of Tourism NZ and events like TRENZ, New Zealand risks being invisible in key markets around the world.

“That will impact more than tourism, because, TNZ’s work has a halo effect on our whole export community. We should never assume the world is thinking about us.”

Written by: Peter Needham in Wellington, New Zealand

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