South Island tourism operator RealNZ has taken home the industry’s highest accolade tonight, being named the Air New Zealand Supreme Tourism Winner at the 2026 New Zealand Tourism Awards.
Hosted by Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre in Ōtautahi Christchurch, the awards recognised the quality and variety of tourism experiences on offer throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.
Based in Queenstown, RealNZ offers a range of travel, cruises and excursions in Queenstown, Milford Sound / Piopiotahi, Te Anau, Fiordland and Stewart Island / Rakiura – while also operating two skifields in Cardrona Alpine Resort and Treble Cone.
This is the second Supreme Tourism Award win for RealNZ, having previously won the honour in 2024. The organisation also took home the Sudima Hotels Tourism Excellence (Large Business) Award and was a finalist for the Tourism Talent Employer of Choice and KiwiRail Tourism Environment Awards.
Judges praised RealNZ for their passion, industry leadership and purpose, describing it as a conservation organisation fueled by tourism; unified in a clear purpose to make New Zealand a better place. The judges noted RealNZ’s commitment to regeneration, alongside their outstanding recruitment and training programme and increased customer satisfaction, as making them worthy Supreme Award winners.
Upon accepting the award, RealNZ Chief Executive Dave Beeche said the Supreme Tourism Award win is a “deep honour” and “recognition of an incredible amount of hard work from the RealNZ team”.
“We love what we do, and we love delivering outstanding guest experiences day in and day out. We also love delivering on our purpose, which is to help the word fall in love with conservation. To have that recognised tonight is phenomenal,” says Beeche.
The annual New Zealand Tourism Awards provide an opportunity for tourism businesses, both large and small, to showcase achievements across 12 categories, with the 48 finalists providing a benchmark of excellence and inspiration to the wider tourism industry. This year saw a record 177 entries received.
The judges were impressed by the exceptional quality of entries, with many commenting on the breadth of innovation, commitment to regenerative tourism, and their ability to offer visitors an authentic, real experience that embodies Aotearoa New Zealand.
TIA Chief Executive Rebecca Ingram says the awards are an opportunity to celebrate the people and businesses who make New Zealand’s tourism industry special.
“The entries this year were varied and strong. They show operators finding fresh ways to share New Zealand with visitors and doing it with care and a commitment to our environment.
“Together the winners perfectly illustrate where the industry is heading. My warmest congratulations to all the finalists and winners.”
