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A principled approach to Tourism
Awareness of environmental issues and responsibility is growing all around the world - including our key markets. Despite our clean green reputation, New Zealand is not immune to the problem, and neither is tourism. Many of our visitors expect sustainable tourism options, and the number of people who base their destination and itinerary planning in part on environmental factors is only going to increase. For this reason The New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015 lists sustainability as key to New Zealand's future as a tourism destination.
What exactly is sustainability?
The most widely accepted definition of sustainable development is development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs".
Business sustainability is more than just the environment. It includes social, cultural and financial sustainability. What that really means for us is trying to run our businesses in a way that creates as little environmental impact as possible, whilst still remaining financially afloat.
If I ignore it, will it go away?
The pressure on finite resources is continuing to grow as developing nations become more resource-hungry. New Zealand cannot smugly claim to be an exception. The Ministry for the Environment says that if everyone lived the lifestyle of the average New Zealander, we would need 4.3 planets to support our current world population of 6.6 billion - so we are using far more than we can replace. To maintain anything like the lifestyle to which we have all become accustomed, we are going to have to start taking more care in key areas such as water, waste, energy, transport and emissions.
So what do I do about it?
The best start is a step-by-step approach: implementing changes at an affordable rate, and then deciding how to communicate those changes with customers.
- Start with one of Touirsm Auckland's 'Introduction to Sustainability' workshops. Specific to tourism, these free workshops cover steps to get you started and provide further ideas to implement down the track. For more information, please contact Laura Fayerman, Sustainabilty Coordinator at Tourism Auckland. Email or phone (09) 979 7065.
- Join the STAR programme, where for a minimal fee an adviser comes on site to your business and provides a comprehensive report on sustainablity opportunities.
- Read about Tourism Auckland's commitment to sustainable practice.
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