Nelson tasman sustainable tourism

What is Sustainable Tourism?

Sustainable tourism is about the protection and enhancement of the natural environment and resources for future generations, whilst at the same time ensuring long-term economic viability for businesses, and providing socio-cultural benefits to the wider community.

Sustainable tourism involves operators:

• Making their business practices more energy, waste, and water efficient
• Involving the community in decision making
• Identifying and managing the environmental effects associated with their activities
• Identifying opportunities to market a business as sustainable
• Identifying key partnerships
• Adding quality to the 100% PURE New Zealand product

Sustainable tourism also involves visitors:

• Making choices and taking actions to minimise the environmental impacts associated with their travels

nelson tasman Sustainable Tourism Charter

A Sustainable Tourism Charter is a regionally defined, community-developed vision of sustainable tourism. Representatives of tourism operators, Iwi, local councils and the Department of Conservation were involved in the creation of the Nelson Tasman Sustainable Tourism Charter.

The Charter assisted local tourism businesses to move towards sustainability at a pace within their capability by identifying practical, achievable and understandable actions to increase sustainable business practices.

Many tourism businesses in the region are small or medium sized enterprises (SME's) with restraints on time, money and access to information acting as barriers to increased environmental performance. To overcome these barriers Charter members worked alongside a Sustainable Tourism Assessor employed by Nelson Tasman Tourism.

This 4 year programme concluded in May 2009.  During these 4 years, 47 Nelson Tasman tourism businesses joined the Charter and improved the sustainability performance of their business. 

Outcomes for these operators were a sustainability assessment, site visit by the assessor, a sustainability action plan and sustainability report.  Refer to the members page to find out more about these businesses.

This website continues to provide information, tools, links and key contacts for tourism operators interested in improving the sustainability performance of their business.

About the Charter

The Nelson Tasman Sustainable Tourism Charter was one of six nationwide that was funded by the Ministry of Tourism and implemented jointly with the Ministry for the Environment. The Charter was administered and managed by Nelson Tasman Tourism.

Other regions to receive the initial 3-year funding package were:

• Enterprise Northland
• Destination Rotorua
• Tourism Bay of Plenty
• Lake Wanaka Tourism
• Venture Southland
• Destination Fiordland

links

Qualmark Responsible Tourism - information and resources relating to Qualmark's Responsible Tourism Operations criteria

New Zealand Eco-Wise Travel Guide - tips on how to be eco-wise and leave gentle footprints when travelling in New Zealand

Visit the Official Site of Destination New Zealand