New Zealand tourism businesses complete new sustainability programme

Fifteen tourism and hospitality businesses from Waiheke Island and Aotea Great Barrier Island, New Zealand, are celebrating their completion of the Taurikura Initiative, a capability-building programme designed to support visitor economy businesses to accelerate their sustainability journey. The Taurikura Initiative is a free, 12-week course for visitor economy businesses across Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland wanting to gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to lead on a sustainability approach and create positive change. It offers personalised one-on-one support, collaborative workshops, community building and assistance in the creation of sustainability action plans while aiming to embody the definition of the te reo word Taurikura: ‘thriving, prosperous and at peace’. Waiheke Island and Aotea Great Barrier Island businesses began the 12-week programme in late March and completed it on 12 June. The next cohort begins on 1 August and runs through to 23 October with operators from Rodney and central city. The programme is being delivered by Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, the region’s economic and cultural agency, in partnership with Tourism Industry Aotearoa, which represents all sectors of the industry in Aotearoa. Tourism Industry Aotearoa has successfully run similar programmes across Aotearoa since 2021. Funding for the programme was allocated through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Tourism Communities: Support Recovery and Re-Set Plan. Tātaki Auckland Unlimited’s head of visitor economy Annie Dundas says: “Like all sectors, the visitor economy must consider the impacts it has on the environment, local communities and natural resources. In addition, visitor expectations are changing with growing demand for environmentally sustainable and community-focused tourism options.” “The Taurikura Initiative provides a framework to create positive change for the environment, communities, industry and individual businesses through problem-solving, planned action and strategic decision-making,” Dundas concludes. Since taking part in the initiative, tourism operators on Aotea Great Barrier Island have begun working on a plan to phase out single-use cups, which will reduce a significant amount of waste that needs to be taken off the island. They are now working with hospitality outlets on a suitable alternative to single-use cups, a movement which has been successfully implemented in Wanaka. After completing the programme, Waiheke Island’s Ananda Tours, which offers premium food and wine experiences, achieved Qualmark Gold, having been Silver for several years.