Tiaki means to care for people and place. With Thanksgiving just past, and Christmas and New Zealand summer just around the corner, now seems the perfect time to reflect on how lucky and grateful we are to live in New Zealand and why it is important for everyone who lives and travels here to join in making the commitment to care for New Zealand, now and for future generations.
While we remain a land of less than five million inhabitants, thanks to the spectacular natural beauty and easeful charm of our country and people, steadily increasing numbers of people are choosing to visit and make New Zealand part of their life story. As a part of this growing sector, the team here at IDNZ are extremely aware of our responsibility not only to our guests, but also to the land we love and want to protect and preserve for all to enjoy, both now and in the future.
Having proudly signed the Tiaki Promise ourselves, we happily encourage our guests and wider network to do the same. By promising to tread lightly and travel with care, consideration and respect, with an open heart and mind, each person has the opportunity to become more than simply a visitor. By committing to the Tiaki Promise our guests join us as guardians of New Zealand, for the good of our shared future.
IDNZ are not the only ones making this commitment – we are happy to report that major players including Air New Zealand, right through to boutique lodge operators and local experts are coming together in their hundreds across the nation to encourage a sustainable and protected future for both tourism and our New Zealand way of life.
We are now also a proud member of TIA – the Tourism Industry Aotearoa. The entire IDNZ team are thrilled to be part of TIA’s vision to lead the world in Sustainable Tourism. The plan, through to 2025 and beyond, incorporates the Maori values of kaitiakitanga (guardianship), manaakitanga (hospitality) and whanaungatanga (working together).
With 40 years of experience behind us and our faces turned to the future, we strongly believe that well managed, sustainable tourism growth is fundamental to ensuring New Zealand continues to retain its unique character – the astounding physical beauty and extraordinary sense of genuine community and care which make it simply the best place on this planet to live, visit and enjoy!
