Destination Queenstown is highlighting the environmental initiatives happening around Queenstown while addressing its own environmental impact and committing to change.
The regional tourism organisation for the Southern Hemisphere’s premier four season lake and alpine resort has committed to improving its sustainability by implementing an internal policy and handbook.
Sustainability practices have been applied to the operation of the DQ office, and the organisation will review all of our operations and activity over time to make further improvements.
Staff are also encouraged to take a hemp tote bag with them when they are around town and pick up litter in their path, to contribute to keeping Queenstown clean and tidy for visitors and residents alike.
DQ chief executive officer Graham Budd says that with its own sustainability journey in progress, DQ will actively engage with and encourage its membership to do the same.
"For us to talk the talk, we first needed to walk the walk as the first step in its commitment to advocate for and highlight environmentally sustainable practices in Queenstown."
A Destination Queenstown initiative launched in late 2017, Queenstown Cares, aims to connect visitors with organisations and businesses in Queenstown who are doing their bit to leave our incredible environment in a better place than they found it.
"From hotels that return all of their kitchen waste to their expansive garden, operations that are completely off the grid, or those who run projects to regenerate and encourage the re-establishment of native flora and fauna, Queenstowners are doing their bit, and we want to make sure that conscious travellers can easily find and learn about these initiatives," says Graham.
DQ is a signatory of Tourism Industry Aotearoa’s Tourism Sustainability Commitment, which provides a pathway for tourism businesses to focus on four elements to ensure the industry’s long-term success, from environmental and economic sustainability to visitor and host community sustainability.
In early 2019 a group of national agencies and businesses launched Tiaki – Care for New Zealand, a Promise that encourages all travellers to care for people and place when they are in New Zealand. DQ is a proud supporter of Tiaki and encourages all of Queenstown, from tourism experiences to shops, restaurants and facilities, to make Tiaki visible to their customers.
In addition, Destination Queenstown is supportive of the Queenstown Lakes District Council Climate Action Plan draft released this week, and will contribute to collaborative discussion and actions to ensure the tourism system plays its important role in our district.
