Walking Track near Milford Sound, via Air New Zealand
After writing about whether it was appropriate to promote airlines on an eco travel blog last week, I discovered Air New Zealand was named the winner in the Global Tourism Business category at the 2013 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Held by the World Travel & Tourism Council, the awards recognise best practice in sustainable tourism within the tourism industry worldwide.
Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Christopher Luxon says the award recognises the airline’s commitment to maintaining and protecting the country’s clean, green image.
“We take our responsibility to promote sustainability very seriously and continue to shrink our carbon footprint as we work towards our goal of becoming the world’s most environmentally sustainable airline. In fact we’ve reduced our carbon emissions by 15% (142,000 tonnes) over a five year period,” says Mr Luxon.
“Alongside this we’ve invested in enhancing some of New Zealand’s most iconic natural assets through our partnership with the Department of Conservation to support biodiversity projects on the Great Walks network. We have also invested in Antarctica New Zealand and the New Zealand Antarctic Research Institute to support important scientific research being conducted on the ice.”
The kiwi airline has a 3,000 strong internal Green Team, which promotes environmental sustainability and also provides financial support to environmental projects around the country through the Air New Zealand Environment Trust. The trust spearheads some great projects, which are worth looking at or getting involved in, if you live in NZ.
The prestigious global awards received applications from 46 countries, across all seven continents. Twenty international judges and sustainable tourism experts assessed the finalists on a number of criteria before doing an on-site evaluation to ensure each company was living up to their environmental claims.
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If you’re planning a trip to the Land of the Long White Cloud, be sure to check out some of our popular posts on New Zealand:
Orana Wildlife Park, Christchurch, New Zealand
Alternative feeding time at the zoo!
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!
OK, so there are no bears here, and “Oh my!” weren’t the exact words in my head as I stood motionless in front of a very curious and very hungry lion, not two meters from my face.
Thankfully, said lion was safely ensconced on the other side of a sturdy fence that contained me, along with 15 other brave – or stupid – visitors to Christchurch’s Orana Wildlife Park.
We were partaking in one of the daily animal encounters available at the 80-hectare open range zoo, where visitors have the opportunity to get up-close-and-personal with the wildlife during feeding times. [click the title to read more]
5 Luxury Eco Lodges in New Zealand
Known to the Maori as Aotearoa, or Land of the Long White Cloud, New Zealand certainly packs a punch for all the size of the country.
Made up of two main islands – the North and South Islands – and a collection of smaller islands, NZ offers an amazing diversity of natural landscapes across a land area of just 103,738 square miles; about the same size as the state of Colorado.
In the North Island, you’ll find wonderful sandy beaches and undulating green hills, geysers and hot springs, Maori villages rich in heritage and culture. By stark contrast, the South Island is home to snow-capped mountain ranges and fjordlands, massive glaciers and lush rainforests, and more wineries than you can shake a stick at.
Finding somewhere to stay is never a problem, but if you’re vying for somewhere that appeals to your green side, then you will be spoilt for choice. Here we present just five of the many wonderful lodges available across the country. [click the title to read more]