Achieving Sustainable Communities

What It Looks Like:

New Zealanders understand, support, shape and benefit from tourism operating in their communities.

Remember - to develop your Sustainability Plan download the Tourism-sustainability-action-plan-2020  (word template) if you haven't already, go through the actions for each commitment, figure out where you would like to start and make a plan!

7.  Employer of Choice

This Commitment is about attracting, supporting and developing the workforce we need to flourish and succeed. For the majority of hosted accommodation properties, if you have staff, this is likely to be cleaners, gardeners and sometimes chefs.  You can extend some of the principles below to also include where you purchase your products and services from including laundry services and groceries.  

Actions to help get you started:

Develop a plan to attract and develop talent - including paying a fair wage to all staff at all levels of your business. Also look at the conditions you offer. Ensure you're an inclusive employer, and employ New Zealanders where they are available.

• Make a plan towards paying at least the living wage to any staff you employ (including, for example, cleaners and gardeners).
• Review the conditions of your staff and investigate other conditions you could include as benefits.
• Ensure you have staff induction and training processes in place for new staff - this is particularly important for Health & Safety procedures.
• MBIE have some great information regarding staff contracts, etc.
• Talk about your H&S policies you have in place supporting and protecting you, your employees and your guests (cleaning, gardening, chemicals).

8.  Community Engagement

This Commitment is about actively and positively engaging with the communities in which we operate, taking a leadership role to champion causes that are important to the community.

Actions to get started:

Identify things you are passionate about and ways that you can give back to your community individually or collectively, and get these underway.

• Identify at least one cause to support and get started.
• Include a proportion of donated products/services in your budget each year.  Or you could could charge guests for using a washing machine and donating these funds to your charity of choice;  offer no room servicing in return for a donation to your cause.
• Provide sponsorship information and guidelines on your website to make it easy to deal with sponsorship and donation requests, and to show which causes you support.
• Volunteer to help a community or environmental cause.
• Work with other businesses or groups on areas of most need in the community.
• Get actively involved to ensure that community is genuinely at the heart of destination planning.
• Talk about the great things you are doing to support the community.
• Introduce an internship, work experience programme or community open day.
• Promote local causes that need funding or volunteers. 
• Promote and use the search engine ecosia  who plant trees for every search made using their engine.
• Ensure you are vaccinated if you can be

9.   Sustainable Supply Chains

This Commitment is about having socially and environmentally sustainable supply chains.

Actions to get started:

Make sure you understand your supply chain and explore where you can move to more sustainable options, supporting local businesses and minimising waste.  Some areas to look at and assess are guest amenities, food and linen.

• Complete an audit to understand your supply chain from a social and environmental perspective.
• Set targets for improvement, focusing on supporting local suppliers and minimising waste and packaging.
•  Work with your suppliers to ensure they clearly understand your expectations of their products and packaging.
• Develop a sustainable procurement/purchasing policy including the sourcing of goods locally, where possible.
• Talk about your aim to achieve a sustainable supply chain, including telling stories about the great work your suppliers are doing.

Want to do more?

Tourism Sustainability Commitment has further suggestions, help and support to encourage you to extend your Visitor Commitment.

Have suggestions for our members?

We'd love to hear them!  Email our Association Secretary so she can share your suggestions with our members.