A Qualmark Gold accreditation is a well-earned recognition of those outstanding sustainable tourism business operators around NZ who provide exceptional experiences, all while looking after this great country.
There’s no denying New Zealand’s wow factor – this country really knows how to pull out all the stops when it comes to scenic spectacles. But in addition to Mother Nature’s natural gifts, there’s another side of Aotearoa’s allure that deserves to be celebrated – the incredible level of service from our world-class tourism operators.
There are a multitude of amazing businesses consistently exceeding visitor expectations, and the Qualmark Sustainable Tourism Business accreditations exist to recognise and celebrate these operators through their independent endorsement.
To qualify for an accreditation, tourism operators are assessed by using a criteria which focuses on four key pillars: health and safety, environmental and culture, economic, social and people. This criteria allow for a comprehensive look at all aspects of a business to recognise strengths and to identify any areas where efficiencies could be made. For us, the consumer, the accreditations mean a trusted guide to quality travel experiences in New Zealand.
A coveted Gold Qualmark accreditation is the ultimate recognition of operators who are rising above and beyond in every sense. For us as visitors, that means not only exceeding expectations but providing a meaningful experience, one that enables a deeper understanding of place, and an emotional connection. And while these operators put their customers firmly at the fore, they also actively work to protect and serve the environment and local communities, for the longevity and wellbeing of the country and the industry as a whole.
Here are just four of the many gold accredited operators making New Zealand shine even brighter.
Carino Wildlife Cruises - Paihia
A small family business operating out of Te Pēwhairangi, Carino Wildlife Cruises have earned their top billing for their marine eco-tourism business by providing cruises that acknowledge and respect everyone in the community, and contributing to making it a better place for people to live, work and visit. This includes, among many initiatives, marine mammal sanctuary support and a penguin patrol and dolphin safe project, as well as the launch of the “Carino marine explorer cruise”, which allows local kids to experience the magic of New Zealand’s marine life and become caretakers themselves through awareness and education. wildlifecruises.co.nz
Waiheke Dive & Snorkel – Waiheke Island
This conservation-focused full-service dive shop is on a mission to be the leader in regenerative diving activities. This means every visitor contributes a positive difference to the health of Tikapa moana, the Hauraki Gulf, through education and understanding, in conjunction with mana whenua and mana moana and the wider island community. Regular conservation activities – such as clean-up dives like the one recently greenlit for the main jetties at Matiatia – and regeneration projects, such as kelp gardening, will result in a dive environment that will bring joy for generations to come. waihekedive.com
MDA Experience - Rotorua
Owned and operated by brothers Takurua and Tuhua Mutu, the MDA Group (started under a different name by one of the forefathers of the modern-day adventure industry, Kim Price), has accumulated a depth of knowledge and experience that has propelled it to gold status. The luxury and premium tour guiding of its MDA Experiences business – ranging from exclusive helicopter rides to whitewater rafting group trips and more – has a philosophy of people first. Another key aspect is upholding traditional Maori beliefs such as manaakitanga (caring for those around us), kaitiakitanga (caring for world around us) and whanaungatanga (creating lasting relationships with those we bring in to our lives). mdanz.com
Wildwire – Wanaka
This small family-owned and operated adventure business, which includes the highest waterfall cable climb in the world, has quite the workplace – a spectacular 450-metre cascading twin waterfall surrounded by towering peaks at the gateway to Mt Aspiring National Park. Ironically, it was Covid and its challenges that allowed Wildwire to really showcase their true colours, and it was during this difficult time they came up with their Koha Campaign. The idea of their “Koha Climb” was to come together as a community where contributions were all that was asked of people and no one was turned away. wildwire.co.nz
Ziptrek Ecotours - Queenstown
Situated in the forest above Lake Whakatipu, this intrepid Queenstown business, opened in 2009, was the first zipline tourism venture in New Zealand. In 2019 they upped the ante by becoming the region’s first certified zero carbon tourism business, using less than one and a half person’s footprint of carbon per annum, certified with Ekos under international ISO standard, and offset with certified native regeneration forest. More recently, other projects have included Treehouse Sessions, STEAM Education focused tours, Ziptrek as an eco-elopement wedding venue, the ThanksNZ campaign and the world’s first augmented reality zipline tour, Kereru Interactive. ziptrek.co.nz
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