As a Maori tour operator we adhere to the principles of 'Kaitiakitanga' or 'Guardianship' - we are here for a short moment of time but the land remains. Indigenous Trails asks that while upon this land you nurture it for those that will come after you.
We aim to live in balance with the plants, animals, soil, air, water and each other to guarantee a 'sustainable' and 'rich future' for the following generations, our roles and responsibilities on this earth are as environmental guardians or 'kaitiaki'. We know that the environment is vital to every part of our lives from our homes, to our jobs, our past times and our health.
Today, more than ever, we're utterly convinced of the incredible importance of travel. It's only through travelling, through meeting people that we begin to understand that we're all sharing this world. We are all coming along for the ride, despite the barriers which governments, religions and economic and political beliefs often seem to build up between us.
Responsible tourism has incredible potential to have a positive impact on some of our most pressing global issues: 'peace' and 'poverty', not to mention the influence it can have on 'biodiversity conservation'. As a company, we have committed to ensuring all our staffs travel is 'carbon neutral' by paying to offset the carbon emissions of our airline flights through the pro-environment projects of climate care.
By 2020 it's estimated that 1.5 billion people will be travelling each year. It's not hard to understand how each one of us needs to consider our personal contribution to sustaining the natural and cultural wonders of our planet so that future generations can enjoy the same life-changing adventures we have shared.
Today there's no way of avoiding the importance of travelling responsibly, though we hope to inspire you to try a new, far more rewarding, way of travelling.
The quality of the environment, both natural and man-made, is essential to tourism. However, tourism's relationship with the environment is complex. It involves many activities that can have adverse environmental effects. Many of these impacts are linked with the construction of general infrastructure such as roads and airports, and of tourism facilities, including resorts, hotels, restaurants, shops, golf courses and marinas. The negative impacts of tourism development can gradually destroy the environmental resources on which it depends.
On the other hand, tourism has the potential to create beneficial effects on the environment by contributing to environmental protection and conservation. It is a way to raise awareness of environmental values and it can serve as a tool to finance protection of natural areas and increase their economic importance.
Tourism is one of the world's largest industries and one of its fastest growing economic sectors. It has a multitude of impacts, both positive and negative, on people's lives and on the environment.
Sustainable tourism development guidelines and management practices are applicable to all forms of tourism in all types of destinations, including mass tourism and the various niche tourism segments. Sustainability principles refer to the 'environmental', 'economic', and 'socio-cultural' aspects of tourism development, and a suitable balance must be established between these three dimensions to guarantee its long-term sustainability.
Thus, sustainable tourism should:
1) Make optimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key element in tourism development, maintaining essential ecological processes and helping to conserve natural heritage and biodiversity.
2) Respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, conserve their built and living cultural heritage and traditional values, and contribute to inter-cultural understanding and tolerance.
3) Ensure viable, long-term economic operations, providing socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders that are fairly distributed, including stable employment and income-earning opportunities and social services to host communities, and contributing to poverty alleviation.
Sustainable tourism development requires the informed participation of all relevant stakeholders, as well as strong political leadership to ensure wide participation and consensus building. Achieving sustainable tourism is a continuous process and it requires constant monitoring of impacts, introducing the necessary preventive and/or corrective measures whenever necessary.
“Sustainable tourism should also maintain a high level of tourist satisfaction and ensure a meaningful experience to the tourists, raising their awareness about sustainability issues and promoting sustainable tourism practices amongst them."