Launch of a new initiative to investigate regenerative tourism 2023

A new tourist strategy explores low-carbon aviation fuel and local community participation.

Tourism Minister Peeni Henare unveiled the draft Tourism Environment Action Plan at an Air New Zealand event in Auckland on Friday.

He also announced the government will invest $765,000 to co-fund two feasibility studies with Air New Zealand to study sustainable aviation fuel generation in Aotearoa.

The draft plan proposes six key areas, including decarbonizing tourism to attain net zero emissions by 2050, promoting biodiversity, and expanding technology and innovation to make operators more regenerative.

It also promotes community tourism partnerships and renewable tourism.

Tourism Minister Peeni Henare said the country has a crucial window to lead the world in regenerative techniques.

He invited public dialogue comments.

“A draft Tourism Environment Action Plan launched today for public consultation sets out actions to further shift the tourism industry to a regenerative model that gives back more than it takes,” Henare added.

“The draft action plan is bold and ambitious – and it needs to be.”

The industry, Māori, government, and unions collaborated on the tourist sector’s second transition phase.

Henare advised investing in low-carbon fuel choices.

“Today we announced we will co-fund the next round of feasibility studies into local sustainable aviation fuel generation with Air New Zealand.

“If successful, this will build tourism’s resilience and rapidly accelerate Aotearoa’s energy transition.”

Since November, airlines had received three defective jet fuel batches from the import-only country.

He claimed it was the best way to cut aviation’s 60% share of tourism’s carbon emissions.

Air New Zealand invested over $1.5 million in feasibility studies.

Chief sustainability officer Kiri Hannifin said sustainable aviation fuel was in great demand but scarce.

“Commercially producing it locally would not only help lower the country’s emissions and create jobs, but also provide fuel security in New Zealand,” Kiri Hannifin said.

Fulcrum BioEnergy and Air BP will study landfill trash and unrecyclables as feedstock.

The second trial will use forestry leftovers as feedstock and landfill garbage as a supplement.

LanzaTech, LanzaJet, and Z Energy will provide it.

Air New Zealand, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, the Ministry for Primary Industries, Te Manatū Waka Ministry of Transport, Te Taurapa Tūhono New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, and the Ministry for the Environment signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on the studies.

A final Tourism Environment Action Plan is expected by the end of the year after submissions close on July 14.