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Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) has been announced as a finalist in the NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards.

The awards are designed to showcase and highlight the contribution businesses, government, NGOs and individuals are making towards sustainability in New Zealand.

The Sustainable Business Network has put Tourism Industry Aotearoa forward as a finalist for the ‘Communicating for Change’ category for its work in implementing the New Zealand Tourism Sustainability Commitment (TSC). This category recognises organisations for communicating sustainability through effective use of channels and audiences, with measurable results.

The TSC aims to see every New Zealand tourism business committed to sustainability by 2025. Tourism businesses are encouraged to join the initiative and adopt 14 Commitments that will help the industry meet its sustainability goals.

The programme has had over 1200 businesses sign up since its launch in November 2017. Signing up to the TSC is simple and free and can be done online on the TSC website. The Supporters Directory shows which businesses have already signed up.

TIA employs two dedicated Tourism Sustainability Advocates, Megan Williams and Lynn Robinson, who focus on communicating with businesses across the country, promoting the Commitment and spearheading industry change. The pair challenge tourism businesses to improve their operations whilst providing practical tools and resources to guide them on their journeys.

Members are also kept informed through a dedicated website, regular newsletters and a growing social media community. To help businesses learn from each other, TIA produces case studies highlighting how other tourism businesses are taking action.

“TIA itself is committed to sustainable tourism and has now embedded the TSC’s sustainability model at the heart of the industry’s Tourism 2025 & Beyond – A Sustainable Growth Framework,” says TIA Industry Strategy Manager Bruce Bassett.

“We have been thrilled with the industry take-up of the Tourism Sustainability Commitment. To be named as finalists in the Sustainable Business Network awards is a testament to tourism businesses, large and small, taking on the actions needed to ensure the long-term sustainability of the industry as a whole.

“We will continue to communicate for change and to enable and empower the industry to do so.”

The Tourism Sustainability Commitment has 8 industry Goals and 14 business-level Commitments, across four elements of sustainability – economic, visitor, host community and environment. It is guided by the values of kaitiakitanga, manaakitanga and whanaungatanga, with a vision of ‘Leading the World in Sustainable Tourism’.

The Sustainable Business Network award winners will be announced at a black tie awards ceremony on 28 November on Auckland’s waterfront.