Responsible Tourism (Ecotourism).
Do you want to experience meaningful travel and give something back while you holiday?
Do you want to truly engage in a country, it's people and it's culture and at the same time give something back as thanks for the experience?
If so, then the Great New Zealand Trek is for you. The Great New Zealand Trek incorporates adventure tourism, ecotourism, nature based tourism, responsible tourism and sustainable tourism.
Ecotourism is about connecting conservation, communities, and sustainable travel.
The organisers of the Great New Zealand Trek are committed to ensuring:
- Minimal impact (on the environments we travel through)
- Building environmental and cultural awareness and respect
- Providing positive experiences for both visitors and hosts
- Provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people
We believe responsible travel is about bringing you closer to local cultures and environments by involving local people in tourism. It's about doing this in a fair way that helps ensure that they will give you an even warmer welcome!
For example, a local guide from the destination will open your eyes to their cultures and ways of life far better than an expat guide could ever do – they will also earn a much needed income from you.
The responsible traveller prefers to meet some local people (as well as fellow travellers). They want to get a little bit more out of their travels, and to give a little bit back to the special places and people that they encounter. They want deeper and more real travel experiences. The responsible traveller values authenticity – experiences integral to local people's traditions, cultures and rituals - rather than those created for tourism. They believe that travelling with respect earns them respect.
Responsible travel is about re-discovering how to experience nature and to be in it, feeling it, smelling it and learning about it rather than just looking at it. Through this they replenish their souls. They would rather get out on foot than sit in a big bus, and are determined to leave no physical evidence of their visit but their footprints.
The responsible traveller values diversity – diversity of people, cultures and environments. They believe that they can grow as individuals through these experiences, and that their trip can make a positive contribution towards conserving global diversity.
Above all else the responsible traveller wants to cut loose and experience their world. The experienced responsible traveller knows how difficult it can be to do the right thing – and is humble and learns from their mistakes. Whether they travel independently, or through a leading responsible travel operator, the responsible traveller makes and experiences a difference.
