TIAKI PROMISE
WORLD LEADERS IN CLIMATE ACTION, NEW ZEALAND ARE APPROACHING SUSTAINABLE, CONSCIOUS TRAVEL IN A MORE HOLISTIC WAY WITH THE TIAKI PROMISE. THIS MEANINGFUL PLEDGE ASKS THAT VISITORS TREAD LIGHTLY AND TRAVEL RESPECTFULLY, PROTECTING NEW ZEALAND’S NATURAL BOUNTY AND RICH CULTURE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
All five of the founding members of The Conscious Travel Foundation have a deep-rooted love for New Zealand. For its lofty mountains, clear waters, dense forests and rich culture. We also have incredible respect for the measures New Zealand takes to safeguard its natural environment and wildlife, and preserve the indigenous Maori culture, with its many customs, stories and traditions.
It is clear from the moment you land on New Zealand soil that this is a country passionate about protecting its remarkable natural assets. On arrival, you are meticulously screened for any outside plants, foods or substances that might have an adverse effect on New Zealand’s incredibly delicate ecosystems, flora and fauna. And now, alongside these visible measures taken to safeguard New Zealand’s natural beauty, visitors are invited to make the ‘Tiaki Promise’, to care for the people and the place whilst exploring their beautiful island home, protecting New Zealand for future generations of visitors and Kiwis.
Long before Covid-19 thrust the future of travel into sharp focus, members of the New Zealand tourism industry, including Tourism New Zealand, the New Zealand Maori Tourism, Air New Zealand and the Department of Conservation, joined together to create the Tiaki Promise, designed to encourage overseas visitors to protect New Zealand’s natural environment and local cultures. Tiaki, meaning ‘to care for people and place’ in New Zealand’s native language Te Reo Maori, asks that visitors explore and enjoy New Zealand but leave no trace, travelling safely whilst having care and consideration for all.
Drawing on the Maori tradition of kaitiakitanga, the Tiaki Promise asks visitors to act as proud guardians whilst exploring New Zealand, placing the responsibility in the hands of the visitor by encouraging them to adhere to a set of principles that have the best interests of New Zealand at heart. These ‘pillars’ include driving carefully, protecting nature, keeping New Zealand clean, showing respect for local customs and being prepared for New Zealand’s changeable weather and rural landscapes. These simple steps are designed to ensure that New Zealand can be enjoyed for many generations to come, whilst keeping visitors safe and ensuring every visit to New Zealand is as fulfilling and memorable as possible.
This idea of Tiaki is deeply rooted in Maori culture and their belief that all things are interconnected. The Tiaki tohu, or symbol, holds great cultural significance, so much so, that they ask that they logo not be used on anything that might be stepped on, sat on or consumed. Each individual symbol that makes up the Tiaki logo signifies one of the four elements, Ranginui (the sky father), Tane Mahuta (the forest), Papatuanuku, (earth mother) and Tangaroa (the ocean, rivers and lakes). Hugely significant to the Maori people, these elements also signify so many of the natural wonders that draw people to New Zealand’s shores, year after year.
Says Pip Casey, Tourism New Zealand’s Regional Manager for UK & Europe, “New Zealand’s people, culture and natural environment are what make us unique. We all have a shared responsibility to care for our home and to help others do the same which is what the Tiaki Promise is all about. It captures the deep cultural connection New Zealanders have to our home and invites visitors to be guardians of New Zealand alongside Kiwis. The Tiaki Promise reminds people to travel responsibly as they enjoy what our country has to offer, making it very clear what behaviours are expected from them. We invite everyone to stand behind the Tiaki Promise to care for New Zealand for now and for future generations.”
The Tiaki Promise has such a strong synergy with the message we are trying to spread at The Conscious Travel Foundation. It embodies our belief that that travel has to be a two-way street, and we cannot continue to simply take more and more from our planet, in pursuit of our own happiness. The meaning behind the Tiaki Promise also captures the true spirit of New Zealand, a land of so many natural wonders that they proudly share with the world. All they ask in return is that we, as visitors, give this miraculously country the respect it deserves, preserving and protecting it for generations to come.
Image ©Tourism New Zealand
