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The CENTAMETER is an innovative new electronic device, which measures the electricity being used and displays the cost per hour on a portable display located inside your home or business.

Green Tourism Mark

Sunday, August 10, 2008
From 4 August tourism operators seeking Qualmark accreditation will be assessed on environmental and social criteria.


Qualmark Green – the enhancement and extension of environmental criteria in Qualmark’s quality accreditation system – means that now all Qualmark assessments include Responsible Tourism Operations criteria.

The initiative, referred to as Qualmark Green, was unveiled to the tourism industry by the Minister of Tourism on 27 May 2008. The introduction of the criteria marked a ‘world first’.

New Zealand is the first country to have a fully integrated quality and environmental performance tourism assurance system.

“Now that we have developed the criteria, unveiled it to the industry, and provided a range of supporting material to tourism operators, Qualmark assessors are from today conducting quality assessments that include the Responsible Tourism Operations criteria,” said Qualmark Chief Executive Geoff Penrose.

This means that environmental and social actions will contribute towards the star gradings that Qualmark accommodation providers have. Visitor activity, service and transport providers with Qualmark ‘endorsed’ licenses will also be assessed on the criteria.

Qualmark Chief Executive, Geoff Penrose, says the industry has responded positively to the initiative so far.

“Qualmark is describing the criteria and support material under the ‘Responsible Tourism’ concept. It is about tourism businesses running their businesses in an environmentally and socially responsible way.”

Qualmark's Responsible Tourism initiative is partly about ensuring that quality assured tourism businesses are meeting a number of minimum requirements in this area.

“These minimum requirements are designed to reflect sound environmental practices and visitor expectations. Equally important though is that the new criteria is also about recognising actions, behaviours, programmes, monitoring etc. that are under way in tourism businesses and making these part of the quality assurance system,” said Mr Penrose.

Development of the criteria started in 2006. It included working with tourism industry associations, environmental experts and Government stakeholders. In addition to referring to international best practice, research on visitor expectations of environmental performance also played a part in developing the criteria.

High performers will be eligible to apply for the use of a logo that represents three levels of environmental performance – Enviro-Gold, Enviro-Silver and Enviro-Bronze.

The five key areas that the Responsible Tourism Operations criteria recognises are in energy, waste, water, conservation and community activities, initiatives, programmes and monitoring. This is on top of the set of minimum requirements that represent the ‘must haves’ in this area.

Put into practice, tourism businesses will find opportunities to introduce and enhance environmental performance in their premise, in their product (offering to guests/customers), in their transport, in their office, in the wider natural environment surrounding their business, and in their local community.
http://www.responsibletourism.co.nz/about.php http://www.responsibletourism.co.nz/about.php