Tourism Adaptation Roadmap

Tourism Sector Climate Change Scenarios

These scenarios provide critical structure to an uncertain future for the Tourism sector, detailing what the sector will look like under different climate scenarios and serving as the foundational document for the soon-to-be released Tourism Adaptation Roadmap.

Click here or on the image below to download the report.

Tourism Sector Adaptation Roadmap

The Tourism Adaptation Roadmap, written in collaboration with public and private sector industry experts, will help ensure the sector is resilient and reducing the impact of climate change, creating an abundant regenerative tourism sector that ensures people, planet and prosperity are balanced.

Click here or on the image below to download the report.

Growing global concerns regarding climate change, environmental degradation and wider sustainability practices represent a threat to our tourism industry. New Zealand’s international tourism is built around and reliant on its landscapes, and while it was never intended to be an environmental statement, the 100% pure brand has inevitably been interpreted as such and is a major draw for tourists.
Some of the impacts of climate change are already affecting New Zealand’s landscape and reputation as a ‘clean, green’ destination and are likely to be exacerbated in the coming years. Significant weather events (e.g. floods, droughts), increasing temperatures (e.g. shortened snow seasons), sea level rise (e.g. coastal erosion), biodiversity loss (e.g. kauri dieback), and glacier melt are all risks to an industry already struggling with the covid pandemic.
Add to this, the growing concern about carbon emissions, or the ‘environmental travel footprint’ and New Zealand's distance from most source markets plus the increasing environmental impact that domestic travellers are having on the landscape, and the industry is facing serious challenges.
An adaptation roadmap for the industry will future-proof regenrative tourism in New Zealand and build a resilient sector.
There is a real desire from the industry to change direction and embed sustainability into the future of tourism.
The mana, connections and expertise of the Aotearoa Circle presents a unique opportunity to stimulate discussion and consider the New Zealand tourism industry’s path to climate change adaptation. PwC will coordinate a workstream to develop a strategy and roadmap of actions to transition the tourism sector to one which is proactively planning and building long-term resilience to our changing climate.
This workstream will further New Zealand’s understanding of how the tourism industry may be impacted under different climate change scenarios and leverage a cross-section of expertise in climate and land science, conservation, tourism, government (central, local and regional economic development) policy, and sustainable finance to propose possible ways forward for the industry.
The Government will develop New Zealand’s first National Adaptation Plan (NAP) in 2022 and this work will align well, to provide support to tourism operators and sector stakeholders to respond to the policies and measures set out in the NAP. Getting widespread agreement from both industry and government leaders to implement the action plan is the ultimate opportunity for this project.

Co-Chairs

The tourism workstream has an impressive leadership group assembled to work with the co-chairs, including

Director-General, Department of Conservation
Penny Nelson started the role of Director-General on 1 November 2021. Before starting at DOC Penny was Deputy Director-General for Biosecurity NZ. Penny joined the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) in 2018 as Deputy Director-General Policy and Trade, where she led work shaping the future of the primary sector – enhancing the sector’s sustainability and growth. Penny has worked across a range of areas of government, including the environment, economic development, and social development. Prior to joining MPI, Penny was Deputy Secretary at Ministry for the Environment where she was responsible for climate change, the marine environment, environmental reporting, and the science system.
She has also worked within the private and science sectors including roles at DairyNZ, the Sustainable Business Council, and Landcare Research.

Board Member, Air New Zealand
Laurissa is a director of Air New Zealand and also an independent director of Goodman NZ, the Chair of Tourism Bay of Plenty, an Independent Non-Executive Director for AWF Madison Group, a Steering Committee Member of Chapter Zero New Zealand and a Trustee on the Charitable Investment Trust for Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki. Ms Cooney is of Te Āti Hau Nui a Pāpā Rangi (Whanganui) descent.
Her work in the regenerative space is inspired by the Whakatauki (proverb) from her iwi:
“Ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au.” Translation: “I am the river and the river is me”.

Director, MDA Experiences
Tak is the co-owner and director of the MDA Group operating in the tourism and events sector as well as business consultancy. Parent company, MDA Experiences, is an industry leader for both luxury and adventure tourism, which has a strong focus on Māori Business Development. It employs almost 60 staff over three subsidiary companies.
In 2019, Tak won the University of Auckland Aotearoa Young Māori Business Leaders Award and the New Zealand Māori Tourism Award.
Having been in tourism for almost 20 years, Tak has spent his working life in the in-dustry undertaking a wide range of roles from front line hosting and tour guiding to business development and marketing management.