There’s a new way for local businesses to make a lasting difference. By becoming a Love Queenstown Impact Partner, you'll help accelerate community-led environmental restoration and be part of a collective effort to protect our region for generations to come.

Queenstown is a community shaped by its extraordinary natural environment. The majesty of the mountains and lakes never get old, and while the surrounding peaks will endure for eons, the ecosystems that make this place special are far more fragile. Native habitats, biodiversity, freshwater health and other natural treasures face increasing pressure, making their protection more important than ever.

Love Queenstown is a locally led initiative that connects the visitor industry with grassroots environmental action. It is built on a simple belief: while individual efforts are making an incredible difference, we can achieve far more when businesses, visitors and the community come together behind a shared purpose.

Across the Whakatipu, passionate local organisations are already restoring native habitats, protecting biodiversity, improving freshwater health and inspiring environmental stewardship. They know what works because they're doing the mahi every day. Love Queenstown exists to accelerate their impact, connecting our industry with the people and projects creating meaningful change on the ground.

Love Queenstown’s Impact Partner programme builds on this base

Impact Partners pledge 1% of their annual proceeds to support local environmental projects. Rather than funding a single initiative, contributions are pooled and invested through Love Queenstown's Annual Impact Grants, supporting a portfolio of community-led conservation and restoration projects. This collective approach enables greater impact, ensuring businesses help accelerate meaningful environmental outcomes across the wider region.

Impact Grants are awarded by an independent committee oflocal conservation, sustainability, and funding specialists. The committee uses a set of criteria to evaluate where funds will create the greatest environmental benefit.

How the 1% Commitment Works

The Love Queenstown Impact Partner programme is built around a simple principle: contributing 1% of annual proceeds to local environmental restoration. Adopted by businesses around the world, the 1% model provides a clear, accessible benchmark for giving, making it easy for organisations of all sizes to create meaningful, long-term impact.

For larger organisations, Impact Partner status is available through an annual contribution of $10,000 or more. Businesses can choose to contribute annually or through automated monthly instalments, with all donations eligible for charitable tax deductions. Whether you're just beginning your giving journey or looking to deepen your environmental commitment, we'll work with you to find a partnership that fits your business.

Where Does your Gift as an Impact Partner Go?

Every dollar invested through Love Queenstown stays local. Eighty percent of your contribution is directed to high-impact environmental projects through our Annual Impact Grants, supporting community-led organisations restoring native habitats, protecting biodiversity, improving freshwater health and inspiring environmental stewardship. The remaining 20% is invested in the Love Queenstown endowment fund, creating a permanent source of funding that will continue supporting local environmental action for generations to come.

In 2025, the Impact Grants supported six community-led projects. While each initiative tackles a different environmental challenge, together they form a connected programme of restoration across the Whakatipu. By pooling contributions, Impact Partners help create a broader, more resilient network of local environmental action than any single donation could achieve alone.

Mana Tāhuna Charitable Trust - Waiwhakaata Wetland Restoration

Much loved local lake, Waiwhakaata-Lake Hayes has become degraded by years of development and run off from farms and forestry. Kaupapa Māori trust, Mana Tāhuna has been restoring the lake to make it swimmable and drinkable by 2040. They’ve already controlled predators, removed invasive species, planted 165,000 native plants, and installed sediment traps to protect water quality.

Whakatipu Wildlife Trust – Biodiversity Monitoring

This Trust is committed to creating a predator-free environment around Lake Whakatipu. Their volunteers remove around 13,000 predators each year. Their grant helps them launch a biodiversity monitoring programme to better understand their impact. They’ll combine bird counts with recording and digitally analysing bioacoustics to identity more reclusive species.

Routeburn Dart Wildlife Trust – Operation Birdsong

This project engages Queenstown visitors with local conservation work. Visitors to Dart River Adventures begin their experience with a chorus of recorded native birdsong, then their attention is drawn to the silence of the forest today. Guides encourage guests to contribute to predator control and help bring back the music of the birds.

Tāhuna Glenorchy Dark Skies – Native BatMonitoring Programme

This programme monitors the population of pekapeka – the tiny bat that is New Zealand’s only native land mammal – accompanied by habitat restoration, light-reduction, and predator control. The sanctuary team also engage locals in planting days, trapping, and other community events to safeguard biodiversity for our nocturnal native species.

Whakatipu Reforestation Trust Projects

The Trust were given two grants for their reforestation work. Their Community Nursery raises 10,000+ native plants each year to support biodiversity. A grant upgrades their solar power supply to be more reliable. Another grant goes to habitat restoration in the Whakatipu Basin, helping to scale community engagement to create thriving native landscapes.

Join a Growing Community of Impact Partners

Love Queenstown's Founding Impact Partners include Skyline Queenstown, Ziptrek Ecotours, Tourism Innovation Group, Queenstown Airport, Alpine Luxury Tours, Southern Trails, Tauck, Queenstown iSite Visitor Centre, Catch a Fish and Relax It's Done Holiday Homes. Together, they represent a diverse group of businesses united by a belief that tourism can and should leave a positive legacy.

As many travellers' final touchpoint, Queenstown Airport encourages visitors to ‘leave a little love’ before they fly through its tap-to-donate activation in the departures lounge. Queenstown Airport CEO Glen Sowry says: “Everyone remembers the beginning and end of their journey. We want to create the opportunity to create value for the fund, and that people feel a real desire and ambition to give back.”

It’s no surprise tour companies are well represented in the founding group of Impact Partners. These are people who share the beauty of our region with visitors and see first-hand how our fragile ecosystems are affected by businesses, over-tourism, and climate change. Alpine Luxury Tours want to ensure tourism contributes to regeneration. Founder Lee Saunders notes: “We want to make a contribution that goes beyond running a successful business. If you know the land and you love the land, you want to look after it.”

Catch a Fish cofounder Sanne Keurentjes says: “We've always talked about running a business that adds value to our community. And with fishing, we take something from nature, so we feel a responsibility to give something back, as I think others should too." Co-Founder of Tourism Innovation Group, who run Altitude Tours, Fiordland Tours, and Black NZ, Heidi Farren says: “Our core commitment is to create unique experiences that honour and protect Queenstown’s environment while supporting the well-being of our community and businesses. By joining Love Queenstown, we’re bringing this vision to life.”

Southern Trails specialise in tours of film locations. They say: “Like Tolkien and Jackson, we believe protecting these landscapes matters, not just because they’re beautiful, but because they’re living ecosystems. By contributing to Love Queenstown, we honour that legacy and help ensure Queenstown remains a place of wonder and biodiversity.” Meanwhile the Relax it’s Done property management team say they’re grateful to call this piece of paradise home. “And with that, also comes a huge responsibility to care for this special place and encourage our guests to do the same.”

What Becoming an Impact Partner can do for Your Business

Businesses today are expected to do more than deliver great products and experiences. Customers, employees and communities increasingly want to see organisations making a genuine contribution to the places they operate. Becoming a Love Queenstown Impact Partner is a simple, credible way to demonstrate that commitment, while creating measurable local impact that you can confidently share with your customers, team and stakeholders.

Today's travellers are actively seeking businesses that reflect their values. Research shows 61% of travellers look for more sustainable travel options, while 43% are willing to pay more for experiences that align with those values (Booking.com, 2023). In Queenstown, our natural environment is the reason most visitors choose to come, making its protection an investment in the long-term success of our visitor economy.

As an Impact Partner, you'll receive practical tools to help tell your story, including marketing assets, digital recognition, inclusion in our Annual Impact Report, and opportunities to showcase your commitment through our channels. Your partnership can also support sustainability reporting and contribute towards wider ESG, Qualmark or B Corp commitments.

Just as importantly, you'll become part of a growing community of businesses choosing to invest in the future of this place. Alongside our Founding Impact Partners and more than 30 local businesses already supporting Love Queenstown, you'll join a collective effort that is helping shape a stronger, more resilient future for the Whakatipu Basin.

What We’ve Achieved So Far

Since Love Queenstown was established in 2023, we’ve raised over $150,000 for local environmental efforts. That includes $72,330 in impact grants in 2024 and 2025, supporting 9 initiatives across the region, with more to come in 2026. Projects include trapping pests, restoring habitat around Waiwhakaata – Lake Hayes, tracking native bats, reforestation, and educating visitors on ways to bring back native birds.

We’ve also invested some $30,000 into the Love Queenstown endowment fun, growing future funding opportunities to support this mahi for many years to come. And we’ve helped plant 8,589 native trees with industry and volunteer support – and counting.

How to Become a Love Queenstown Impact Partner

Every business has the opportunity to leave a positive legacy. By becoming a Love Queenstown Impact Partner, you'll help protect the landscapes that underpin our visitor economy while joining a growing community of businesses committed to the long-term wellbeing of the Whakatipu Basin.

If you'd like to explore a partnership, we'd love to hear from you. Get in touch with our team to discuss the options available and how we can tailor a partnership that works for your business, your customers and our community.