There’s growing buzz around regenerative destinations. Travellers crave authentic experiences, deeper connections, and an opportunity to leave places better than they found them. But how do you distinguish hype from real progress? One hallmark of action is transparency, so here’s what regeneration means to us in Queenstown.

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What is Regenerative Travel?

You've probably heard the term "regenerative travel" popping up more and more. But if you're not totally sure what it means, you're not alone. It's still a relatively new idea, and every destination is working it out in its own way. So here's a look at what's happening in Queenstown and what's still ahead.

How is Queenstown Putting Regeneration into Practice?

Queenstown has always been acommunity that cares about place. The people who live here feel a deep connection to the land, the surrounding mountains, the ancient forests, the glacial rivers and lakes. Today, that care is shaping how we live, work and welcome visitors, with a shared focus on leaving this place better than we found it. With a fragile and increasingly changing environment, it’s more important than ever that we mobilise to protect this place.

Our regenerative destination plan builds on the grassroot community activity already happening across the region, to support and amplify what is already taking place. Today, regenerative activity is being driven by charities, the local community, and the tourism industry, blending community efforts with industry commitment. We’re seeing activity on three key fronts: conservation, habitat restoration, and Industry initiatives.

1: Conservation

When the landmass of Zealandia broke away from the supercontinent of Gondwana, New Zealand became geographically isolated. It stayed that way for almost 80 million years, becoming a unique ecosystem, a nation of birds (and a couple of bats).

When humans arrived around 1250, we brought mammalian predators. First rats, then from the 1770s, European settlers introduced cats, mice, possums, hedgehogs, and mustelids. These predatorsdecimated native birds and whole forests fell silent.

Predator control is a corner stone of regeneration. Organisations like the Whakatipu Wildlife Trust, the Routeburn Dart Wildlife Trust, and the Southern Lakes Sanctuary maintain extensive networks of traps. Their goal is to establish predator free corridors across the region so native wildlife can move around safely, and endangered populations rebound.

2: Habitat Restoration

Like much of Aotearoa New Zealand, the Whakatipu has been shaped by generations of farming and settlement, and those changes have left their mark on the land. Grazing, pastoral burning, and the spread of rabbits and introduced weeds reshaped native tussock and alpine ecosystems, many of which are slow to recover.

As the region has grown, so have the pressures. Sediment and nutrients from land use can wash into waterways and affect water quality, while wilding pines and other fast-spreading species crowd out native plants and leave less habitat for native wildlife.

Restoring these habitats is at the heart of regeneration here. The Whakatipu Reforestation Trust grows native plants and runs community planting days. Kaupapa Māori trust Mana Tāhuna is leading work to restore Waiwhakaata Lake Hayes, with the goal of making it swimmable and drinkable by 2040. Love Queenstown supports this mahi (work) and brings tourism operators and businesses together for planting days of their own.

‍Local Tourism Operators Committing to Regeneration  

Local businesses are helping shape a more regenerative future for tourism in Queenstown. Local organisations have been leading environmental initiatives for years, supporting restoration projects, investing in conservation, and finding new ways to care for the places that underpin their businesses. The growing regenerative tourism movement has helped accelerate this work, bringing businesses together around a shared vision, strengthening partnerships, and creating greater collaboration and momentum across the district.

Many tourism operators were early adopters of regenerative principles. Ziptrek Ecotours are Queenstown’s first carbon neutral tour operators. They combine ziplining with telling stories about the local environment, clearing weeds, and replanting native forest on Bob’s Peak. Southern Trails tour film locations. They believe protecting our local landscape matters, not just because it’s beautiful, but because it is full of living ecosystems. They support Love Queenstown to ensure Queenstown remains a place of wonder and biodiversity. These are just two of the progressive local businesses doing their part to protect this place.

What Role does Love Queenstown play in Regeneration?

In 2022, our community came together to imagine a different future for tourism in Queenstown. One thing quickly became clear: we didn't need to start from scratch. Across the district, passionate people and organisations were already restoring ecosystems, protecting biodiversity and creating positive change. The opportunity was to help these efforts go further, faster, together.

Love Queenstown was created to do exactly that. We exist to amplify community-led conservation and regeneration, acting as a funder, connector and champion for the people already making a difference on the ground.

Inspired by successful community funding models from around the world, Love Queenstown was designed specifically for our region, creating a simple way for visitors and the tourism industry to become part of something bigger than themselves.

Local businesses contribute a percentage of revenue, visitors choose to give back during their stay, and together these contributions are invested into community-led environmental projects across the Whakatipu. It's a simple idea with a powerful outcome: helping ensure the places that make Queenstown so special continue to thrive for generations to come.

Since Love Queenstown launched in early 2023 we’ve already made a significant impact. Here are some of the achievements we’re most proud of.

·      Over $165,000 raised for local environmental projects.

·      Funding for 16 community-led projects, with more than $130,000 supporting native biodiversity, pest eradication, habitat restoration, environmental education and zero-waste initiatives.

·      Planting 9000+ native trees with volunteer and industry support at key sites through the Whakatipu Basin.

·      Partnering with over 50 local businesses and other organisations.

·      Kickstarting the Love Queenstown endowment fund to support future regeneration efforts.

Regeneration is something we can all be part of. Whether you're visiting for a few days or have called Queenstown home for years, there are plenty of ways to make a positive contribution to the place we all love.

You can support Love Queenstown through a donation, become an Impact Partner if you're a local business, or get involved through volunteering. You can also help by sharing the story. Follow our journey as we work towards a more regenerative visitor economy by subscribing to our newsletter or connecting with us on Facebook and Instagram. Together, we can ensure Queenstown remains a thriving place for people, nature and future generations.