Businesses sign up for energy efficiency programme

26 September 2008

Media Release

Tourism businesses sign up for energy efficiency programme

A pilot energy efficiency programme for tourism businesses is well underway, with nine businesses from around the country undergoing detailed assessments of their energy use.

The Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA) has signed up the nine businesses for the Tourism Energy Efficiency Programme (TEEP) and is working in partnership with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) to carry out subsidised energy audits for each of them.

TEEP is helping tourism businesses to improve their environmental performance, improve their energy efficiency and achieve costs savings at a time when electricity and fuel costs are rising.

“The tourism businesses participating in TEEP are committed to work with a project facilitator to implement the recommendations of their auditor and this will produce measurable energy savings,” TIA Chief Executive Tim Cossar says.

One of the first businesses to complete an energy audit was the Christchurch Top 10 Holiday Park. General Manager Dean Anderson says the park’s audit showed that he could make immediate savings of several thousand dollars on hot water costs alone, just by reducing the flow rates on the park’s showers at cost of only $2,000 for changes to plumbing.

“The changes we’re introducing are small enough that our guests won’t even notice them but they will enable some be a great cost saving for us,” Mr Anderson says.

“The energy audit was valuable for our business. While the auditor spent two days here, it took less than three hours of my time and now I have a detailed report on my current energy usage. I also have suggestions on what I can do to conserve energy and save on future energy costs,” he adds.

The programme also includes the creation of a new energy audit model for use with small to medium businesses (SMEs) and a transport scoping study. These extra areas of research are also expected to provide useful learnings for other industry sectors, Mr Cossar says.

Improving New Zealand’s environmental performance is a top priority in the Tourism Industry Election Manifesto which outlines the tourism industry’s priorities for the incoming government.

“The environment is New Zealand’s key tourism product, one of the main reasons that international visitors come here and also important in domestic travel,” Mr Cossar says.

Tourism takes the lead in promoting New Zealand to the world as a 100% Pure destination. The campaign has been extremely successful for the country but the tourism industry cannot deliver on the 100% Pure promise on its own, Mr Cossar says.

“Environmental management is an issue for the whole nation and requires a response from all sectors of the community,” he says.

In the run-up to World Tourism Day 2008 tomorrow (27 September), Mr Cossar has applauded all tourism businesses who are taking steps to mitigate their impacts on the environment. The theme for World Tourism Day this year is “Tourism responding to the challenge of climate change”.

“In every region of the country, there are numerous examples of tourism businesses striving to create a world-class, environmentally compelling destination.”

The tourism businesses involved in TEEP are from the accommodation and transport sectors:

 Bay of Islands: Eagles Nest, Base Bay of Islands
 Auckland: SeaLink Travel Group NZ, Novotel Ellerslie, Braemar on Parliament , The Great Ponsonby
 Nelson: Grand Mercure Nelson Monaco Hotel
 Christchurch: Amber Park Holiday Park, Christchurch Top 10 Holiday Park

Top priorities in the Tourism Industry Election Manifesto
The tourism industry is calling for the incoming government to:

1. Recognise tourism as a bedrock of New Zealand’s economy - Establish a Tourism Industry Taskforce to drive a whole-of-government approach to issues affecting the industry and ensure the tourism portfolio is managed by a top ranking Minister.

2. Market Destination New Zealand - Increase public sector investment for targeted offshore promotions to markets of strategic importance to New Zealand and for improved marketing efforts in the domestic market.

3. Invest in vital infrastructure - Invest in a national convention centre, cruise ship port facilities and other infrastructure improvements required to reduce seasonality and increase spending from visitors to New Zealand.

4. Improve New Zealand’s environmental performance - Enhance New Zealand’s environmental performance and the capabilities of its tourism industry to deliver on the 100% Pure New Zealand brand promise.

5. Invest in training and work skills initiatives - Ensure New Zealand’s tourism businesses have the people they need to do business and to deliver a high quality visitor experience.

6. Boost the return from major events - Maximise the return to New Zealand of the Rugby World Cup 2011 and other major event opportunities.

Read the Tourism Industry Election Manifesto at www.tianz.org.nz

ENDS

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