Ziptrek wears conservation credentials on its sleeve

Pioneering eco-tourism company Ziptrek Ecotours has been proudly wearing its conservation credentials on its sleeve this week.

The multi-award-winning Queenstown-based operation has co-hosted or presented a number of Conservation Week workshops, as well as launching an impressive ‘living wall’ community space in its booking office.

Celebrating 10 years in business in November, as the pioneers of ziplining in New Zealand, Ziptrek’s always been an eco-tourism company at heart, aiming to educate and inspire others towards long-term environmental and sustainable practices.

This week was the perfect showcase for its sustainable business and tourism practices and business innovation.

As recent research shows that more than half of global travellers are proactively looking for more sustainable tourism and travel choices, Ziptrek Ecotours can proudly claim that the sustainable model on which its business was (literally!) built was ahead of its time.

Within 18 months of opening Ziptrek won a top sustainable business award and received a Qualmark Enviro Gold rating, and works closely with key local community groups on tree planting, sustainable and social charities such as the Wakatipu Reforestation Trust and Kiva, the world’s first online lending platform connecting lenders to entrepreneurs.

“Ziptrek Ecotours is woven into Queenstown’s deep tourism heritage,” says founder Trent Yeo. “Tourism is an investment in people, and tens of thousands of people every year now hear a story of humanity’s link to our natural world.”

This week over a hundred people have come to three workshops presented by Ziptrek and local tourism businesses to hear about tourism’s role in conservation, working towards a predator-free environment in Queenstown, and to enjoy a behind-the-scenes peek at how the company operates among their legendary tree houses and its ecology work on Bobs Peak.

Ziptrek Ecotours’ new community space featuring the living wall will be available to use outside opening hours for small gatherings of community groups and organizations, for a small donation.

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