The keystone project from Travel to a Thriving Future aims to decarbonise the Queenstown Lakes visitor economy by 2030. It will align with local plans and support renewable energy growth, requiring a systems approach and diverse funding sources.
Collaboration among partners and tourism businesses is essential, with a focus on mitigating emissions, optimising visitation, evolving marketing strategies, visitor mix and investing in carbon removal. The project is complex, with unproven solutions requiring systematic experimentation and validation.
Progress
Following widespread support for the carbon zero by 2030 goal as the keystone project of Travel to a Thriving Future, significant progress has been made towards bringing this ambitious vision to life.
Following the release of a Discussion Paper in March 2023 that outlined initial findings in the development of a roadmap, the Destination Management Steering Group have been working on the creation of a pathway toward decarbonisation that sets out a framework alongside the economic and environmental opportunities decarbonising will have for the district. The next step is to set up a roadmap team to work on clarifying gaps in assumptions and drive outcomes.
Progress includes conducting over 50 initial interviews with representatives and community leaders from the visitor economy, carbon experts, scientific and policy advisors, and both national and local government officials.
Who is involved
The project is led by the Destination Management Group, comprising Lake Wānaka Tourism, Destination Queenstown, and the Queenstown Lakes District Council, with expertise and support from Destination Think. An implementation team will be appointed to deliver the project.
How to support
To get involved, you can read the Queenstown Lakes' Carbon Zero Discussion Paper and provide feedback and comments through the contact us form.
.webp)
