The Surprising Players Behind Auckland's Regenerative Tourism Push

Forbes

03-05-2025

Mamakan Oustrup Laureijs, owner of Velskov Forest Farm near Auckland, New Zealand.
Forget sustainable tourism. In forward-looking destinations like New Zealand, it's all about regenerative tourism.
Mamakan Oustrup Laureijs explains the concept to her visitors over a spread of fresh-baked organic bread, strawberries, locally harvested leafy greens and artisanal cheese.
"We will be nourished by what the forest farm has to offer," she says. "But we will also give back."
At Velskov Forest Farm, a half-hour drive outside of Auckland, New Zealand, that means planting your own tree to help regenerate the old-growth forest that covered the gently rolling hills outside of Auckland before European settlers arrived.
Oustrup Laureijs, the farm's owner, shows visitors how it's done. She guides them as they plant native species such as the Kauri, a hardwood tree that can live up to 2,000 years, and the Pōhutukawa, known for its vibrant red flowers that bloom in early summer.
Planting trees encapsulates the essence of regenerative tourism, say tourism experts.
"Regenerative tourism goes beyond simply minimizing negative impacts," explains Vance Haywood, owner of The Exquisite Group, a luxury tour operator based in Auckland. "Instead, it focuses on actively contributing to the restoration and enhancement of the environment and local communities."
Regenerative tourism takes on many forms in the Auckland area. Among them are regenerative tours and hotels, visits to conservation-minded zoos, and replanting entire islands devastated by irresponsible farming.
Neil Taylor, a Department of Conservation ranger and volunteer guide, in the forest of Tiritiri Matangi Island.
Tiritiri Matangi Island, a sanctuary off the coast of Auckland, is a showcase of regenerative tourism. Once a farm, the island has been reborn as a haven for native New Zealand species, with birds flocking to the areas replanted with native trees.
Today, you'll find everything from the takahē, a rare, flightless bird that was once thought to be extinct, to the nocturnal kiwi. But you'll have to spend the night on the island if you want to see a kiwi — they're never seen during the day.
A hike around Tiritiri Matangi is an immersive lesson in environmental stewardship. As you wander through the forest up to the old lighthouse and learn about the island's history, you're engaging with the environment and its conservation.
Neil Taylor, a volunteer guide with a nonprofit organization called Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi, says regenerative tourism is an ongoing project in Auckland.
"It's a continuous process that requires knowledge, action, and a deep connection to nature," he explains. "It's not just an ideal, but a necessary practice for a sustainable future."
The kererū, one of New Zealand's native pigeons, in an aviary at the Auckland Zoo. The zoo has a special emphasis on preserving and promoting native species like the kererū.
The Auckland Zoo is also dedicated to improving the ecosystem of the island, with new plans and wider conservation projects in focus. They've already made strides with initiatives such as recycling and energy reduction, achieving carbon-zero status seven years ago. And there's much more to come.
Jane Healy, the zoo's spokeswoman, says the next phase of its conservation efforts is focused on regeneration.
The Auckland Zoo continues to reduce its emissions impact through carbon offsets, mostly through local New Zealand native planting projects such as the ones happening at Velskov and Tiritiri Matangi. All the zoo's energy comes from renewable sources, and managers are working to phase out gas usage.
The zoo has large rainwater tanks to collect and redistribute water and taking water from a nearby spring. This water, used in animal moats and other zoo facilities, is treated and then returned cleaner than when it arrived. The zoo also has a system for hand-sorting all of its trash, ensuring that only recyclable materials are sent for recycling and none of them end up in a landfill.
"We very much believe in practicing what we preach," says Healey.
Chris Judd, a guide at Bush and Beach, shows visitors a dieback station used to decontaminate shoes to protect the native Kauri trees from a deadly soil-borne pathogen.
One way of seeing northern New Zealand's regenerative tourism efforts is on a tour. Chris Judd, a guide at Bush and Beach, conducts a specialty tour that shows visitors Auckland's regenerative tourism initiatives.
His approach emphasizes educating guests about the unique natural environment of New Zealand, particularly its native plants and forests.
"It's more than a walk in the woods," Judd says. "We're helping connect visitors with the local environment. And we're offering more enriching information about regenerative tourism."
In this part of New Zealand the forests and native biodiversity have been destroyed by rampant deforestation and introduced predators. Judd creates a sense of connection to the local environment for his tour guests, showing them how they can be part of the solution.
But it also goes a step further. Part of the tour contributes to the health of the ecosystem by funding the removal of non-native predators such as stoats and rats, which harm native bird populations and other wildlife in New Zealand. He explains how to protect what's already there, notably the native kauri trees, which are vulnerable to a deadly soil-borne pathogen.
Even the tour itself is sustainable. Bush and Beach hopes to shift to electric vehicles this year, one of the final steps to becoming carbon-negative as a business.
Clinton Farley, the Hotel Britomart's general manager, shows off his menu which emphasizes sustainability by using all parts of a fish and wasting fewer resources.
It's not just tour operators and conservationists who are tuning in to regenerative tourism. The Hotel Britomart in Auckland has a strong push to incorporate sustainability into all aspects of its operations.
Even before it opened in 2020, the property's owners wanted to be a Green Star certified hotel, and they were the first in New Zealand to achieve that. (Green Star is a voluntary sustainability rating system in Australasia.) The certification isn't just a plaque on the wall, either; it means that the hotel's design, construction, and equipment all meet high standards for energy efficiency.
"Sustainability is one of our core values," says Clinton Farley, the hotel's general manager.
Beyond the physical structure of the hotel, Britomart is also working to integrate sustainability into the guest experience. The hotel partners with local suppliers for food and toiletries. It talks about food sourcing. For instance, it does not buy any seafood that has been bottom trawled, and it encourages guests to try lesser-used parts of the fish, like the tail and eyes, minimizing waste and promoting a fuller use of resources.
Like the tour operator Bush and Beach, the Britomart is constantly trying to reduce its carbon footprint. Farley says it's always looking for new ways to reduce waste and eliminate any single-use plastics. But he's careful about using terms like "carbon-zero" because there's always more work to be done. The Britomart, he notes, wants to ensure that sustainability isn't an afterthought, but an integral part of the guest experience.
Regenerative tourism is everywhere in Auckland, and if you spend enough time here you'll see the same faces. For example, the Britomart has a partnership with Velskov Forest, Oustrup Laureijs' regenerative tourism experience, called Nourishing Nature.
"People might eat some produce — honey, mushrooms, herbs, flowers — at Hotel Britomart from the trees that guests have planted at Velskov," she says. "It's a great example of a circular economy."
There's still plenty of work to be done when it comes to regenerative tourism. There are trees to be planted, and the forests are still teeming with introduced predators that stalk endangered Kiwi. But Auckland's efforts are without a doubt a model for other destinations trying to achieve sustainability — or, better yet, regeneration.