Tourism businesses, visitors and locals are coming together through GOOD FOR YOUR SOUL – Kaitiaki to give back to the place that gives so much.
To share the story behind this growing movement, Destination Hauraki Coromandel has released a short film featuring operators from across the region. In it, they speak about why they care so deeply for this place, and how tourism can be an enabler for conservation action.
How GOOD FOR YOUR SOUL works
The programme acts as a bridge between tourism and conservation.
GOOD FOR YOUR SOUL – Kaitiaki provides a simple way for businesses and visitors to contribute to native planting and predator control projects across Hauraki Coromandel.
The initiative builds on wider industry commitments such as the Tourism Sustainability Commitment, Qualmark and the Tiaki Promise, taking the idea of caring for people and place and turning it into tangible action on the ground. It is already making a measurable impact across the region. So far, the collective effort has seen:
- Contributions from 19 countries
- 49 business supporters involved
- 1,944 native trees donated
- $1,944 directed to predator control
- 2 AT220 predator traps installed
Each contribution supports native habitat restoration and helps protect the wildlife that defines Hauraki Coromandel.
This work is made possible through strong local partnerships, including Pare Hauraki Nursery, which eco-sources and grows the native plants, Predator Free Hauraki Coromandel Community Trust, who support predator control efforts across the region and Department of Conservation.
Kate from Driving Creek, featured in the film, said the initiative has resonated strongly with visitors: “Our guests love knowing they can leave something positive behind. It turns a visit into something more meaningful.”
More businesses continue to come on board, strengthening the reach and impact of the initiative. This collective approach reflects a wider shift in tourism, where both operators, visitors and locals are looking for ways to give back and play a more active role in the places they connect with.
“Everything that brings people here is tied to the environment. Looking after it isn’t optional, it’s essential to the future of this place and the experiences it offers.” Says Casey Owen, Destination Executive at Destination Hauraki Coromandel. “This is about making it easy for tourism to give back, and working as a region to ensure tourism gives more than it takes.”
