Sudima Hotels and Resorts Wins Environmental Tourism Award
Sudima Hotels and Resorts has been exalted by its industry at this year’s New Zealand Tourism Awards, claiming the prestigious Environmental Tourism Award, which is sponsored by The Department of Conservation.
The prize enhances an already gleaming trophy cabinet for the hotel group, which won two categories and was a finalist in two others at the 2017 New Zealand Hotel Industry Awards. According to the guidelines for the New Zealand Tourism Awards (which are supported by Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA)), the “natural environment is a vital component of the Destination New Zealand brand and a key competitive advantage for New Zealand’s tourism industry.
This category recognises an environmentally sustainable tourism business that embraces kaitiakitanga [guardianship and protection for the environment].
They successfully minimise their environmental impact, conserve natural resources, respect local cultures and benefit local communities. They are a financially sustainable and growing business.”
All of this describes Sudima Hotels and Resorts and the teams dedication to sustainability and accessibility, which qualified for the award with a suite of initiatives ranging from the technological to the highly personal: Sudima Hotels and Resorts is the only fully accessible hotel group in New Zealand; staff and culture have been aligned with the national accessibility movement since 2012, when the group facilitated their partnership with Be.Accessible, the national social change organisation; Sudima Auckland Airport is New Zealand’s only CarboNZero rated hotel. It has continued to reduce emissions since its 2014 rating, and Sudima Christchurch Airport is currently being assessed for CarboNZero rating;
Sudima Christchurch Airport was the first hotel in the city to install electric car charging stations, and the Auckland Airport hotel also has stations;
Since 2013, the group has offered a tertiary scholarship for young Maori of Ngati Whakaue descent. It does more for children: every weekday since 2013, Sudima has served breakfast to hungry schoolkids at Kawaha Point Primary School in Rotorua, where the group has a hotel. Sudima also provides breakfast for Rotorua’s homeless population through Love Soup Rotorua;
Immediately after the 2011 earthquake, Sudima Christchurch Airport became an emergency accommodation provider and housed approximately 900 people free of charge. It also provided free accommodation to emergency workers after the Kaikoura earthquake and the Port Hills Fire; Sudima Auckland Airport is one of only five hotels in Auckland to support ATEED’s Youth Employment Pledge; Everyone in the group gets involved with the Make-a-Wish Foundation, hosting ‘wishes’ at hotels and fundraising events such as the ‘I wish I were’ day.