The Tiaki Promise, and Explera as a signatory.
Explera DMC New Zealand is a Tiaki Promise signatory.
What is the Tiaki Promise?
The Tiaki Promise is a commitment to care for New Zealand, for now and for future generations. Seven organisations, including Tourism New Zealand, launched it in November 2018. Explera DMC New Zealand is a signatory. “Tiaki” means to care for people and place.
Last updated: 9 October 2026
A short answer to what clients ask.
Clients ask how a trip will treat the places it visits. The promise gives a short, positive answer that operators across the country already use, and agents can pass it on in a sentence.
Explera DMC New Zealand is a signatory to the Tiaki Promise. The promise is voluntary: it is not a law.
What it asks of visitors.
Care for land, sea and nature
Tread lightly and leave no trace. In practice that means staying on marked tracks, taking rubbish out and keeping clear of wildlife.
Read moreTravel safely
Show care and consideration for everyone around you, from putting rubbish in the bin to driving safely. For self-drive clients that starts with the left-hand rule and the extra time that mountain roads need.
Read moreRespect culture
Travel with an open heart and mind. Ask before photographing people or entering cultural sites, and brief clients on tikanga before a marae visit.
Read moreWho launched it
Air New Zealand, the Department of Conservation, Local Government New Zealand, New Zealand Māori Tourism, Tourism Holdings, Tourism Industry Aotearoa and Tourism New Zealand launched the promise in November 2018.
Where visitors meet it
Visitors are introduced to the promise before they arrive and on Air New Zealand’s international flights. Businesses can use printed and digital materials such as posters and decals, and the campaign hashtag is #tiakipromise.
When it works.
The promise applies in every season. The briefing matters most in summer, when popular tracks and sites are busiest, and in winter, when road and weather conditions change.
See the full seasonal calendar for lead times and school holidays.
What to check first.
- Put the three points in pre-departure notes and on programme documents so clients meet the message before they land.
- Brief guides and drivers on the promise so that clients hear the same message from arrival to departure.
- Ask any operator what it actually does for the places it visits. A logo is not evidence of practice.
- Use the pre-departure briefing guide for the wider list of what clients need before they travel.
Related services and programmes.
Services: Māori cultural experiences · Great Walks & guided walking · Group tours & GIT.
See itineraries and fixed departures for ready-made programmes.
What agents ask about this theme.
What does Tiaki mean?
To care for people and place.
Is Explera a Tiaki Promise signatory?
Yes. Explera DMC New Zealand is a Tiaki Promise signatory.
Who launched the Tiaki Promise?
Seven organisations: Air New Zealand, the Department of Conservation, Local Government New Zealand, New Zealand Māori Tourism, Tourism Holdings, Tourism Industry Aotearoa and Tourism New Zealand. It launched in November 2018.
Is the Tiaki Promise a legal requirement?
No. It is a voluntary commitment, not a law.
What does the promise ask of visitors?
Care for land, sea and nature, travel safely, and respect culture with an open heart and mind.
More ways to explore New Zealand.
Explera DMC New Zealand is the B2B New Zealand DMC for responsible New Zealand programmes. We contract the accommodation, transfers, licensed guides and experiences at net rates, so you sell responsible New Zealand programmes with one accountable ground partner and your own branding. Send the brief to our New Zealand DMC desk for a net programme quotation.
Start quoting New Zealand at net rates this week.
Register on the Explera trade platform for net rates, white-label documents and one accountable desk from first quote to final transfer. Registration is free and approval is fast.