Caring for Aotearoa - What is the Tiaki Promise?

4 minute read

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When you travel through New Zealand, it’s easy to be swept away by the beauty - the towering peaks, the glassy lakes, the stillness of ancient forests. But there’s something deeper that makes this place truly special: a sense of connection and care. Tiaki is a Māori word that means to care, conserve, and protect.

Here at New Zealand Trails, Tiaki and conscious travel is at the centre of how we operate. It’s not something we’ve ever really had to put into words, it’s just how we have always existed. As New Zealanders, we are all Kaitiaki (guardians) of our land and environment. We have a responsibility to protect and preserve our home, and we encourage our guests to join us in this.

Tiaki is a reminder that how we travel can be just as meaningful as the places we go. And when we travel with that kind of intention, we leave something behind too - roots for future forests, stories shared, and respect for this incredible place we’re lucky to call home.

It's important to us to preserve the beauty of New Zealand's native environment for generations to come.

What is the Tiaki Promise?

The Tiaki Promise is more than just a set of guidelines - it’s a heartfelt invitation to care for Aotearoa (New Zealand). Rooted in Māori values like manaakitanga (hospitality and kindness) and kaitiakitanga (guardianship), Tiaki is about living and travelling with respect - for the land, the people, and the culture. It encourages everyone who lives in or visits Aotearoa to pause, be present, and protect the natural and cultural treasures that make this country so unique. Whether you’re hiking in one of our beautiful National Parks, or enjoying a quiet moment by a lake, or passing through a local community, Tiaki is your guide to doing it thoughtfully and with care.

The word tiaki itself means to care, to preserve, and protect. And that’s what this promise is all about. It’s not a rulebook - it’s a shared understanding, a way of being. By choosing to travel under the Tiaki Promise, you’re choosing to leave only footprints, take only memories, and help ensure New Zealand stays wild, welcoming, and thriving for generations to come. Every action counts - from how you interact with our people to how you explore our environment. Tiaki is a chance to be part of something meaningful - to walk gently, speak kindly, and travel in a way that honours this special place.

Our Commitment to Tiaki

Here at New Zealand Trails, we encourage all of our guests to join us in acting as a guardian to protect and preserve our home. We’re deeply committed to travelling thoughtfully and treading lightly - from the way we guide our guests through Aotearoa’s wild places to the care we show for our communities and ecosystems. Every trip is designed with the belief that by showing you the real New Zealand - its landscapes, stories, and people - you’ll walk away with a connection strong enough to care too.

“Age connected us to the real New Zealand, its past, people and culture, and whilst I was expecting to see the beauty of this place, it is thanks to him that I felt a genuine connection to something much deeper than that.”

- Ali Tooze, Sweet North

At New Zealand Trails, we don’t just talk about protecting Aotearoa - we roll up our sleeves and get stuck in. The Tiaki Promise calls on all of us to care for this place, and one of the most powerful ways we do that is through native tree planting.

We have a grassroots involvement in our local tree-planting group, the Arrowtown Choppers. Not only do we donate money and time to this project, we also love to get our team and guests directly involved with our conservation efforts where we can. All of our guests who join us on one of our hiking and adventure tours that travel through Arrowtown, have the opportunity to plant a seedling and leave a small legacy of their own here in New Zealand. It’s a simple idea with lasting impact for generations to come.

Our guests planting a seedling in Arrowtown.

Our commitment to Tiaki also shows up in other small, yet powerful, ways. We work with local operators and favour quieter experiences. Our guides, true locals who know New Zealand like the back of their hand, help guests understand the cultural significance of the places they visit and how to explore them with respect.

Together with our guests, we hope to help shape a future where adventure and environmental stewardship go hand in hand. The Tiaki Promise inspires us to be more than just travellers - it reminds us to be protectors, partners, and proud storytellers of this extraordinary land that we call home.

If you resonate with the Tiaki Promise and you’d like to learn more about what we’re up to down here at New Zealand Trails, get in touch.

Tagged:

Conservation, Regeneration, Sustainability, Sustainable tourism