11. DAVID BENNETT (National—Hamilton East) Link to this
to the Minister of Labour
What were the findings of the adventure tourism review?
Hon KATE WILKINSON (Minister of Labour) Link to this
Adventure tourism is a $3 billion industry; 850,000 tourists partake in some form of adventure activity each year. For the most part, safety practices are first rate, and operators take their responsibilities very seriously. They know that getting people home safely is a priority. Although the majority of operators are managing risks effectively, for some activities there are gaps in the safety management framework that could allow businesses to operate at a lower standard than industry experts consider acceptable. The review made a number of recommendations to provide assurance that the entire sector is operating as safely as possible.
Hon KATE WILKINSON Link to this
The Government has accepted the review’s primary recommendation and has agreed in principle to look at creating a registration scheme, with upfront safety audits based on the risks of a particular sector. By introducing a registration scheme, we will know exactly what commercial adventure activities are on offer, and all users, whether they are tourists or New Zealanders, can be assured that any associated risks are being managed. I have also asked the department to complete further work on other initiatives discussed in the report. The Tourism Industry Association has offered to work with us to progress these recommendations. Everyone in this industry wants to protect New Zealand’s reputation from any perceptions that safety here is not up to scratch. Some adventure activities like mountaineering come with high risks. No law can prevent every accident from occurring, but we can offer assurance that every practical step is being taken to manage the risks.