Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Tourism Sustainability Commitment?
Since 2017, the Tourism Sustainability Commitment (TSC) has helped New Zealand tourism businesses take practical action on sustainability.
Developed by industry for industry, the TSC provides a practical framework of 12 Commitments across four pillars:
· Economic — Ōhanga
· Visitor — Manuhiri
· Community — Hapori
· Environment — Taiao
Together, the Commitments help businesses take action, track progress and contribute to positive outcomes for visitors, communities, the economy and the environment.
The TSC sits at the heart of He Pae Tukutuku | Tourism 2050: A Blueprint for Impact and supports the development of sustainability capability across the tourism industry.
You can read more about the four pillars and the 12 Commitments here.
Why does the TSC matter?
Sustainability is core to the future of tourism and is good for business. It can improve efficiency, reduce costs, build resilience and help protect the places and communities that tourism relies on. Visitors, trade partners and regulators increasingly expect to see it, and businesses that make progress now will be better placed for the future.
The TSC gives businesses a practical framework to set goals, take action and track progress. It supports the Tourism 2050 vision that every tourism business has a sustainability plan and is making progress.
Who can join the TSC?
The TSC is open to New Zealand tourism businesses and organisations.
All signatories join the same industry-wide programme and work towards the same 12 TSC Commitments.
TIA members contribute to the programme through their membership. Organisations that are not TIA members can apply to join as non-member signatories and make an annual TSC contribution.
Joining and annual participation
What am I committing to?
When your business joins the TSC, you commit to taking practical action towards the 12 Commitments.
This includes:
· setting sustainability goals;
· taking practical action and tracking progress over time;
· embedding sustainability into your business systems, processes and plans;
· completing the annual TSC Declaration; and
· sharing your sustainability efforts with your customers, communities and other stakeholders.
You do not need to meet every Commitment immediately. What matters is making a start, setting realistic goals and continuing to make progress over time.
What do I need to do each year?
Existing signatories complete the annual TSC Declaration to reconfirm their commitment to the TSC and share information about their sustainability progress.
Non-member signatories must also recommit and pay the annual TSC contribution of $100 + GST each year. TIA members contribute through their membership and do not complete the separate recommitment and payment process.
The annual participation requirements are set out in the TSC Terms and Conditions.
What do active signatories receive?
Active signatories receive:
· practical guidance and supporting resources;
· inclusion in the public TSC signatory directory;
· access to advice from TIA’s sustainability team; and
· a dated TSC logo for the relevant year after completing the annual TSC Declaration.
Annual TSC contribution
How much is the annual TSC contribution?
The annual TSC contribution is $100 + GST per year.
Who pays the annual TSC contribution?
Non-member signatories make the annual TSC contribution.
TIA members contribute to the TSC through their membership and do not pay the annual TSC contribution.
What does the annual TSC contribution support?
The annual TSC contribution is $100 + GST per year. It supports the programme’s ongoing administration, upkeep and development, including the website, training tools, resources and the team who support signatories.
The TSC has been available to non-member signatories without a contribution for nearly ten years, so we recognise that this is a meaningful change. TIA members contribute through their membership.
What contribution will non-members pay if they join part-way through the year?
Non-member organisations can join the TSC at any time. The standard annual TSC contribution is $100 + GST. Organisations that join part-way through the annual cycle are charged a pro-rata contribution based on the time remaining until the next annual recommitment. Current contribution amounts are
· 10-12 months remaining: $100 + GST
· 7-9 months remaining: $75 + GST
· 4-6 months remaining: $50 + GST
· 1-3 months remaining: $25 + GST
Any pro-rata contribution applies only to the remainder of the current annual cycle. The full annual contribution will apply at the next annual recommitment.
Annual TSC Declaration and dated logo
What is the annual TSC Declaration?
The annual TSC Declaration is how signatories confirm their ongoing commitment to the TSC and share information about their sustainability progress.
The declaration is a short annual survey. It asks businesses about the actions they are taking, the progress they have made and the challenges they are facing. It takes approximately 10–15 minutes to complete.
The information helps TIA understand progress across the tourism industry, identify opportunities for improvement and better target support and resources.
What does the dated TSC logo mean?
The dated TSC logo shows a current commitment to the programme for the year shown. The logo recognises participation and progress; it is not certification, accreditation or verification of sustainability performance.
The logo includes the tagline “Ask us about our progress”, encouraging customers to ask about the actions and progress behind the business’s commitment.
Expectations around sustainability claims are tightening in New Zealand and overseas markets. The dated logo and new tagline help make clear what participation in the TSC represents.
Use of the dated TSC logo is limited to active signatories. The logo may only be used for the year shown, must be replaced when a new annual logo is issued and must be removed if the organisation moves to inactive status. Previous TSC certificates and expired logos must not be used to represent current TSC status.
What happens if I do not complete the annual TSC Declaration?
Completing the annual TSC Declaration is an annual participation requirement and is how existing signatories reconfirm their commitment for the year.
The dated TSC logo for the relevant year is issued only after the annual TSC Declaration has been completed.
Other circumstances
What if we are a small business or cannot meet every Commitment yet?
The TSC is designed for businesses at all stages of their sustainability journey.
You do not need to meet every Commitment straight away. We recognise that many businesses have limited time and resources and may be managing competing priorities.
What matters is making a start, setting realistic goals, taking practical action where you can and continuing to build progress over time. Many sustainability actions can also improve efficiency, reduce costs and strengthen business resilience.
What if we are already advanced in our sustainability journey or accredited through another programme?
The TSC complements other sustainability and accreditation programmes, including Qualmark.
It provides a shared industry framework for sustainability in New Zealand tourism rather than replacing independent assessment, accreditation or certification.
Businesses that are already well-advanced play an important role in demonstrating good practice, sharing knowledge and helping lift progress across the tourism industry. They can also contribute to industry-wide insights through the annual TSC Declaration.
If your business has a sustainability story to share, we would love to hear from you. Get in touch at info@tia.org.nz. Your story could feature in a TIA sustainability case study and help inspire others across the tourism industry.
What happens if our business does not make progress every year?
Sustainability progress is not always linear, and businesses will be at different stages of their journey.
The important thing is to remain engaged, continue working towards the Commitments and take practical action where possible. The TSC is intended to support ongoing improvement rather than require every business to progress at the same pace.
Can we rejoin the TSC later?
Yes. A business that moves to inactive status can apply to rejoin the TSC in the future.
As the TSC operates on an annual cycle, the business will need to meet the registration and annual participation requirements that apply at the time it rejoins.
Who has joined the TSC?
Visit the TSC signatory directory to see the businesses and organisations participating in the programme.
Who can I contact for help?
If you have questions about joining the TSC, annual participation, the annual TSC contribution or the annual TSC Declaration, please contact info@tia.org.nz.