East by West Ferry Champions Social Cause

The East by West Ferry joined the Wellington Tourism Capability Programme in 2021. With the introduction of their new electric ferry service imminent, the ferry company turned to look at other areas of impact: Commitment 8 of the Tourism Sustainability Commitment; how they could take a leadership role to champion a cause important to the Wellington Region.

Pre-Christmas, East by West worked with the Catalytic Foundation to collect donations on behalf of the Shoebox Appeal. This appeal collects toys that are given to kids who need an extra smile at Christmas. Another programme participant, Wellington Helicopters, provided space in their hangar to store the toys while East by West ran a campaign on their commuter services to encourage passengers to donate items. The East by West Ferry team volunteered their time to help wrap and package the gifts before they were sent to families in need.

This is a great example of how tourism businesses can pull together their resources to do good for others. Collaboration can not only enhance efficiencies but broaden the reach of actions throughout communties.

By taking a holistic approach to sustainability, East by West has expanded their capacity to have a positive impact in the Wellington Region.