Accessible Tourism · Aotearoa New Zealand
Making inclusion the standard, not the exception.
Practical training, Access Guides, and advisory for tourism operators who want to do this properly.
What it is
A nationwide framework reshaping how accessibility is understood and delivered across Aotearoa New Zealand.
At its heart are Access Guides — a valuable, experience-focused webpage providing up-to-date, clear and reliable information, enabling customers to plan, prepare, or confidently choose to go elsewhere.
Help your visitors plan with confidence, and help your team prepare to deliver a safe, dignified, inclusive experience.
The market
25%
of global tourism — growing 3× faster than the broader industry
Global accessible tourism research
AUD $29B
spent by accessible travellers in Australia in 2024 — NZ's largest inbound market
Australian Tourism Research Institute, 2024
50%
of people with access needs would travel more with clearer destination information
Zaluka et al., 2022
Full data and global research at adaptingaotearoa.co.nz/the-research
The entire visitor journey — click to explore
Accessibility doesn't begin and end at one experience. A visitor's journey spans planning, arrival, accommodation, activities, food, transport, and departure. Adapting Aotearoa supports operators across the full spectrum — so that inclusion is consistent from first click to final farewell.
Adventure
Activities and guided experiences — setting clear parameters so every visitor can make an informed, confident choice.
Accommodation
Hotels, lodges, holiday parks, and B&Bs — clear access information helps guests choose and arrive with confidence.
Hospitality
Cafés, restaurants, and bars — inclusive service starts with knowing your space and communicating it honestly.
Transport
Shuttles, transfers, and rental operators — accessibility on the move is a critical and often overlooked link in the chain.
Cultural
Māori cultural experiences and heritage sites — inclusion here carries additional significance and deserves care and authenticity.
Scenic & nature
Walks, viewpoints, and natural attractions — honest access information opens these experiences to a far wider audience.
What we provide — click to explore
01
Training modules
Practical, experience-led education that builds real capability across your team — grounded in how tourism actually operates.
02
Access guides
Sector-specific templates, step-by-step guidance, and hands-on advisory to help you build and publish an Access Guide that works — then get it listed where visitors are looking.
03
Advisory support
Ongoing specialist guidance backed by lived experience — from your first conversation through to annual appraisal and endorsement.
Adventure tourism
A cornerstone of Aotearoa
Inclusion delivered with integrity, not guesswork.
Adventure tourism is central to New Zealand's identity. Quality and safety sit at the heart of that — for every visitor, and every operator. This is not an all-or-nothing approach. What matters is being clear about what is possible, and where the boundaries sit.
Set logical parameters
Understand your offering in real terms — removing assumption from decision-making for both staff and visitors.
Identify opportunities
Adaptive adventure sits alongside what you already do — as an extension of good practice, not a separate offering.
Clear Access Guides
Help visitors plan with confidence — and give your team the clarity to deliver safe, inclusive experiences.
Consistent standards
Rules and regulations understood. Inclusion delivered with integrity — a more consistent standard of service and safety.
How it works
01
Sign up
02
Training
03
Access guide
04
Endorsement
05
Growth
Select a step to learn more
Ready to start the conversation?
If you're a tourism operator wanting to lead on accessibility — or a destination wondering where to begin — we'd love to hear from you.
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