The operator journey
How it works.
Becoming a genuinely inclusive tourism operator is a structured process — practical, supported, and grounded in how tourism actually operates. Here is how we work together.
The journey at a glance — click a step
01
Sign up
02
Training
03
Access guide
04
Endorsement
05
Growth
Each step in detail
Step 01
Sign up
Join the Adapting Aotearoa movement. Sign up to access the platform, connect with our team, and begin your journey toward becoming a genuinely inclusive tourism operator. This is where the conversation starts — we take the time to understand your business, your offering, and where you are on the accessibility journey.
What this includes
- Access to the Adapting Aotearoa platform
- Introductory assessment and planning session
- Connection with our advisory team
- Tailored onboarding for your sector
It doesn't matter where you are starting from. What matters is that you're ready to do this properly.
Step 02
Training
Your team works through our practical, experience-led training modules — grounded in the real-world realities of how tourism operates. This isn't compliance training. It builds genuine knowledge, confidence, and capability to deliver safe, dignified, inclusive experiences.
Training covers
- Understanding the accessible tourism market
- Inclusive service delivery in practice
- Communication and language
- How to use and build an Access Guide
- Adaptive adventure and activity principles
- Safety, dignity, and customer confidence
Delivered in real-world settings — practical, experience-led and grounded in how tourism actually operates.
Step 03
Access guide
With advisory support from our team, you create your business Access Guide — a clear, honest, detailed, and visual webpage that gives visitors the information they need to plan with confidence. Great access starts with good design, but the true enabler is how you communicate it.
What you get
- Sector-specific Access Guide templates
- Step-by-step guidance through each section
- Hands-on advisory review
- Visual, experience-focused formatting
- Listed in national and regional directories
- Integrated with Tourism NZ and regional partners
An Access Guide empowers choice, builds trust, and welcomes people through honesty and transparency.
Step 04
Endorsement
Once your Access Guide meets our standard, your business receives formal appraisal and MakingTrax endorsement — a signal to visitors, destinations, and the industry that inclusion is genuinely embedded in what you do.
Endorsement includes
- Formal appraisal of your Access Guide
- MakingTrax endorsement mark
- Specialist expert review
- Annual review to maintain standards
Authenticity shines when a business owns and values its accessible and inclusive product.
Step 05
Growth
Ongoing support, specialist input, and connection to Regional Tourism and TourismNZ marketing pathways — so your accessible offering keeps growing and your visitors keep coming.
Ongoing support includes
- Regional Tourism marketing integration
- TourismNZ partnership pathways
- Specialist advisory access
- Annual appraisal and renewal
- Industry leadership and consistency
- Community of practice across operators
Together, we are creating a meaningful destination: Aotearoa New Zealand, the world's leading accessible adventure nation.
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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