Lake Wanaka Tourism is the Regional tour operator (RTO) for the Wanaka area. Established in 1993 with over 500 members, we build collaborative relationships with QLDC, Destination Queenstown, Iwi, Queenstown Chamber of commerce and The Southern Way collective to position our destination in an optimal way, supporting the work being done regionally to align with the goals of Travel to a Thriving Future and to work with other industries with regenerative ambition.
This collaboration acknowledges that the visitor economy is a system that includes far more than tourism-related businesses; it consists of many sector and businesses that impact travellers. All this is interlinked with communities and the environment. The visitor economy includes the places people stay, the transport that connects them, and the infrastructure that enables it.
Lake Wanaka Tourism's strategic focus has also evolved to incorporate the region's Carbon Zero goal; inviting high contributing visitors; supporting the development of regenerative tourism experiences; fostering connections with local communities and building economic resilience and capability in the visitor economy.