Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa recognised among New Zealand’s leading sustainable tourism businesses.
Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa has received a Qualmark Gold Sustainable Tourism Business Award, recognising the alpine attraction for the quality of its visitor experience and its commitment to operating sustainably.
The Gold award places the thermal pools among tourism businesses demonstrating strong performance across areas including environmental management, people and culture, health and safety, and the wider contribution they make to their community.
For Hanmer Springs, the recognition goes well beyond one of the village’s best-known attractions.
Sustainability behind the scenes
Operating a large thermal pool complex comes with its own environmental challenges, and the team has continued to look for practical ways to reduce its footprint.
Initiatives have included covering pools when they are not being used to reduce heat loss, compacting waste that cannot be recycled and using methane generation as part of the complex’s approach to energy efficiency.
The result is a visitor experience where much of the sustainability work happens quietly behind the scenes.
Recognition for the wider region
The award also reflects the role the thermal pools play within the wider visitor economy.
Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa draws visitors into the alpine village throughout the year, supporting accommodation providers, hospitality businesses, activity operators, retailers and other locally owned businesses.
That connection to the community was an important part of the story behind the award.
What Qualmark Gold means for visitors
Qualmark assesses tourism businesses around New Zealand and gives travellers an independent indication of quality, safety and sustainability.
For visitors planning time in Hanmer Springs, the Gold rating provides another level of confidence when choosing one of the region’s signature experiences.
The thermal pools remain one of the best-known reasons to visit Hanmer Springs — whether that means warming up after a winter adventure, slowing down at the end of a road trip or simply spending a few hours soaking beneath the alpine landscape.
And with this recognition, the experience carries another distinction: one of New Zealand tourism’s highest sustainability ratings.