Today we met with the head of the tourism industry of Aoteroa. We learned that the business is not for profit and is a trust organization that is not funded by the government. They work with transportation and hotel industries to make sure that tourism in New Zealand is as sustainable as it can be. They also make sure to incorporate the culture and history of the Māori people into their company. In the U.S. indigenous culture is not as appreciated or even acknowledged as much as it is in New Zealand. The reason they are able to be so sustainable is because they are connected with their background of Māori culture. I think the U.S. can learn a lot about incorporating our indigenous culture into everything we do especially into sustainability.
