New Zealand PM threatens to shut down adventure tour operators
New Zealand’s prime minister is threatening to close down adventure tour operators who don’t comply to new regulations amid fears that the sector could be destroyed by bad publicity.
The new rules, which required operators to register with WorkSafe NZ by the start of this month, were introduced in 2011 following 37 deaths in a little over four years.
However, 272 companies are yet to be registered, risking fines of several thousand NZ dollars a day.
Prime minister John Key, who is also tourism minister, said he was ‘deadly serious’ about closing down those that don’t comply.
"Mark my words, the legal requirements on those operators, if they are in breach of the law, can get very serious and it will be extremely serious if it starts getting into a criminal action for negligence," Key said at a Tourism Industry Association meeting.
"In the end if the United States market and the UK market and the Asian markets start running stories that New Zealand’s adventure tourism is not safe, it will, in the end, destroy the sector."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season