WellingtonNZ.com,
New Zealand 

YHA Wellington City has won the best large hotel/accommodation section of the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards, hosted at the World Travel Market in London.

The awards recognise organisations, individuals and destinations from around the world that make a real difference to local communities and the environment. This year almost 600 nominations were received. 

The award is a well-deserved victory for a hostel that has been working on sustainability initiatives since the mid-nineties.

Manager Chris Sperring says: “Winning this award is recognition of our accumulated efforts. But it’s also recognition for our young and energetic staff and guests who are the inspiration and the answer to our continued improvements.”

“We work hard to make the hostel more than just a bed for our guests and more than just a job for our staff. That means involving them in the way we do things and in many cases letting them show us the way forward. And we hope that the experience travelers have with us will be part of a travel experience that motivates them for life to care for our environment.

“This is a big, city hostel, so it doesn’t necessarily fit the typical eco-hostel stereotype, but that hasn’t stopped us from making sustainability central to everything we do.” 

YHA New Zealand has a long term commitment to fostering understanding and care of the environment and cultures through travel. It has been an accommodation sector leader in adopting a practical approach to reducing its impact on the environment, through waste management and a careful examination and reduction in energy and water consumption.

YHA Wellington City is the largest hostel in the YHA New Zealand network of 53 youth hostels. It is a Qualmark 5 Star property and was the first hostel in the country to achieve Qualmark Enviro Gold accreditation. It is also a multi award-winner in the New Zealand Sustainable Business Network awards and two time winner of the Hostelworld Best Hostel in Oceania award.

It is one of a number of environmentally-minded businesses in New Zealand's capital, with carboNZero-certified and Enviro Gold accredited businesses providing visitors with a number of options for holidays that don't cost the earth in Wellington.