Mana Tiaki
Eco Certification
Be captivated and charmed
by Cook Island’s only
Semi-Submersible The Mana Tiaki Eco-Certification is a new initiative that has been recently
launched to establish best environmental practice in the tourism industry. The
word ‘Mana’ means pride and authority. ‘Tiaki’ translates as ‘guardian’. Mana
Tiaki in this context means guardianship of our environment and Ipukarea
(heritage) so that we can preserve it for future generations. Keep an eye out for the
Mana Tiaki logo with the big green tick!
Avatiu Harbour The natural beauty and biodiversity of the Cook Islands is increasingly drawing visitors
from all over the world, with numbers growing from 56,000 in the year 1999 to
169,000 today. This is an average increase of 5.7% per year, though some years it has
jumped by as much as 30% in one year.
5 min walk (west) from Punanga Nui Market
Ph +682 55901 or +682 55903
With this growth in visitors also comes a strain on the natural environment,
infrastructure and local communities. In response to this pressure, an initiative for
sustainable tourism has been launched called the Mana Tiaki Eco-Certification.
Often referred to as eco or green accreditation, this initiative seeks to establish
best environmental practice in the tourism industry, by embedding biodiversity
considerations and conservation efforts into tourist operations.
The Mana Tiaki Eco-Certification is a joint project between environmental NGO Te
Ipukarea Society, the Cook Islands Tourism Industry Council and the Cook Islands
Tourism Authority. The Mana Tiaki Eco-Certification criteria considers impacts on
biodiversity and promotes recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation and good
waste management practices. The criteria also include support for local environmental
initiatives and locally produced goods and services, thereby reducing reliance on
imports.
Increasingly visitors are demanding higher environmental standards from tourism
operators. It is anticipated that visitors will choose to patronise those businesses that
have the Mana Tiaki logo, knowing that the certification demonstrates a commitment
to sustainable tourism. In turn, this demand should provide the incentive for more
tourist operators to seek certification and improve their operations.
Tours leave 9am, 11am, 2pm and 4pm
(sea conditions dependent)
Bookings essential for 9am and 4pm tours
76 • 10 Escape
Magazine
Please arrive
minutes prior
to departure time
Tourist operators are well positioned to educate visitors on the potential impacts they
may be unintentionally causing. One certification criterion asks whether visitors are
being advised of the dangers of sunscreens which contain chemicals which harm the
coral reef including Oxybenzone (also called Benzophenone 3). Another criterion
seeks evidence of whether tourist operators are actively promoting environmentally