Sparked by a 2008 river-boarding death near Queenstown, new safety regulations for the adventure tourism and outdoor education industries will take effect from November 1.
Minister of Labour Kate Wilkinson yesterday announced the regulations, which she said would ensure consistency across operators and "strengthen our international reputation".
"We want to ensure operators remain viable and innovative and these regulations have been designed to do that, while addressing safety gaps identified in the Adventure Tourism Review to help keep New Zealanders and overseas tourists safe," Ms Wilkinson said.
An adventure tourism review was ordered by Prime Minister John Key in 2009 after he received a letter from the father of Englishwoman Emily Jordan (21), who drowned on a trip run by Mad Dog River Boarding.
The resulting regulations require tourism and outdoor education operators which expose participants to "a managed risk of serious harm" to be audited and registered.
Mad Dog River Boarding owner Arno Marten declined to comment until he had a chance to read the new regulations.
When contacted by the Otago Daily Times, Charlie Phillips, chief executive of the Queenstown Resort College, which offers adventure tourism diplomas, said the move was positive.
"While the vast majority of operators are exemplary, these regulations ensure that developing businesses and smaller start-up operations have clear benchmarks and regulations to adhere to," he said.
Ngai Tahu Tourism southern region general manager David Kennedy, spokesman for Shotover Jet and Dart River Jet Safaris, said the company "supports any initiative that will improve safety".
