The Hotel Britomart in Auckland has launched a regenerative travel experience that will see guests plant trees, learn about local culture, herbs and plants, and discover how to forage native foods.

The sensory experience is offered in partnership with Velskov, a regenerative New Zealand native forest farm located in Parau, 25km west of Auckland’s CBD, and caters to the growing number of travellers considering the environmental and social impacts of their trip.

“The tourism industry has an important part to play in conservation and the impacts on local communities, especially as we head towards New Zealand’s goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050,” said The Hotel Britomart General Manager, Clinton Farley.

“Regenerative travel is an important space for us and we see our partnership with Velskov as an opportunity to help our guests learn more about sustainability and give back in a small way to the communities they are visiting.

“We hope by taking part in this tour, our guests will gain a better understanding of the importance of regenerating native forests and take that knowledge back home.”

New Zealand has lost around 75% of its original native forest cover and Velskov is on a mission to make native forest food farming commercially viable, to encourage the return of land to forest cover.

Guests travel 45 minutes by electric van to Velskov’s farm to undertake the half-day (four hour) experience.

There they learn to harvest and taste native herbs and plant ingredients, learn about traditional uses and local customs and plant a native tree to restore the forest and serve as a lasting marker of their trip.

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