Hawke’s Bay‘s reputation as a Great Wine Capital is built not only on premium wine and diverse terroir, but increasingly on how the region responds to global expectations around sustainability leadership and meaningful visitor experiences. For wine tourism operators, sustainability is no longer a marketing add-on; it is a strategic imperative that influences operational resilience, workforce retention, visitor trust, and long-term regional value.
The 2026 Best Of Wine Tourism sustainability award winner, Hawke’s Bay Experiences, offers a practical case study of how sustainability can be embedded into daily operations while strengthening the wider wine tourism network.
Environmental Sustainability as Operational Practice
Rather than treating sustainability as a future goal, Hawke’s Bay Experiences has embedded environmental responsibility into its core business model from inception. A tangible example is the company’s investment in a fully electric vehicle fleet, including a premium 7-seater Mercedes van. This decision directly reduces transport-related emissions, one of the most significant contributors to tourism’s carbon footprint, while maintaining the comfort and quality expected in premium wine tourism.
Small but deliberate operational choices further reinforce this commitment. Locally sourced mineral water and snacks are provided in reusable glass containers, reducing single-use plastics, while in-vehicle charging supports guest needs without disposable solutions. These decisions demonstrate how sustainability can be integrated without compromising the guest experience, and often enhancing it.
Social Sustainability: Investing in People and Place
Social sustainability is often less visible than environmental initiatives, yet it is equally critical to long-term industry health. Hawke’s Bay Experiences demonstrates leadership by paying its contract guides well above the living wage, recognising that fair compensation is fundamental to retaining skilled staff, maintaining service quality, and building a resilient workforce.
Guides are positioned not simply as drivers or tour leaders, but as knowledgeable hosts and regional ambassadors. Their local expertise strengthens connections between visitors, wineries, and producers, ensuring that economic benefits circulate within the region and reinforcing Hawke’s Bay’s collective brand story.
The company has also taken concrete steps to support cultural sustainability through its partnership with the custodians and educators of the Atea A Rangi celestial compass. By becoming a concession holder, the business contributes to the protection and sharing of local cultural knowledge, modelling how tourism operators can engage respectfully with mana whenua and cultural assets while adding depth to visitor experiences.
Strengthening the Wine Tourism Network
From a wider tourism network perspective, Hawke’s Bay Experiences plays a connective role between wineries, producers, and visitors. Its curated tours respond directly to identified market gaps and customer feedback, introducing guests to iconic wineries alongside smaller premium producers and offering behind-the-scenes access that individual operators may not be able to provide independently.
This collaborative approach strengthens the overall wine tourism ecosystem. Visitors leave with a deeper understanding of Hawke’s Bay’s subregions, climates, people, and production values, reinforcing the region’s positioning as a Great Wine Capital and supporting long-term brand equity for all participants.
Sustainability Leadership by Example
For wine tourism operators and regional stakeholders, the key lesson is clear: sustainability leadership does not require scale, but it does require intention, transparency, and a willingness to invest in people, partnerships, and systems. When implemented thoughtfully, sustainability becomes a driver of quality, resilience, and competitive advantage benefiting individual businesses and the wider destination alike.
As Hawke’s Bay continues to evolve as a world-class wine tourism region, examples such as this demonstrate how values-led businesses can help shape a more sustainable, inclusive, and economically robust future for the network as a whole.
Credit: Hawke’s Bay Experiences