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Founded by Heidi Farren and Nigel Hobbs, TIG has evolved from a start-up offering small group tours around Queenstown and the lower South Island to an enterprise encompassing Altitude Tours, Black NZ, Fiordland Tours, and the newest venture Altitude Hot Pools.
Heidi reflects on the growth the business has experienced over seven years.
“When we co-founded Altitude Tours it was just me driving a van doing wine tours. We’ve since grown to operate several tours each day, hosting thousands of guests each year.”
The Tourism Innovation Group was born when the founders saw the opportunity for an overarching vision across its brands, to streamline operations and create a unified sustainability strategy to support future growth.
A purpose-led business on a mission to make tourism a force for good, Heidi says becoming a Love Queenstown Impact Partner was a natural fit.
“We’d started developing TIG’s sustainability strategy when we came across the Love Queenstown Impact Partner programme. We saw the opportunity to put our values into action by contributing a percentage of our annual profits to support environmental projects that need funding.”
For TIG, the partnership is a way to support the environment in a lasting, meaningful way and expands on earlier projects such as planting 365 native trees, representing each day of the year.
Ash Bickley, Love Queenstown Community Fund Coordinator, says "We are incredibly grateful for TIG and the community of businesses who support Love Queenstown - together we're accelerating grassroots environmental efforts and helping to protect this beautiful place long into the future."
Becoming a Love Queenstown Impact Partner is just one way TIG is shaping tourism differently. Sustainability is at the heart of the company’s ethos which Nigel says they lean into in their own unique way.
“Sustainability encompasses a lot of things for TIG. Of course, we're working on reducing carbon, we're recycling, and supporting biodiversity through Love Queenstown, but for us sustainability is also about making an impact to the communities we touch.”
At the centre of this is TIG’s workforce of nearly 80 employees. Almost three quarters are guides, who Nigel says are TIG’s biggest ambassadors and a vital resource in building the brand from the inside out.
“Creating a symbiotic relationship between visitors and locals is something we strive for, and our guides are central to this. The more we can educate and support our guides, the more they can share our stories with guests and add value to the communities we visit.”
By investing in its people, TIG aims to build strong connections between the business, the community, and the environment which in the long-run benefits the whole industry.
“We want to build strong, confident, future-focused leaders and we support the team to understand it’s possible to carve out a beautiful career in tourism, he says.
As the name Tourism Innovation Group suggests, Heidi and Nigel constantly ask themselves, “How can we do this in a more innovative way?”
“We’re always looking to do things differently. From the way reservations are handled and the music played during customer calls, to follow-up communications and how we interact with staff,” says Nigel.
With a mobile workforce spread across locations, TIG is developing a staff app offering one-click access to everything they need: the company’s history, staff benefits, sustainability policies, and operational information for each tour.
Looking ahead, TIG will continue to innovate with new products on the horizon and a strong focus on quality, personalised experiences that put the business at the forefront of the tourism industry.
In a sector often defined by its economic value, TIG shows how tourism can be a force for good, enriching experiences for visitors, communities, and the stunning environment it operates in.
Whether you live in the Whakatipu Basin, or you’re visiting for a short time, there are ways you can help support and give back to Queenstown's one-of-a-kind environment.
Part of a local business and want to join the mission? Checkout Love Queenstown’s partnership opportunities here.
Find upcoming community tree planting events and other volunteering opportunities at Love Queenstown’s volunteer hub.
