Qualmark

What Qualmark does

Qualmark New Zealand Ltd is the official quality assurance organisation for New Zealand tourism, established in 1993 as a joint venture between Tourism New Zealand and the Automobile Association and brought under full Crown ownership via Tourism New Zealand in 2015. The company certifies tourism businesses — across accommodation, visitor experiences and activities, transport, and wine tourism — against its Sustainable Tourism Business (STB) Standards, which are officially recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) as of August 2023. The five-pillar evaluation framework covers Business Systems, Health and Safety, Environment, People, and Community and Culture, yielding Bronze, Silver, or Gold accreditation for all members plus a 1–5 star quality rating for accommodation providers. Thousands of New Zealand tourism operators hold Qualmark accreditation.

The underlying platform combines a proprietary STB evaluation methodology, an online Member Portal, and a hybrid delivery model: an initial in-person assessment by a Qualmark Specialist for new members, transitioning to online check-ins for existing members from April 2026 alongside mandatory Pre-Update Evaluation Forms. Qualmark monetises through tiered annual membership subscriptions ($950 to $5,150 excluding GST based on member turnover) plus, from April 2026, a $300 one-off fee for the first in-person assessment; fees were raised across the board on 1 July 2025. Distribution is a sales-led, partnership-amplified model: direct sales via Qualmark Specialists, a self-serve online portal, and referral channels through Regional Tourism Organisations, Tourism Export Council New Zealand, Air New Zealand's booking platform, Orbit's preferred-supplier programme, and a multi-year partnership with Accor covering its full NZ portfolio.

The business has steadily extended beyond accommodation into adjacent verticals (wine tourism via the 2024 NZ Wine Tourism Award; Maori tourism via the partnership with NZ Maori Tourism from 2022; carbon management via the Ekos partnership) and continues to invest in ecosystem credibility through GSTC recognition and aligned standards with Tourism Industry Aotearoa. As a wholly owned subsidiary of a Crown entity rather than a venture-backed company, Qualmark operates without external funding rounds, public listing, or acquisition history, and is led by General Manager Steven Dixon.

Name

Qualmark

Legal name

Qualmark New Zealand Ltd

Website

https://qualmark.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tourism Quality Assurance Certification

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Eco-Certification, Auditing & Standards (Green Lodging, Tour Operator Certification) (THAAANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Impact Monitoring, Verification & Reporting (MRV) Tools (Impact KPIs, Compliance Reporting) (THAAANAN), Carbon Footprint Measurement, Reporting & Management (Travel Emissions Accounting) (THAAANAB), Sustainability Training, Consulting & ESG Advisory (Operational Playbooks, Staff Training) (THAAANAL)

Keywords

• Tourism quality assurance
• Sustainable tourism certification
• Tourism accreditation services
• Hospitality star ratings
• Travel industry standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Fees: Qualmark generates revenue primarily through annual membership fees charged to tourism businesses. Fees are tiered based on business turnover and are billed annually. From April 2026, new members also pay a one-off $300 fee to cover the cost of the first in-person assessment.
2. Assessment Fees: One-time assessment fees are charged for first in-person evaluations for new members joining after April 2026. This helps cover the cost of the initial on-site assessment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Qualmark provides the official quality assurance accreditation programme for New Zealand tourism businesses, evaluating them against the Sustainable Tourism Business (STB) Standards across five pillars: Business Systems, Health and Safety, Environment, People, and Community & Culture. Member businesses earn Bronze, Silver, or Gold accreditation (with accommodation providers also receiving 1–5 star ratings) through a hybrid of in-person and online assessments conducted by Qualmark Specialists. The service is sold on an annual membership subscription basis with fees tiered by business turnover.

Product overview

Qualmark is New Zealand tourism's official quality assurance organisation, operating a certification/accreditation programme rather than a traditional software product. The core offering is the Qualmark Sustainable Tourism Business Accreditation, which evaluates and certifies tourism businesses (accommodation, experiences, transport) against five sustainability pillars. Businesses achieve Bronze, Silver, or Gold accreditation levels, with accommodation providers also receiving star ratings. Qualmark provides this service through a combination of in-person and online evaluations conducted by Qualmark Specialists, supported by a member-facing online portal. A Digital Capability Programme offered in partnership with Tourism New Zealand provides additional support to help members improve their digital presence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Qualmark Sustainable Tourism Business Accreditation Qualmark's flagship certification programme that independently evaluates tourism businesses against Sustainable Tourism Business (STB) standards across five pillars: Business Systems, Health and Safety, Environment, People, and Community & Culture. Businesses receive Bronze, Silver, or Gold accreditation levels, with accommodation providers also receiving a 1–5 star rating.
• Qualmark Member Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• Members receive 5x more referrals on newzealand.com
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• AccorcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 February 2024Qualmark announced a landmark sustainability partnership with Accor in February 2024 that will work towards accrediting all Accor hotels, resorts, and apartments across New Zealand as Gold Standard Sustainable Tourism Businesses.
• Air New ZealandcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2022Since March 2022, the Air New Zealand website exclusively promotes Qualmark accredited operators & bookable products as a commitment to New Zealand's success as a world-class sustainable destination. The Qualmark team also worked with Air New Zealand to celebrate Qualmark's 30th anniversary with an in-flight video showcasing members.
• New Zealand Maori Tourism (NZMT)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Since 2022, Qualmark has partnered with New Zealand Maori Tourism to ensure Maori owned tourism businesses are supported to provide valuable experiences for visitors. Partnership aims to increase visibility of cultural experiences and storytelling across Aotearoa New Zealand.
• Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 January 2021Qualmark joined GSTC as a destination member in 2021. In August 2023, Qualmark's Sustainable Tourism Business Criteria became the first in New Zealand to gain GSTC-Recognized Status. Qualmark Accommodation providers may also be eligible to participate in GSTC's Market Access program where prominent OTAs highlight sustainable accommodations.
• New Zealand Wine Growers (NZWA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Qualmark began working closely with New Zealand Wine Growers in 2021 to further support vineyards interested in providing valuable cellar door and tourism experiences. In August 2024, the first ever Qualmark New Zealand Wine Tourism Award was presented.
• Tourism Export Council of New Zealand (TECNZ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012In 2012, Qualmark and TECNZ partnered to develop an exclusive Tourism Export Council Inbound Tour Operator logo and criteria. All IBOs and at least 75% of TEC itineraries are required to be Qualmark accredited operators.
• Tourism New ZealandflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerQualmark is owned by Tourism New Zealand, a New Zealand Crown entity that trades as Tourism New Zealand. Qualmark works closely with Tourism New Zealand to provide marketing opportunities and further support for tourism businesses. Members benefit through collaboration including eligibility for travel trade events, PR & social media content, and 5x more referrals on newzealand.com.
• OrbitminorGTM or Marketing PartnerQualmark members whose sustainability efforts have been accredited with a Sustainable Tourism Business Award are profiled more easily within Orbit Plus+ preferred supplier programme. This collaboration empowers Orbit clients to make informed and sustainable choices when booking accommodation for business travel.
• EkoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQualmark partnered with carbon management platform Ekos to further equip Qualmark Specialists with sustainability capability. Members receive an exclusive 15% discount on Ekos fees for verifying/certifying GHG emissions inventory. Collaboration includes workshop delivery, coaching, mentoring, event hosting, and training.
• Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOs)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRTOs receive specialized monthly reports on Qualmark accredited members within their region to have a clear overview of tourism businesses under their care. Qualmark promotes regional tourism organisations through assessments and reports of operators that could benefit from working more closely with their local RTO.
• Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQualmark's Sustainable Tourism Business Criteria and TIA's Tourism Sustainability Commitment are aligned for the wider benefit of the Aotearoa New Zealand tourism industry. In 2023, Qualmark members received priority to attend TRENZ.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Rainforest Alliance: International NGO offering sustainability certification across multiple industries including tourism and hospitality. Comparable where it certifies sustainable tourism operations, though its scope is broader than Qualmark's tourism-only mandate.
• Sustainable Travel International: Non-profit offering carbon offset programs, sustainability advisory, and credible travel certifications for tourism businesses. Comparable as a sustainability credentialing and advisory service for tourism operators, though not a directly competing accreditation scheme.

Others

• Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC): International standards-setting body whose criteria Qualmark's STB Standards are recognized against. Adjacent rather than competing: GSTC sets the framework that Qualmark, EarthCheck, and others operationalize via national certification programmes.

Direct peers

• Green Key Global: International eco-certification programme for hotels, hostels, and tourism businesses, with a recognized global standard for sustainable tourism. Highly comparable to Qualmark in that it issues tiered accreditation and is widely used by OTAs and travel trade.
• EarthCheck: Sustainable tourism certification body benchmarking and certifying hotels, tour operators, and destinations against scientific standards. Direct peer given its accreditation/assessment model serving the same tourism operator segments as Qualmark.
• Travelife: Sustainability certification system specifically designed for hotels and tour operators, widely adopted in European tourism supply chains. Comparable as a paid accreditation scheme benchmarking tourism businesses on sustainability criteria.
• Green Globe: Global sustainability certification body for the travel and tourism industry, certifying hotels, resorts, and conference venues. Direct peer in operating a tiered accreditation system for tourism businesses worldwide.
• Audubon International: Runs the Green Lodging and Audubon Green Lodging certification programmes for hospitality operators. Direct peer in certifying accommodation and tourism facilities against environmental and sustainability criteria.

Broad incumbents

• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) giant offering sustainability and quality certifications across industries including hospitality. Comparable as an established certification body capable of auditing tourism operators, though it is far broader in scope than Qualmark.
• Control Union: Global certification company offering sustainability, organic, and quality certifications with a presence in tourism supply chains. Comparable as a third-party certifier that tourism operators could select instead of Qualmark for sustainability credentials.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qualmark-new-zealand/?originalSubdomain=nz

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Qualmark