Ahipara Travel: Empowering staff to support their communities

For Ahipara Travel, supporting local communities starts with their own people.

With staff working remotely across Aotearoa New Zealand, founders Karen and Jean-Michel Jefferson wanted to create meaningful opportunities for their team to stay connected to the communities around them. Their solution was simple, give every staff member $1,000 each year to support a local cause that matters to them.

Rather than deciding where community funding should go, the business empowers staff to choose where they believe they can make a difference.

 Creating opportunities to give back

 Each year, staff nominate a charity, school, community group or organisation that matters to them personally, with Ahipara Travel providing the funding to bring that support to life.

The programme is not limited to environmental projects or causes directly connected to tourism. Its purpose is broader, helping staff step outside their home office, contribute to something meaningful, and feel proud of the role their workplace plays in supporting communities across Aotearoa New Zealand.

To date, the initiative has supported practical, locally led projects across the country, from kindergartens and volunteer fire brigades to youth development organisations, neighbourhood watch groups and community-led regional promotion.

For staff member Clare Almeida, that support meant helping BestStart Tōtara Street purchase a new pram so even its youngest tamariki could join regular excursions around Taupō. As the centre shared, the pram “gives our very young children a place in the adventure. They travel alongside the older children to see the mighty Waikato River, and together they search the water for signs of Horomatangi, the taniwha that guards us in Taupō,” helping to build “a deep respect for Papatūānuku” and connection to the whenua.

Another contribution, nominated by Felicity Watson, supported Promoting Buller, a volunteer-led organisation working to strengthen pride in Buller Kawatiri and share the region’s stories. The organisation said the donation allowed it to “achieve a lot more for our community than the face value of the donation”.

The impact for communities and staff

The benefits are also felt within the business, strengthening staff pride, connection and engagement.

For Felicity, the impact was personal. “Being able to contribute gives me a sense of connection and pride,” she says. “What I may think is a small contribution can have a much greater impact.”

The approach works because it is easy to understand and act on. Staff choose a cause, Karen and Jean-Michel approve the donation, and the funding goes directly to local organisations that can put it to practical use.

With a team of 14, Ahipara Travel now allocates $14,000 each year to community organisations around the country. The wider value is clear in the feedback from staff and recipients: stronger local connections, visible community support, and contributions that often go further than expected.

For Karen, part of the value of TIA’s Tourism Sustainability Commitment is that it recognises sustainability as being about more than environmental action alone.

Ahpiara Travel’s approach shows that community engagement doesn’t need to be complicated. By keeping the process simple, trusting staff to support causes they genuinely care about, and providing a level of funding that works for the business, tourism operators can create meaningful local impact while also strengthening employee pride, connection and engagement.

Ready to build stronger community connections?

Ahipara Travel’s story shows how a simple, staff-led initiative can create real value beyond the workplace. If you want to explore how your business can strengthen employee pride and build deeper community connections, Akiaki: Advancing Tourism’s Employer of Choice and Community Engagement course is a practical place to start.

All 12 Akiaki courses are free for TIA members. Visit akiaki.nz to register and explore how small, practical actions can help your peo