New Zealand Visitor Services
New Zealand has many visitor services to help make your trip to New Zealand as simple and smooth as possible.
Visitor Information Network (VIN)
There are over 100 official Visitor Information Network locations throughout New Zealand--just look for the green Visitor Information Network logo.
- National Visitor Information Centres: These centres provide comprehensive New Zealand information and booking services that meet or comply with TAANZ (Travel Agents' Association of NZ) criteria, seven days a week.
- Regional Visitor Information Centres: These centres provide a general information and booking service, seven days a week.
- Local Visitor Information Centres: These centres provide local information five days a week.
Seasonal variations to hours of operation may apply. VIN centres also offer:
- Information and bookings for accommodation, transport (road, rail, ferry), attractions and activities
- Itinerary planning and advice
- Gifts, souvenirs, stamps and phone cards
- Restaurant information
- Local events and entertainment
- Maps and guide books
Qualmark Accommodation Rating System
Qualmark™ is New Zealand tourism's official mark of quality. Many accommodation and tourism businesses carry the Qualmark™ Rating, which means they've been independently assessed as professional and trustworthy, so you can book and buy with confidence.
The Qualmark™ can also help you identify quality places to stay, things to do and ways to get around no matter where you are in New Zealand.
Great places to stay
Whether you're looking for a Hotel, Motel, Backpacker, Bed and Breakfast or a Holiday Park, the Qualmark™ rating identifies quality assured accommodation suitable for any type of traveller.
Every accommodation provider with a Qualmark™ rating has undergone a rigorous assessment and licensing process to become part of the Qualmark™ licensing system.
They'll all meet essential requirements of cleanliness, safety, security and comfort plus they offer a range of quality services and facilities appropriate to their star grade and accommodation category.
Accommodation Star Grade Definitions:
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Acceptable | Meets customers minimum requirements with basic, clean and comfortable accommodation |
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Good | Exceeds customers minimum requirements with some additional facilities and services |
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Very good | Provides a range of facilities and services and achieves good to very good quality standards |
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Excellent | Consistently achieves high quality levels with a wide range of facilities and services |
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Exceptional | Among the best available accommodation in their field in New Zealand |
| Applied For | Currently undergoing assessment before a star rating is awarded | |
Things to do and ways to get around
If you're after things to do and ways to get around, Qualmark™ endorsed visitor services, transport and visitor activities cover many areas from abseiling to yachting, art galleries to wilderness walks, coaches to limousines.
Visitor Activities, Services and Transport Definitions:
| Endorsed | Professional and Trustworthy |
| Applied For | Currently undergoing assessment before an endorsed rating is awarded |
Many accommodation, visitor activity, services and transport operators have their Qualmark rating displayed throughout our Web site.
Click here to visit the Qualmark Web site to find out more about Qualmark, or to check if an operator has a registered Qualmark rating.
Poste Restante
Enquiries can be made at any Post Office for the nearest shop offering this service. Letters are held for up to three months, unless the sender requests a shorter period, at no charge.
Mobile Data
The easiest way to stay in touch while travelling is to use your own mobile device. New Zealand has good 3G and 4G coverage in all densly populated areas, and fairly good coverage in most areas where tourists would travel. Mobile Data is relatively expensive in New Zealand, and this is mainly due to having less population than most other countries. Remote areas may have no coverage at all.
Internet Cafes
Another easy way to stay in touch while travelling is to use an internet cafe. These are located throughout New Zealand.
Disabled Facilities
The law requires that every new building and every major reconstruction in New Zealand provide "reasonable and adequate" access for people with disabilities. Most facilities have wheelchair access, please check when booking.
Transport for the Disabled Tour operators such as Accessible Tours and Jetsave can provide holiday packages for individuals and groups.
Most transport operators cater for people with special needs, but it is recommended to phone ahead to inform operators and check availability. Most urban transport buses are not equipped to cater for the disabled.
Parking concessions are available for people with disabilities. Temporary display cards can be issued for the length of a visitor's stay. For proof of disability visitors should bring their home mobility card or medical certificate in order to obtain a New Zealand card. Most parking areas have parks set aside for the disabled.
