Budget Car Rental New Zealand has been awarded the Qualmark Gold Sustainable Tourism Business Award for its efforts in providing customers with more environmentally friendly travel options.

Qualmark is Tourism New Zealand’s official mark of quality and provides a trusted guide to quality travel experiences, helping travelers select the right car rental company by knowing that the products and services are quality assured.

The Gold Award recognizes top sustainable tourism businesses that are leading the way in making the New Zealand tourism industry a world class sustainable visitor destination.

Budget Car Rental, part of Avis Budget Group, currently has 270 hybrid vehicles in its fleet and recently introduced an additional three electric vehicles.

The company also has an Eco Committee tasked with implementing initiatives to minimize its environmental impact, and new employees are required to sign the company’s Enviro-Policy.

To receive the Gold Award, Budget also had to demonstrate its successes in a number of other key areas, including customer service, staff training, operational capability, and health, safety, and wellness practices.

Qualmark said in its report Budget Car Rental is well aligned with its sustainable tourism criteria with top quality programs in place to support the training and ongoing growth of its team in a safe and environmentally conscious environment.