Paper short abstract:

Maori businesses demonstrate that businesses can succeed in not only creating financial wealth but also wealth across the spiritual, cultural, social and environmental realms. Sustainable wealth creation involves Maori cultural tourism business increasing well-being for all their stakeholders including shareholders, clients, employees, suppliers, communities and the environment.

Paper long abstract:

The fundamental research question this multi-case doctoral thesis addressed was "How are Maori cultural tourism businesses creating sustainable wealth?" The purpose of the research was to assist Maori tourism businesses to more effectively respond to the need for sustainable development in the tourism sector from within their own contexts.

In addition to the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainable business, which are often referred to as the triple bottom line, this research identified two further key dimensions for sustainable tourism businesses: the cultural and spiritual dimensions.

By bringing these dimensions together in cultural tourism, Maori businesses demonstrate that businesses can succeed in not only creating financial wealth but also wealth across the spiritual, cultural, social and environmental realms. These realms can be summarised in the word "ora" which is the Maori term for wellbeing. Sustainable wealth creation involves Maori cultural tourism business increasing ora for all their stakeholders including shareholders, clients, employees, suppliers, communities and the environment.

The Five Well-beings model also provides clear guidelines for non-indigenous tourism businesses that incorporate indigenous cultural tourism aspects in their activities and shows how they can adopt approaches that are sensitive to the needs of indigenous communities and ecologies.