If you are struggling for ideas when planning your business’s next team-building strategy, forget trust falls, ten-pin bowling, and role-playing.
Instead, why not consider a trip to one of New Zealand’s 13 spectacular national parks?
All of these places are brilliant destinations for a corporate escape because they provide a spectacular backdrop away from the office to improve your organisational culture, resolve conflict and enhance your team member’s respect for each other.
At the same time, a getaway to such landscapes can provide your employees with a sense of relaxation and adventure that can refresh their minds and inspire creativity – all to the benefit of your operation.
Here are five reasons why a road trip to any of New Zealand’s national parks can be very beneficial.
New Zealand’s National Parks
In case you were wondering, New Zealand’s 13 national parks are as follows:
North Island
- Egmont
- Tongariro
- Whanganui
South Island
- Abel Tasman
- Aoraki / Mount Cook
- Arthur’s Pass
- Fiordland
- Kahurangi
- Mount Aspiring
- Nelson Lakes
- Paparoa
- Rakiura National Park
- Westland Tai Poutini
If you plan to visit them for a company getaway, you might require special vehicles, such as 4WDs, depending on the time of year you go and the accessibility of their terrain.
Therefore, it’s worth checking out all your options for corporate car rental in New Zealand when organising your away day.
Reasons to Visit a NZ National Park on a Corporate Escape
Taking your employees on a corporate escape to any of these New Zealand national parks can stimulate your organisation and employees in the following ways.
1. Digital Detox
According to a reference from Johns Hopkins Medicine, the average adult spends 1700 hours per year in front of a computer screen. So, it is no wonder that some can feel stressed and burned out.
By taking your employees away from the office and into some of the country’s purest landscapes – with no or limited access to their devices – you give them a chance to unplug and clear their minds.
Just imagine how relaxing standing in the quiet of Westland Tai Poutini, with nothing but lush forests, mirrored lakes, and cascading waterfalls around you would feel.
This type of digital detox can help your staff to unwind completely, far from the distractions of everyday corporate life.
2. Reignite Their Creativity and Problem-Solving Skills
Several studies have proved that spending time in nature can improve a person’s levels of creativity. That is because it provides them with a different perspective on things they otherwise wouldn’t get in an office.
Watching the sunrise over the spectacular snow-capped peaks of Aoraki/Mount Cook or the geothermal activity in Tongariro National Park can spark creative ideas in ways corporate environments often can’t.
These types of activities and landscapes can also enhance problem-solving skills, encourage innovative thinking and help to formulate fresh insights on how to deal with work challenges and other issues.
3. Boost Your Employees Physical Health
According to the chief executive of ExerciseNZ, New Zealand has one of the worst rates of inactivity in the world, with upwards of 40% of the population not exercising regularly.
This lack of activity can impact on the performance of your employees at work and also result in increased absenteeism, lower job satisfaction, and general disengagement.
During a visit to a national park, encouraging your staff to do activities like hiking, bike riding, kayaking, or even skiing during the winter months can provide them with a fun way to relax on a corporate escape.
It may also kickstart them into doing more of these in their free time, which will eventually benefit your organisation through their improved cardiovascular health and strengthened muscles.
4. Improves Their Mental Well-being
Almost half of New Zealanders will experience a mental health issue in their lifetime. Therefore, as an employer, it is certainly within your interests – and you may even have a moral obligation – to ensure your staff members are in a good place.
New Zealand’s national parks are among the most pristine and awe-inspiring landscapes in the world, and thankfully, they are right on your doorstep.
Subsequently, exposing your employees to the calming effect of forest trails, mountains, lakes, and open skies can help them counter some of the high stress and anxiety they are experiencing in their personal or corporate lives.
Reconnecting with nature has been found to significantly improve a person’s mental well-being by lowering their levels of anxiety and depression. The more they can do this, the better they will feel, and the fewer days they will need to take off work.
5. It Doesn’t Have to Blow Your Budget
You might think that paying to take your employee to a national park is an expensive endeavour. But the truth is, it can be as cheap or pricey as you want it to be.
It doesn’t matter which one you pick, a corporate escape to a New Zealand national park can be created around any budget.So, regardless of whether you want to take your employees to Whanganui on a day trip or whisk them away to Fiordland National Park for a few nights, you will be able to curate your corporate getaway around whatever funding you can allocate towards it.