Grieving British dad Chris Jordan has welcomed Tourism Minister John Key's decision to launch a thorough review of New Zealand's adventure tourism industry.
Mr Jordan wrote a "heartfelt" letter to Mr Key calling for changes after his daughter Emily died riverboarding in Queenstown last year.
Mad Dog River Boarding was last month fined $66,000 and ordered to pay $80,000 in reparation to the Jordan family after admitting two Health and Safety in Employment Act charges in relation to Emily's death.
Mr Jordan said young tourists expected high safety standards in New Zealand, but some companies were "out of control".
In his letter, he pleaded with Mr Key to clamp down on lax operators after a recent spate of adventure tourism deaths.
He said he was pleased Mr Key had responded with yesterday's announcement of a wide-ranging review of the industry, to be led by Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson.
The first step would be to find out whether appropriate safety standards had been set and whether they were being met, Mr Key said.
Those not complying could be shut down, he added.
"It's early days, so we'll have to wait and see what comes from this, but nevertheless it's a very good start," Mr Jordan told The Press.
Mad Dog River Boarding would "not have got off the ground" in Britain, he said.
"Some of these companies are out of control. They are setting up and operating without any control on them."
Mr Key said it was his "general view" that the industry was safe, but it was important tourists were "afforded the protection and care we would expect to take place".
He said he was not satisfied that had always been the case.
