Air New Zealand chief executive Rob Fyfe wants to see Government support for research and development in the tourism sector in a similar way it funds food and farming science.
He told a climate change and business conference the opportunities were enormous for New Zealand tourism to stampitself as green and sustainable.
"I believe environmental leadership is at the heart of our prosperity as a nation."
In March the Government set up the Fast Forward fund with $700 million to boost innovation in the pastoral and food sector.
Fyfe said tourism, which contributes around 10 per cent of GDP, could do with the same treatment.
While airlines were obvious polluters - Air New Zealand uses 50,000 litres of fuel every 20 minutes - they had embraced the green drive.
Air New Zealand had a number of schemes under way to help cut fuel use.
Tourists would be prepared to pay more if they perceived New Zealanders were "genuinely making a difference to the planet".
