In 1966, the Hutchins purchased Fiordland Travel, a tourism company based in Te Anau.
The tourism company (now branded as RealNZ), is one of the main operators in the South Island tourism market and operates cruises in Milford and Doubtful Sounds, the vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw on Lake Wakatipu, the Te Anau-au glowworm caves, Stewart Island ferry services, the Cardrona Alpine Resort, and the International Antarctic Centre in Christchurch.
[5] In the 1988 Queen's Birthday Honours, Hutchins was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), for services to tourism.
[2] In the 2002 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (DCNZM), for services to conservation and tourism.
[11][5] When titular honours were reintroduced in 2009, his wife chose to take the courtesy title offered to spouses of knights and has since been known as Olive, Lady Hutchins.