The Global Destination Sustainability Index 2024 (GDS-Index) recently unveiled its list of the planet’s top 40 sustainable destinations.
Co-founded in 2016 by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), City Destinations Alliance (CityDNA), IMEX Group, and MCI, the GDS-Index serves as a resource for visitors, DMOs, municipalities, associations and event planners looking for destinations that offer the best in sustainability performance.
In 2024, the GDS-Index broadened its scope by introducing new criteria that focus on regenerative tourism, circular economy practices, and enhanced climate action criteria. These significant updates reflect the evolving needs of modern tourism, which has resulted in a shift, with lower rankings overall for destinations in this year’s index benchmarking.
The Index uses 77 indicators that evaluate destinations’ sustainability performances across four key areas, including destination management, suppliers, and social and environmental factors.
How the GDS-Index Yields Positive Change
Benchmarks performance to drive better decision making by enabling destinations to compare their sustainability performance against their peers’ and guiding more informed and effective decision making.
Drives performance with strategic insights and prioritized recommendations, providing targeted insights and actionable recommendations and helping destinations focus on areas of highest impact.
Catalyzes collaboration and innovation, encouraging partnerships and fostering innovation by connecting stakeholders around shared sustainability goals.
Builds brand through leadership and global visibility, enhancing the destination’s reputation with opportunities for recognition and increased global visibility.
Promotes the destination’s sustainability story by helping them effectively communicate their sustainability achievements and initiatives, reinforcing their brand and appeal to conscious travelers.
Saves time and money with access to best practices and co-created resources, providing a wealth of shared resources and proven practices, allowing destinations to streamline efforts, reduce costs and avoid duplication.
The Top 10 of the Top 40
The Top 40 destinations demonstrate a commitment to innovation, sustainability practices, and forward-thinking policies, with leaders from well-established and emerging regions alike. For the first time, Helsinki claimed the top spot, replacing Gothenburg, which had held the leading position for several years on and off, and dropped down to second place. Copenhagen follows closely in third place, solidifying its status as a global leader in sustainable destination management.
Find the complete list here, but following are the top 10:
- Helsinki
- Gothenburg
- Copenhagen
- Bergen
- Aarhus (Denmark)
- Bordeaux
- Singapore
- Oslo
- Belfast
- Sydney
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