The Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Movement has released this year’s ranking of the most sustainable destinations in the world and, for the 7th time, Sweden’s Gothenburg took first place.
The GDS Index scores destinations based on 69 indicators of sustainability performance across four key areas: environmental performance, social performance, supplier performance and destination management performance. The criteria are aligned with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (STGs), as well as the Global Sustainable Tourism Destination Criteria (GSTC-D). Based on the indicators, each destination received a score out of 100.
1. Growing movement
42 new destinations joined GDS-Movement this year, bringing the total of participants to an even 100 from 11 diverse countries worldwide. 37% of the Index is comprised of large cities who consistently score the highest across all four categories. 29% are small cities, 21% are medium, 12 are metropolis and there is 1 megacity.
The evolution and results of the GDS-Index unequivocally demonstrate that destination management organisations and national tourism organisations can and do drive accelerated economic, social, and environmental transformation within their tourism and event ecosystems.
Guy Bigwood, CEO, GDS-Movement
The 42 newcomers are predominantly from small and medium-sized cities, collectively accounting for 22.4 million inhabitants. In contrast, the returning destinations encompass a population of 74.4 million. “This big jump of new destinations was propelled by the great work of Visit Britain and Destination Canada which respectively saw 17 new Canadian and 12 new destinations from England join”, GDS-Movement says.
Included in the newcomers are also three returning cities, who took a break from the GDS-Index in 2022: Antwerp, Nyborg, Marseille
2. Most sustainable destinations
Gothenburg continued to improve and take the leadership spot for the 7th time. Oslo made a big jump from 10th to 2nd place as an impact of its improved strategy and implementation work. Copenhagen steadily stayed at number 3 and Helsinki came in 4th up from 12th last year.
Out of the top 40, 17 cities were from Western Europe, one from North America (Montreal), and 7 from Asia Pacific. New entrant Songkhla, Thailand, climbed directly to the 23rd position, highlighting the work Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has been doing over the years.
3. GDS awards
Along with ranking the participating destinations, GDS-Movement also gives out 4 awards each year, for leadership, most improved destination, innovation and impact.
The Leadership Award goes to the destination scoring the highest on the year’s GDS-Index, demonstrating its continual commitment, inspired vision, prompt action and measurable impacts. Thus, the city of Gothenburg, Sweden, won the Leadership Award for the 7th time, for the greatest contributions to social, environmental and economic well-being in a destination.
The Most Improved Destination Award goes to the destination that has made the greatest increase in its GDS-Index score from the previous year, regardless of its ranking. In 2023, the city of Liverpool, United Kingdom, won the Most Improved Destination Award for the greatest growth in sustainability contributions by a destination.
The Innovation Award recognises and showcases a destination using innovative solutions to drive sustainability performance. The city of Washington DC, United States of America, won the 2023 Innovation Award for the “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Business Fellowship”.
The new GDS-Movement and #MEET4IMPACT Impact Award acknowledges and celebrates a destination management organisation committed to legacy and impact through business events. It is a collaborative initiative developed by GDS-Movement and #MEET4IMPACT. The city of Sydney, Australia, won the award in 2023 for the “BESydney Impact Programme”.
