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2021
Time to Regenerate!
Benchmark your destination to receive insights and shape your strategy for regeneration
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GDS-Academy
Developing skillsets, tool sets and mindsets for a regenerative future
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The GDS-Index
Methodology
Benchmarking destinations to create a regenerative tourism industry
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Explore the benchmarking results of the past years using our new search and compare tool
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#Natureworks
The Regenerative Revolution
A new paradigm for event management
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The GDS-Movement unites and enables destination management professionals to create flourishing and resilient places to visit, meet and live in. Our mission is to co-create sustainable and circular strategies, mindsets and skill sets that will enable destinations of the future to thrive, and society and nature to regenerate.

What do we do?

We work with pioneering municipalities, national/regional destination management organisations, and convention bureaux, to co-create their tourism and events strategies, benchmark and improve their sustainability performance, and transform their value chains in order to catalyse regeneration.

GDS-Index
GDS-Index
The GDS-Index is the leading sustainability benchmarking and improvement programme for destinations around the world. It is used to assess current social and environmental performance of a destination, and then to drive improved performance. It is a powerful tool for clients to assess the sustainability of destinations to visit or meet in.
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GDS-Consulting
GDS-Consulting
Having worked with over 60 destinations, we understand the journey needed to transform a destination’s visitor economy into a regenerative force. Our role is to support destination management organisations on this journey, helping to define a vision and strategy, build capacity, engage stakeholders, and communicate efforts.
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GDS-Forum
GDS-Forum
The GDS-Forum is a meeting of minds that brings together tourism and event management professionals to exchange knowledge, share best practices and stimulate innovation about the creation, management and marketing of more regenerative, resilient and sustainable destinations.
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GDS-Academy
GDS-Academy
The GDS-Academy provides leading-edge training for event and destination management professionals to turn sustainability concepts into action. Check out our upcoming courses to stay ahead of the curve and learn about regenerative systems thinking and operational practices.
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GDS-Insights
GDS-Insights
We analyse the latest trends and research new opportunities to produce fresh insights that guide decision making and catalyse transformation towards a sustainable and regenerative future.
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Latest Insights
Blog
Marseille’s biodiversity and sustainability endeavours won it the IUCN World Conservation Congress
Blog
Marseille’s biodiversity and sustainability endeavours won it the IUCN World Conservation Congress
I spoke to Pascale Bigo, Manager of the Aix Marseille Provence Convention Bureau, about the epic win for the city and how it has transformed their perceptions of what the city’s natural and social assets are.
Read more
28 June 2021
238 Views
Blog
The 2021 GDS-Index criteria has launched.
Blog
The 2021 GDS-Index criteria has launched.
A fresh round of criteria for the GDS-index has today gone live, all ready for revision before the OMNI platform opens for participating destinations on June 1st.
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24 May 2021
631 Views
Blog
Marseille Celebrates its Sustainability Endeavours and joins the GDS-Index
Blog
Marseille Celebrates its Sustainability Endeavours and joins the GDS-Index
The Aix Marseille Provence Convention Bureau, with its commitment to leave a legacy to the IUCN congress and in order to strengthen the collective motivation triggered by the bid, has joined the GDS-Index
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12 May 2021
321 Views
Blog
Paris is the 70th Destination to Track Progress In Sustainability with the GDS-Index
Blog
Paris is the 70th Destination to Track Progress In Sustainability with the GDS-Index
The Paris Convention Bureau (PCVB) aims to encourage further enhancements and benchmark their progress to enable further development of a strategy that will lead to a thriving visitor economy
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11 May 2021
285 Views
Blog
Earth Day and A Food Revolution Grounded in Love
Blog
Earth Day and A Food Revolution Grounded in Love
Food has the potential to catalyse a city’s sustainability strategy, and to accelerate the regeneration of economic, social and natures ecosystems. It enriches lives and creates a unique sense of place and enhances a destination competitiveness
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22 April 2021
379 Views
Blog
Seventy and counting – DMOs and CVBs committed to regenerative change
Blog
Seventy and counting – DMOs and CVBs committed to regenerative change
The GDS-Movement celebrates its seventieth destination committed to a regenerative future by benchmarking their sustainability initiatives with the GDS-Index.
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13 April 2021
540 Views
“The GDSM is a fantastic initiative that motivates and inspires our destination and stakeholders to engage in sustainable practices. It is a movement that meets destinations where they are and manages to consider the uniqueness and different prerequisites of the cities, its surroundings and its tourism operators. Besides that, it has given us a platform to monitor our progress and a place to showcase our successes and our position in the market in terms of sustainable tourism management.”
Victoria Barton - Project Manager, VisitAalborg
The GDSM is an inspiring gathering of destinations, driven by the same strong desire to become more sustainable. This powerful network of determined, highly-qualified professionals, helps us build a greener global industry. The benchmarking platform is an efficient tool to identify a destination's strength and its weaknesses, and improve its actions for the years to come.
Amélie Déchénais - Convention Bureau Manager, Bordeaux
The GDS-Index is a unique example of how collaboration, including the sharing of best practices and expertise, can improve performance of destinations for the benefit of both our clients and local communities. It has provided us with opportunities and inspiration that has helped position Copenhagen as a leader in sustainable practices.
Kit Lykketoft - Director of Convention, Copenhagen