Design a thriving future for people and place
Regenerate your Event and Destination
In collaboration with over 100 forward-thinking municipalities, destination management organisations, and convention bureaux, we are redefining the future of destinations tourism and events for more smart, sustainable cities. Our approach shifts the scope and scale of sustainability performance by transforming the value chains and mindsets of sustainable travel destinations.
Together, we practise more regenerative destination management. A regenerative destination uses a balanced, living-systems approach to developing and managing a flourishing and equitable visitor economy. It aims to use tourism and events to transform environmental, social, and economic problems. It aims to restore and rejuvenate communities, their people, and place, rather than degrade or merely sustain conditions. It is community-centric, inspired by nature, inclusive, and circular by design.
Services
Guided by nature-inspired principles that nurture and protect, we provide a wide range of services for organisations focused on sustainable travel and regenerative tourism including consulting, benchmarking, education, training, and impact measurement.
How can we help you on your regenerative journey? Click below to find out more.
GDS-Academy
Positive Change through Immersive Learning
Are you ready to lead the way towards a kinder, healthier, more inclusive future for the visitor economy? We are here to empower you with the mindset, skill set, and toolsets to achieve this through more sustainable tourism at the pace and scale required for a rapidly-changing world.
We use collaboration, experiential learning, and a deep understanding of living systems thinking. We share comprehensive frameworks and real-world examples to foster a dynamic learning environment. Here, professionals like you can create, innovate, and grow through our event management courses and storytelling courses while developing the capabilities to drive transformative change. Unleash your potential and join the GDS-Academy!
Partners in Regeneration
Here is what clients we’ve worked with closely have to say.
Kit Lykketoft
Director of Convention, Wonderful Copenhagen
Peter De Wilde
CEO, VisitFlanders
"The GDS-Index helps us in many different ways. It allows us to hold a mirror up to ourselves and look objectively at the strengths and weaknesses of our activities in the area of sustainability. In addition, through the benchmarking option, we can learn a lot from other destinations and destination organisations. The GDS-Index is, therefore, both an evaluation and inspiration tool for us. It stimulates us to continue working on sustainability and the flourishing of our destination and organisation."
Fanny Beaulieu Cormier
Sustainable Development Consultant, Tourism Montreal
"GDS-Forum was really relevant, and I highly recommend it to anyone who works to create a more sustainable tourism industry. I love the formula with the many workshops, the dance, the meditation, the networking...everything was really inspiring and pushed us to think differently and dig deeper on a various range of topics. Keep thinking outside the box. I'm looking forward for the next edition!"
Remi Deve
Chief Editor, Boardroom Magazine
"Valencia, Spain, played host to the GDS-Forum from October 2nd to 4th, 2023, the very first of its kind. As participants ventured into the uncharted waters of regenerative tourism, events, and destination management, the ‘unconference’ provided the perfect platform to brainstorm, network and come up with concrete ideas on how to do things not only differently, but definitely better."
Anna Look
Founder, LOOK AHEAD consulting
"I was fortunate to take the GDS-Movement Regenerative Events course in April 2023; the learnings and teaching style inspired my desire for more regenerative knowledge. I didn’t hesitate to sign up for the Regenerative Destination Management course because it had everything I was looking for: regularly scheduled classes, a fantastic line-up of faculty, many of whom I’ve admired from afar but never thought I’d meet let alone get small group tuition from, brilliant up to date global resources and case studies every week and the amazing atmosphere of learning alongside fellow international tourism industry peers. I highly recommend this course to take your education to the next level."
Inspiration Hub
An exciting collection of case studies and best practises for you to replicate, adapt, and scale.
A groovy events’ audiovisual sustainability update for leaders from CEO Guy Bigwood, with 7 questions you should ask suppliers
Events have the power to shape a more sustainable world. From reducing waste to circular systems, discover four recent, real-life...
What if we remix the role and scope of funding for the global events industry so that it’s a more sustainable, available, adapta...
Wrocław and Szczecin have joined the 2025 GDS-Index, strengthening their commitment to sustainability and bringing the total numb...
The European Commission wants to increase competitiveness by simplifying the main EU’s Green Deal directives. While this means m...
This year’s GDS-Index enhances its evaluation with third-party data, improved certification standards, and streamlined criteria,...
"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."