The GDS-Index is a performance improvement programme to make the business and leisure tourism industry more sustainable. In a collaborative effort it supports destination management organisations and convention bureaux to adopt, promote and recognise responsible and regenerative practices.
We evaluate four key areas that we believe are vital to the sustainability performance of a destination: city’s environmental strategy and infrastructure; city’s social sustainability performance; industry supplier support; and the destination management organisation’s strategy and initiatives.
In 2019, Gothenburg came top of the list of cities in the GDS-Index for the fourth year running. With a score of 89.64 out of a possible 100 points, and with a 7% improvement from last year, Gothenburg received the 2019 GDS-Index Leadership Award.
The results demonstrate that DMOs are in action on sustainability with a 12% increase in terms of overall performance compared to 2018. New destinations who advanced into the top 10 included Aalborg and Dublin, with significant jumps in performance for Glasgow, Sydney and Zurich.
Guy Bigwood, Managing Director of the GDS-Index stated that: “This year’s results provide positive signs of a global shift in how Destination Management Organisations integrate sustainability into their strategy, value proposal, stewardship and reporting activities. The results also highlight the need for DMOs to get much better at developing an inspiring vision of change, engaging their stakeholders and managing resources to implement and measure social impact for their communities and visitors.”
1. Gothenburg |
90% |
2. Copenhagen |
88% |
3. Zurich |
85% |
4. Glasgow |
78% |
5. Aalborg |
76% |
6. Reykjavik |
76% |
1. Copenhagen |
87% |
2. Zurich |
87% |
3. Oslo |
85% |
4. Reykjavik |
85% |
5. Bergen |
85% |
6. Uppsala |
84% |
1. Copenhagen |
94% |
2. Uppsala |
94% |
3. Malmö |
94% |
4. Espoo |
94% |
5. Stockholm |
94% |
6. Copenhagen |
91% |
1. Gothenburg |
100% |
2. Copenhagen |
95% |
3. Uppsala |
85% |
4. Zurich |
80% |
5. Stockholm |
80% |
6. Glasgow |
78% |
1. Gothenburg |
94% |
2. Copenhagen |
83% |
3. Zurich |
82% |
4. Glasgow |
78% |
5. Sydney |
77% |
6. Melbourne |
75% |
Please use the filters below, to rank destinations using different metrics. This will also allow you to see which scores destinations received in different categories (if you filter by category).
To view more detailed reports on each individual destination, you can click on the destination of your choice.
Disclaimer: The official ranking is slightly different to the ranking below, as Brussels and Aarhus are both on rank 13. Unfortunately, it is not possible for two destinations to share the same rank, while keeping filters and sort-by functions working. To keep this functionality in place, without changing the rankings published in 2019 we have decided to publish a Top 20 page without filters and sorting functions. Please refer to the Top 20 page for the official ranking, and use the below to rank destinations by region/category.
