DYNAMIC LEARNING TO CATALYSE MIND SETS AND SKILL SETS TO LEAD A MORE REGENERATIVE TOURISM AND EVENTS INDUSTRY
By sharing our frameworks and experiences, and enabling collaboration and play we develop professionals with the right mindsets, skillsets and toolsets to catalyse a regenerative future. Benchmarking, improving, and recognising destinations' sustainability strategy, performance, and regeneration



The GDS-Academy brought to you by ICCA and City DNA provides leading-edge training for event and tourism professionals to turn concepts into action, and then into impact.

The ultimate goal of the GDS-Academy is to enable positive social, environmental and economic impact through tourism and events based on a refreshed understanding of what it takes for a sector to thrive.

By using regenerative frameworks and fostering networking and collaboration The GDS-Academy will bring much needed new learning to enable destination professionals to adapt to the conditions brought upon by massive shifts in the sector so deeply affected by the global pandemic’s restrictions.

The faculty are experts in sustainable destination management and thought leaders in regenerative management practices. Together they present a not your average, lifeless, pre-recorded, on demand course. They facilitate learning that develops professional growth using design thinking processes in a learning experience that is immersive, engaging and fun.

The GDS-Academy offers 2 approaches to knowledge transfer in destinations:

For Organisations

In-house training for destination management organisations (NTOs, DMOs, CVBs)

Groups of destinations via a NTO or association

In destination training in partnership with DMOs for suppliers (ie. hotels, venues, restaurants, activity providers, event organisers)

For Professionals

Courses for destination management professionals

Masterclasses to further your knowledge and expertise in regenerative destination management

More info below.

Our Courses
GDS-ICCA-City DNA Certificate in Regenerative Destination Management
Destinations management organizations face significant challenges on how to develop their tourism and events strategy in harmony with local stakeholders, environmental boundaries, and economic goals. This course serves to improve the expertise of DMO professionals in crafting destination sustainability strategies, in leveraging the power of tourism and events for social and environmental impact, and in telling a compelling story of destination stewardship and regeneration.

This interactive, fun and collaborative training course is for mid to senior-level professionals of Municipalities/Government, Destination Management Organizations, and Convention Bureaus.
Storytelling and Communication Strategies for Regeneration
Learn to create more engaging and purposeful communication that catalyses the environmental, economic, and social regeneration of your destination. In this dynamic and fun Masterclass, we will explore traditional communication strategies and how they can be applied to communicating sustainability and enhance its purpose:

- You will be introduced to remarkable examples of storytelling by destinations and brands that inspire and elevate sustainability and make it accessible to broader audiences.
- We will explore behaviour change methodologies and storytelling tools.
- This new knowledge will help you to lead the development and implementation of more engaging and purposeful communication that will catalyse the environmental, economic and social regeneration of your destination.

This course is designed for marketing and communications professionals and organisations. It supports departments/DMOs to build skills and capacity in storytelling with purpose and can help deliver results in a DMO's sustainability strategy.
In-House Masterclasses to Enhance Skills and Capacity
Calling all DMO professionals, supply chain, events and marketing and communications executives. Enrich your knowledge and develop your skill sets in either one (or all) of our in-house Masterclasses.
In-house (for organisations, you choose when, where, and how – virtual, hybrid or in-person):

- Explore Impact Strategy and Measurement where you learn all about impact theory and its applications.
- Regenerative Event Management goes deep into regenerative management principles.
- Storytelling for Regeneration explores the power of story and how it can impact change in the most rewarding way.

Our Masterclasses are delivered in partnership with our education partners, #MEET4IMPACT.
Want more info? Contact us