EarthCheck and the GDS-Index are different but complementary. At its core, the GDS-Index is a benchmarking and performance improvement programme, whereas EarthCheck focuses on in-depth measurement and third-party verification.

Achieving certification is a demanding task, and often the most difficult aspect is to start. The GDS-Index accelerates and fast-tracks the process by getting destinations started on the journey through small, achievable steps. The first step is benchmarking key aspects of a city’s sustainability performance, its tourism supply chain, and its DMO. The GDS-Index team provides a detailed report identifying key insights, quick wins, and recommendations for short-term improvement. Typically, the following year, the destination is supported to co-create a regenerative tourism/events strategy and policy, and to start building its supply and value chain capacity. After the third year, many destinations are ready to go to the next level and start the certification journey.

Typically, this means destination professionals have to start again with benchmarking, entering the same information into new systems, remeasuring the same KPIs, etc. Through the partnership with EarthCheck, the GDS-Index shares data, processes and knowledge so that the evolution to certification is faster, easier, and more cost-effective.

From this point, EarthCheck focuses on preparing the city for compliance and auditing. This requires expanding the destination authority’s measurement approach, increased benchmarking of social and environmental impacts, and enhancing the destination sustainability strategy.