Array
(
[id] => 226
[active] => 1
[city_id] => 89
[city_name] => Mechelen
[contact_name] => Rebekka
[contact_surname] => Koch
[contact_email] => rebekka.koch@mechelen.be
[organisation] => Visit Mechelen
[website] => https://visit.mechelen.be/strategy
[environmental_description] => Mechelen is a fast-growing city, a growth that happens in a sustainable way, with numerous efforts on climate mitigation, adaptation and circular economy. Mechelen is working together with several partners to realize Nature Park Rivierenland.
[social_description] => With 138 nationalities living in the city of about 87k inhabitants, Mechelen is a super-diverse city. In 2017, mayor Bart Somers won the prestigious World Mayor Prize, honored for its courageous and positive diversity policy.
[supplier_description] =>
[dmo_description] => Mechelen has the clear ambition to become a flourishing destination: a place where tourism contributes to the destination, its inhabitants and entrepreneurs in a true sustainable way. Visit Mechelen co-created, together with touristic entrepreneurs, inhabitants, policy makers and the city, the vision ‘Mechelen, en route for a flourishing destination. Tourism in and for Mechelen, 2020-2026’.
This vision note, including a co-created action plan, links the 3 city-wide ambitions of Mechelen (reducing child poverty, implementing innovative mobility and circular business development) with the tourism vision to become a flourishing destination.
Credits: Mechelen is a proud partner of Visit Flanders in the transformative and groundbreaking traject ‘Travelling to Tomorrow’, an intensive traject that lead to this vision note.
[logo] => https://omni.gds.earth/storage/public_website/destination_logos/yEiGzXCuZF2ygzn4XHLCF9r1G7mQe22NOB9rCr6F.png
[video] => https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu3DCbv93aRkCkNU9O
[img_1] => https://omni.gds.earth/storage/public_website/destination_photos/nyCyTTjfzRGZtLGeK2MeII2Vj6NsPuW4e22ixHYk.jpg
[img_2] => https://omni.gds.earth/storage/public_website/destination_photos/6t2JqZPzyP8a07JWlI5ZVa2coOfKhStQsOFC4l3w.jpg
[img_3] => https://omni.gds.earth/storage/public_website/destination_photos/kSebHvoogV3lB1zRs8nvsg4Ov0GQhZLLXyTqYtMB.jpg
[img_4] => https://omni.gds.earth/storage/public_website/destination_photos/Mh4iaaSiFzFsQn721YYFjOK6fdvIpJMrxiUXW1JQ.jpg
[img_5] =>
[high_env_1] => 62.9
[high_env_2] => 63
[high_env_3] => 0
[high_soc_1] => 82.2
[high_soc_2] => 89.46
[high_soc_3] => 76
[high_sup_1] => 25
[high_sup_2] => 0
[high_sup_3] => 0
[high_dmo_1] => Sustainability vision and action plan established for tourism,Multi year strategy (+3 years),Aligned to the city's overall development agenda (not just tourism and events),Aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
[high_dmo_2] => 0
[high_dmo_3] => None
[created_at] => 2021-10-26 12:01:46
[updated_at] => 2022-11-14 16:16:15
[year] => 2021
)
Array
(
[id] => 226
[year] => 2021
[city_id] => 89
[city_name] => Mechelen
[score_type] => city
[Total] => 55.58
[Total_rank] => 53
[Environment] => 70.63
[Environment_rank] => 23
[Social] => 82.5
[Social_rank] => 6
[Supplier] => 50
[Supplier_rank] => 22
[DMO] => 31.03
[DMO_rank] => 45
[longitude] => 4.477536200000031
[latitude] => 51.0258761
[population] => 86911
[country] => Belgium
[region] => Western Europe
[created_at] => 2021-10-26 12:00:38
[updated_at] => 2021-10-26 12:00:38
)
Mechelen 2021 GDS-Index Report
Mechelen, Belgium
2021 Performance Overview
DMO
Supplier
Social
Environmental
Performance Highlights

Summary

Environmental

Supplier

Social
Mechelen has the clear ambition to become a flourishing destination: a place where tourism contributes to the destination, its inhabitants and entrepreneurs in a true sustainable way. Visit Mechelen co-created, together with touristic entrepreneurs, inhabitants, policy makers and the city, the vision ‘Mechelen, en route for a flourishing destination. Tourism in and for Mechelen, 2020-2026’.
This vision note, including a co-created action plan, links the 3 city-wide ambitions of Mechelen (reducing child poverty, implementing innovative mobility and circular business development) with the tourism vision to become a flourishing destination.
Credits: Mechelen is a proud partner of Visit Flanders in the transformative and groundbreaking traject ‘Travelling to Tomorrow’, an intensive traject that lead to this vision note.
Mechelen is a fast-growing city, a growth that happens in a sustainable way, with numerous efforts on climate mitigation, adaptation and circular economy. Mechelen is working together with several partners to realize Nature Park Rivierenland.
With 138 nationalities living in the city of about 87k inhabitants, Mechelen is a super-diverse city. In 2017, mayor Bart Somers won the prestigious World Mayor Prize, honored for its courageous and positive diversity policy.
Summary
Mechelen has the clear ambition to become a flourishing destination: a place where tourism contributes to the destination, its inhabitants and entrepreneurs in a true sustainable way. Visit Mechelen co-created, together with touristic entrepreneurs, inhabitants, policy makers and the city, the vision ‘Mechelen, en route for a flourishing destination. Tourism in and for Mechelen, 2020-2026’.
This vision note, including a co-created action plan, links the 3 city-wide ambitions of Mechelen (reducing child poverty, implementing innovative mobility and circular business development) with the tourism vision to become a flourishing destination.
Credits: Mechelen is a proud partner of Visit Flanders in the transformative and groundbreaking traject ‘Travelling to Tomorrow’, an intensive traject that lead to this vision note.
Does Visit Mechelen have a Sustainability Strategy?
Does Mechelen have a sustainable destination certificate?
Does Visit Mechelen report on its sustainability performance?
Environmental
Mechelen is a fast-growing city, a growth that happens in a sustainable way, with numerous efforts on climate mitigation, adaptation and circular economy. Mechelen is working together with several partners to realize Nature Park Rivierenland.
OF ELECTRICITY FROM RENEWABLES
HECTARES OF GREEN AREA PER 100 000 POPULATION
OF SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFIED HOTELS
OF SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFIED VENUES
OF SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFIED PCOS/DMCS
Social
With 138 nationalities living in the city of about 87k inhabitants, Mechelen is a super-diverse city. In 2017, mayor Bart Somers won the prestigious World Mayor Prize, honored for its courageous and positive diversity policy.
82
SDG IMPLEMENTATION SCORE
89
SCORE ON SOCIAL PROGRESS INDEX
76
SCORE ON CORRUPTION PERCEPTION INDEX
About the Global Destination Sustainability Movement
The Global Destination Sustainability Movement (GDSM) brings together the sustainability pioneers of the business and leisure tourism world, working with destinations to co-create their tourism and events strategies, benchmark and improve their sustainability performance and transform value chains in order to catalyse regeneration.
Our purpose is to engage, inspire and enable the business events and tourism industry to become more sustainable and regenerative.
Our Methodology
In 2022 the GDS-Index used 70 indicators that evaluate destinations sustainability performance across four key areas. If you are interested, you can read our benchmarking methodology in detail here.
City Environmental
Performance
Climate, Energy and Emissions
Resources
Air Quality
Water
Transportation
Green Areas
Water
City Social
Performance
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Social Progress
Corruption
Personal Safety
Access to Information
Health and Wellness
Inclusiveness
Supplier
Performance
Hotels
Airport
Agencies (PCOs & DMCs)
Restaurants
Venues
Academia
Destination
Management
Performance
Destination Strategy
Policy and Certification
Governance
Capacity Building
Measurement and Reports
Marketing and Comms
Client Support
Accessibility
Generating Impact
Ownership
The GDSM is not owned by any one organisation. It is operated as a multi-stakeholder partnership founded and endorsed by IMEX, MCI, the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) and City Destinations Alliance (CityDNA). Gubi Consulting and Guy Bigwood are responsible for the management of the Secretariat.