The GDS-Index is a destination-level programme that measures, benchmarks, and improves the sustainability strategy and performance of tourism and events destinations.
The GDS-Index is aligned with international standards; UN SDGs, GSTC Destination Criteria, UNWTO.
Click here to read more about the benchmarking methodology including data collection and verification, the four benchmarking categories, governance and criteria development and performance scoring methods.
This page highlights each destinations sustainability journey and will showcase their journey.
The 2023 GDS-Index comprises 69 indicators across four categories. Here is the total score and the score for the four categories for this destination.
Environmental
Social
Supplier
Destination Management Organisation
Environmental
Includes a city's performance pertaining to its policies and infrastructure, such as climate change commitment, carbon emissions, renewable energies, resource and water management, public transport, and air pollution levels.
Social
Indicates the performance of the city against indicators of SDG integration, Corruption, Personal Safety, Access to Information and Communications, Health and Wellness, and Inclusivity, using external sources such as the Social Progress Imperative Index, and Corruption Perceptions Index.
Supplier
Addresses the sustainability commitment and performance of the local meetings' industry supply chain, including airports, events agencies, hotels, venues, and restaurants.
Destination Management Organisation
Indicates the sustainability commitment, including questions pertaining to maturity of a destination's sustainability and regeneration strategy, leadership, communication of sustainability initiatives (to support client planners), and the accuracy of their reporting on sustainability operations.
Bonjour, KWE! The Quebec City tourist region has undeniable assets to position itself as a responsible and sustainable tourist destination. First of all, as a daughter of the St. Lawrence, Quebec City was born of the desire to settle on this small strategic point of land. It was the commercial entry and exit point for the French and British Empires in America during the colonisation period. It is home to one of the jewels of UNESCO's heritage, Old Quebec, the only fortified city north of Mexico, as well as a listed 17th century founding heritage complex. This includes the oldest educational institution for women and the first hospital founded in the Americas north of Mexico, which still pursues its original social mission in global and sustainable health. It is located on the traditional territory of the Huron-Wendat Nation, whose members have French as their mother tongue, making it the only French-speaking community of the Iroquoian language family in Quebec and Canada. With 342 hectares of green space for 100,000 inhabitants, it offers a unique playground for its residents and visitors. Powered by hydroelectricity, the region, like the rest of the province, has a renewable and competitive form of energy, with very limited environmental and climate impacts compared to other traditional sources of electricity generation. These assets not only define who we are, but also point the way to preserving this precious legacy for future generations. Destination Québec cité (DQc) wishes to continue this legacy through tourism development in the region that integrates the three pillars of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental. This is the tipping point for making the Quebec City region the benchmark destination for sustainable tourism in North America, by contributing : - to the quality of life of residents; - to the economic contribution of tourism businesses; - to the protection of the environment - the preservation of our heritage; - the visitor experience. As a regional tourism association and municipal department of the City of Quebec, Destination Québec cité maximizes the growth of the region's tourism industry by coordinating development, marketing and tourism reception activities. It attracts and welcomes leisure and business travellers while ensuring the quality of the destination experience.
Does Destination Québec cité have a Sustainability Strategy?
Does Quebec have a sustainable destination certificate?
Does Destination Québec cité report on its sustainability performance?
In line with the UN's sustainable development goals, our Transition and Climate Action Plan was designed to respond to three collective challenges: decarbonization, resilience and transition. Twenty priority projects have been put forward for the period 2021-2025. These include the enhancement of our rivers, the creation of friendly streets, a structuring public transport network, soil permeabilization, collective mobilization, local buy, active mobility and the sharing economy. This plan represents the pooling and the continuity of two past plans : the 2011-2020 reduction plan greenhouse gases and the 2016-2020 Climate change adaptation plan. We also created the K project to increase resilience. The city is involved in sustainability development since 2001. Here are a few environmental projects will have achieved over the years: - Quebec funded many projects to revitalize specific streets in the city, following the "Complete streets" approach. The City is also the first city in North America to use a multicriteria, cartographic analysis that was developed with a research team from Laval University’s business school and planning programme specialized in decision systems using software which requires only qualitative judgments to evaluate the relative attractiveness of options. This innovative approach was validated with Washington D.C.-based National Complete Streets Coalition and will be presented in a NCSC webinar in January, 2018. - We have put together Quebec city's river plan. It aims to integrate the watercourses as structural elements of the city's development as well as to restore rivers to their place in our living environments. With this plan, the city is now in a leader position on the international level in terms of accessibility development around rivers. (LINK: https://www.ville.quebec.qc.ca/apropos/planification-orientations/environnement/eau/rivieres/index.aspx) - Quebec City is implementing the largest project in its history: the Quebec City tramway. On a 19 km route, this modern and 100% electric tram will form the backbone of an improved public transport network throughout the city. (LINK: https://www.ville.quebec.qc.ca/apropos/planification-orientations/transport/reseau-structurant/index.aspx) - Compensation measures and carbone capturing tactics are being employed: Quebec has the goal of planting 30 000 trees and 3 000 more just for the tramway. - Investment of 100 milions dollars on the Action Plan of Climate Changing (Quebec city hall) plus a 50 million dollars investment for the province gouvernment (for the same plan)
OF ELECTRICITY
FROM RENEWABLES
OF WASTE
RECYCLED
HECTARES OF GREEN
AREA PER 100 000
POPULATION
The Quebec City Convention Centre, the main player in business tourism in the Quebec City region, is a leader in sustainable development. The Convention Centre applies high standards of environmental management on a daily basis and implements responsible operations, technology and food services. Event organizers can count on our qualified workforce, adequate equipment and a proven waste collection and management system, all included at no additional cost to the basic offer. The objective is to recover at least 80% of the residual and compostable materials produced for all activities. At the city hall department of events and exposition, a environmental plan has been made, so all the events made by the city hall are align with the good pratices of waste disposal, energy saving, eco-responsibility.
OF HOTEL ROOMS
SUSTAINABILITY
CERTIFIED
OF VENUES
SUSTAINABILITY
CERTIFIED
OF PCOS/DMCS
SUSTAINABILITY
CERTIFIED
In line with the UN's sustainable development goals, our Solidarity Action Plan is designed to respond to three collective challenges: social cohesion, global health and transition. Sixteen priority projects will be put forward for the period 2021-2025. These include the fight against poverty and social exclusion, urban agriculture, universal accessibility, food security and a program featuring diversity, equity and inclusion. The city is involved in sustainability development since 2001. This plan (Solidarity Action Plan) provides a 21 million dollars investment, with 16 major projects that cover the social cohesion of our Quebec City. Quebec is already involved in social durability. Many projects have been done over the years. Here are a few examples: - The Lebourgneuf community center (district in Quebec) was designed as a "showcase" project in terms of universal accessibility. The spaces, circulation areas, locker rooms and classrooms incorporate the principles of universal accessibility allowing people with reduced mobility, the visually impaired, the elderly and young children to be independent in the center. These facilities make this center a welcoming place for all citizens, which won the prize in the “Universal Accessibility” category of the "Grands Prix du design" in 2016 and was laureate of the "Mérites d'Architecture" of Quebec city in 2014, category "Universal accessibility". - The "Été-Bouffe" project is a food aid service offered to children attending day camps located in underprivileged areas of Quebec City. - The project currently being carried out in the Vanier district constitutes a model of a living environment that promotes social diversity. This 80-unit building, 40 of which will be adapted, will meet the needs of families, the elderly, single people and people with physical disabilities.
The GDS-Movement is a pioneering, data-driven international change agency that acts to catalyse socio-economic and environmental transformation in cities and regions across the world. Our mission is to empower tourism and events professionals with the mindsets, skill sets, and toolsets to co-create more regenerative and resilient destinations to visit, meet, and live in.
Copyright GDS-Movement 2024. All rights reserved.
