Array
(
    [id] => 236
    [active] => 1
    [city_id] => 113
    [city_name] => Umeå
    [contact_name] => Gabriella
    [contact_surname] => Hed Vall
    [contact_email] => gabriella.hed-vall@visitumea.se
    [organisation] => Visit Umeå
    [website] => https://visitumea.se/en
    [environmental_description] => Umeå has been nominated three times and each time reached top three in the finals of "European Green Capital", the last time in 2018. These nominations have resulted in not only a well developed and on-going strategic work with incorporated sustainability, but also in several local-European cooperations and projects, ex. Viable Cities, Sharing Cities, Green Umeå, Den Koldioxidsnåla Platsen ("the low carbon dioxide place") and more. The latter one has gained a lot of national attention, specifically for their innovative way of measuring consumption and carbon dioxide footprint.
    [social_description] => Umeå is the largest city in Northern Sweden, which in 2019 was the highest ranked region in EU Social Progress Index. Last year Umeå hosted the 1st European Social Progress Cities Summit, where mayors and local government commissioners in leading cities within SPI met. The purpose of the meeting was to initiate a network of cities for shared experiences, to spread knowledge on social sustainability and to strengthen the social pillar of a future coherent EU. As co-creation and collaboration is two of Umeås' strengths, the meeting and honour of being the highest ranked region is the starting signal for driving and developing social sustainability and establishing a network amongst European cities with similar ambitions.
    [supplier_description] => By involving suppliers and external stakeholders in different sustainable networks and sustainable ways of planning and working, we use collaboration and communication as key to keep evolving and striving forward towards more sustainable meetings and events. For example, Framtidens Hållbara Mötesstad (The Future Sustainable Place to Meet) is a network composed by our local suppliers/venues with purpose to work strategically and visionary but also to put the visions into practice. Another example is our promotion of sustainable options on our webpage to both meeting and event organizers. As a DMO, we host educational sessions and offer tools for the event organizers to more easily develop their events and meetings to more sustainable ones.
    [dmo_description] => Umeå municipality has been working a long time with sustainable development and growth. The overall strategic goal is to grow with "social, ecologic, cultural and economic sustainability" with the vision of reaching 200 000 citizens by 2050. Hence, sustainability is a well-integrated part in all major strategic plans such as the sketch plan, the municipalitys' strategic plan for 2016-2028 and the equality strategy. Umeå is also a part of the UNESCO biosphere reserve Vindelälven- Juhttátahkka and is working with preservation and development for the future, ecomically, ecologically as well as socially.

Visit Umeå has, in close collaboration with the municipality, been working strategically and operationally with sustainable development of the tourism and events sector since 2015, mainly through different programs such as AC Hållbar export (Sustainable export) and Västerbotten Experience. Throughout the years we have built knowledge, networks and working processes that we now bring to the next level by adopting a new destination and sustainability strategy.
    [logo] => https://omni.gds.earth/storage/public_website/destination_logos/Fac89fgH5FoqUmKTv0nz2kKh9s1I01VUa8wmKbn5.jpeg
    [video] => 
    [img_1] => https://omni.gds.earth/storage/public_website/destination_photos/pDuIT1IcSIL5IUNSfrrbX82cZLwZNRecYcaTnNLl.jpeg
    [img_2] => 
    [img_3] => 
    [img_4] => 
    [img_5] => 
    [high_env_1] => 100
    [high_env_2] => 49
    [high_env_3] => 3354
    [high_soc_1] => 85.6
    [high_soc_2] => 91.62
    [high_soc_3] => 85
    [high_sup_1] => 83
    [high_sup_2] => 67
    [high_sup_3] => 33
    [high_dmo_1] => Sustainability vision and action plan established for events,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)
    [high_dmo_2] => 0
    [high_dmo_3] => None
    [created_at] => 2021-10-26 12:01:49
    [updated_at] => 2022-11-14 16:16:18
    [year] => 2021
)
Array
(
    [id] => 236
    [year] => 2021
    [city_id] => 113
    [city_name] => Umeå
    [score_type] => city
    [Total] => 75.12
    [Total_rank] => 12
    [Environment] => 80.16
    [Environment_rank] => 12
    [Social] => 90
    [Social_rank] => 3
    [Supplier] => 85
    [Supplier_rank] => 1
    [DMO] => 56.55
    [DMO_rank] => 23
    [longitude] => 20.2631
    [latitude] => 63.8257
    [population] => 130224
    [country] => Sweden
    [region] => Nordic
    [created_at] => 2021-10-26 12:00:39
    [updated_at] => 2021-10-26 12:00:39
)
Umeå 2021 GDS-Index Report
2021 Performance Overview
DMO
Supplier
Social
Environmental
Performance Highlights
Summary
Environmental
Supplier
Social
Umeå municipality has been working a long time with sustainable development and growth. The overall strategic goal is to grow with "social, ecologic, cultural and economic sustainability" with the vision of reaching 200 000 citizens by 2050. Hence, sustainability is a well-integrated part in all major strategic plans such as the sketch plan, the municipalitys' strategic plan for 2016-2028 and the equality strategy. Umeå is also a part of the UNESCO biosphere reserve Vindelälven- Juhttátahkka and is working with preservation and development for the future, ecomically, ecologically as well as socially. Visit Umeå has, in close collaboration with the municipality, been working strategically and operationally with sustainable development of the tourism and events sector since 2015, mainly through different programs such as AC Hållbar export (Sustainable export) and Västerbotten Experience. Throughout the years we have built knowledge, networks and working processes that we now bring to the next level by adopting a new destination and sustainability strategy.
Umeå has been nominated three times and each time reached top three in the finals of "European Green Capital", the last time in 2018. These nominations have resulted in not only a well developed and on-going strategic work with incorporated sustainability, but also in several local-European cooperations and projects, ex. Viable Cities, Sharing Cities, Green Umeå, Den Koldioxidsnåla Platsen ("the low carbon dioxide place") and more. The latter one has gained a lot of national attention, specifically for their innovative way of measuring consumption and carbon dioxide footprint.
By involving suppliers and external stakeholders in different sustainable networks and sustainable ways of planning and working, we use collaboration and communication as key to keep evolving and striving forward towards more sustainable meetings and events. For example, Framtidens Hållbara Mötesstad (The Future Sustainable Place to Meet) is a network composed by our local suppliers/venues with purpose to work strategically and visionary but also to put the visions into practice. Another example is our promotion of sustainable options on our webpage to both meeting and event organizers. As a DMO, we host educational sessions and offer tools for the event organizers to more easily develop their events and meetings to more sustainable ones.
Umeå is the largest city in Northern Sweden, which in 2019 was the highest ranked region in EU Social Progress Index. Last year Umeå hosted the 1st European Social Progress Cities Summit, where mayors and local government commissioners in leading cities within SPI met. The purpose of the meeting was to initiate a network of cities for shared experiences, to spread knowledge on social sustainability and to strengthen the social pillar of a future coherent EU. As co-creation and collaboration is two of Umeås' strengths, the meeting and honour of being the highest ranked region is the starting signal for driving and developing social sustainability and establishing a network amongst European cities with similar ambitions.
Summary
Umeå municipality has been working a long time with sustainable development and growth. The overall strategic goal is to grow with "social, ecologic, cultural and economic sustainability" with the vision of reaching 200 000 citizens by 2050. Hence, sustainability is a well-integrated part in all major strategic plans such as the sketch plan, the municipalitys' strategic plan for 2016-2028 and the equality strategy. Umeå is also a part of the UNESCO biosphere reserve Vindelälven- Juhttátahkka and is working with preservation and development for the future, ecomically, ecologically as well as socially. Visit Umeå has, in close collaboration with the municipality, been working strategically and operationally with sustainable development of the tourism and events sector since 2015, mainly through different programs such as AC Hållbar export (Sustainable export) and Västerbotten Experience. Throughout the years we have built knowledge, networks and working processes that we now bring to the next level by adopting a new destination and sustainability strategy.
Does Visit Umeå have a Sustainability Strategy?
Does Umeå have a sustainable destination certificate?
Does Visit Umeå report on its sustainability performance?
Environmental
Umeå has been nominated three times and each time reached top three in the finals of "European Green Capital", the last time in 2018. These nominations have resulted in not only a well developed and on-going strategic work with incorporated sustainability, but also in several local-European cooperations and projects, ex. Viable Cities, Sharing Cities, Green Umeå, Den Koldioxidsnåla Platsen ("the low carbon dioxide place") and more. The latter one has gained a lot of national attention, specifically for their innovative way of measuring consumption and carbon dioxide footprint.
OF ELECTRICITY FROM RENEWABLES
OF WASTE RECYCLED
3354 ha
HECTARES OF GREEN AREA PER 100 000 POPULATION
Supplier
By involving suppliers and external stakeholders in different sustainable networks and sustainable ways of planning and working, we use collaboration and communication as key to keep evolving and striving forward towards more sustainable meetings and events. For example, Framtidens Hållbara Mötesstad (The Future Sustainable Place to Meet) is a network composed by our local suppliers/venues with purpose to work strategically and visionary but also to put the visions into practice. Another example is our promotion of sustainable options on our webpage to both meeting and event organizers. As a DMO, we host educational sessions and offer tools for the event organizers to more easily develop their events and meetings to more sustainable ones.
OF HOTEL ROOMS SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFIED
OF VENUES SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFIED
OF PCOS/DMCS SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFIED
Social
Umeå is the largest city in Northern Sweden, which in 2019 was the highest ranked region in EU Social Progress Index. Last year Umeå hosted the 1st European Social Progress Cities Summit, where mayors and local government commissioners in leading cities within SPI met. The purpose of the meeting was to initiate a network of cities for shared experiences, to spread knowledge on social sustainability and to strengthen the social pillar of a future coherent EU. As co-creation and collaboration is two of Umeås' strengths, the meeting and honour of being the highest ranked region is the starting signal for driving and developing social sustainability and establishing a network amongst European cities with similar ambitions.
86
SDG IMPLEMENTATION SCORE
92
SCORE ON SOCIAL PROGRESS INDEX
85
SCORE ON CORRUPTION PERCEPTION INDEX
Compare another
Destination

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.

Environmental
Performance

Climate, Energy and Emissions​

Circularity and Waste​

Water​

Air Quality​

Transportation​

Biodiversity​

Social
Performance

SDG Alignment ​

Corruption​

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion​

Health, Safety and Wellness​

Accessibility ​

Resident Engagement​

Supplier
Performance

Hotels​

Airport​

Agencies (PCOs & DMCs)​

Restaurants​

Venues​

Academia​

Destination
Management
Performance

Destination Strategy​

Governance and Reporting​

Policy and Certification​

Capacity Building​

Measurement, Impact and Reporting​

Marketing and Communications​

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion​

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.

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