GDS-Index

The GDS-Index is not a certification or a label. It is a trusted performance improvement programme to assess and accelerate the progress of a destinations regenerative journey. It measures, benchmarks, and enhances the sustainability strategies, action plans, and initiatives of more than 100 destination management organisations, municipal authorities, and their tourism supply chains.

The GDS-Movement envisions thriving destinations activated by regenerative tourism and events

The GDS-Index has been built for destinations by destinations, it is designed for organisations who want to drive impact. It supports DMOs step-by-step whether you’re a small city in the United States just starting your regenerative tourism journey or a metropolis in Asia with an advanced sustainable tourism strategy.

By setting a foundation for your destination’s sustainability practice, the GDS-Index supports you to engage your partners, craft data-rich impact stories, get certified, or increase the long-term positive impact and resilience of your events and tourism community. Find out below how it works. 

Benchmarking

Assessments

Consulting

Communication

Benchmarking

We conduct a third-party evaluation of destination's environmental, social, supplier and destination management performance. This benchmark serves to rank global destinations based on their sustainability contributions, allows us to collect best practices, and stimulates cooperation and collaboration.
Following the benchmark, a destination receives a detailed analysis of its sustainability performance across the main categories. This is supported by specific recommendations to improve its sustainability strategy, policies, and initiatives, and contains best practices from other destinations for inspiration.
In addition to receiving recommendations for improving their sustainability performance, destinations may opt to receive more support on their journey towards regenerative business and leisure tourism. We have worked with national tourism boards, regions, megacities, and small cities and are fully equipped to support destination success.
The process of measuring, assessing, and consulting is incomplete without effective communication to showcase these efforts and achievements. We play an active role in promoting vetted best practices and success stories of member destinations. By elevating innovations for regeneration, we engage and inspire the tourism and events industry to act..

Key Benefits of the GDS-Index

The key benefits of joining the leading sustainable destination benchmarking and performance improvement programme include:

1 Benchmark to drive better decision making.

2 Gain expert advice to improve strategy.

3 Catalyse collaboration and innovation within a destination.

4 Offer clients a trusted third-party endorsement.

5 Promote the destination sustainability story.

6 Save money and time – we know what is necessary to become a regenerative destination.

7 For more information and packages about the GDS-Index journey please have a look here

Join the GDS-Movement

The GDS-Index offers more than just assessment—it’s a thriving community of sustainable destinations dedicated to shaping a better world through tourism and events. By joining, you gain access to valuable resources, networking with sustainability leaders, and the opportunity for recognition through our annual GDS-Awards.

Participation in the GDS-Index signifies a commitment to environmental, social, and economic well-being, boosting your destination’s reputation and attracting conscientious travellers and event organisers. Collaboration and knowledge-sharing foster continuous improvement, showcasing sustainable leadership and driving positive change in the global tourism and events industry.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to make a positive impact and create a sustainable future for all through the visitor economy. Contact us today to learn more about joining the GDS-Movement and participating in the next assessment cycle of GDS-Index. Together, we can make a difference! 

We are aligned with the SDGs 

Our work is aligned with the 2030 Agenda, and we incorporate the 17 United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the management and strategies of destinations, globally. 

We are an official partner of the UN One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme and part of its working group for “Circularity in Tourism”.

Our Methodology

The GDS-Index uses 77 indicators that evaluate destinations´ sustainability performance across four key areas: Destination Managment, Supplier, Social, and Enviornmental.

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Environmental Performance

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Social Performance

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Supplier Performance

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Destination Management Performance

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Environmental Performance

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Social Performance

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Supplier Performance

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Destination Management Performance

Climate, Energy, and Emissions

Circularity and Waste

Water

Air Quality

Transportation

Biodiversity

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SDG Alignment

Corruption

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Health, Safety and Wellness

Accessibility

Resident Engagement

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Hotels

Airport

Agencies (PCOs & DMCs)

Restaurants

Venues

Academia

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Destination Strategy

Governance and Reporting

Policy and Certification

Capacity Building

Measurement, Impact, and Reporting

Marketing and Communications

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

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