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Bristol Outperforms as a Sustainable Destination

New data revealed by Visit West today shows Bristol now sitting 51st in the world for progression and performance in sustainability of those cities participating in an annual global review – up from 63rd in 2023. Measured and benchmarked by the GDS-Index  – a global and trusted organisation empowering and supporting cities and destinations worldwide in their journey to become regenerative and more sustainable – this result means Bristol is impressively ranked within the average for Northern Europe which includes Scandinavian countries that have been participating in the index for many years and are globally renowned for leading on sustainable development.  

The GDS-Index benchmarked Bristol by analysing and focusing on four key areas:

• City Environmental Performance (indicators include energy emissions, air quality, waste and biodiversity)
• City Social Performance (indicators include diversity, inclusion, safety, wellness and accessibility)
• Supplier Performance (indicators include hotels, airports, academic institutions, restaurants and venues), and
• Destination Management Performance (indicators include marketing and communications, destination strategy, policy and certification).   

Key Factors Behind Bristol’s Sustainability Success

One of the reasons for success is the supplier network in the city, and the number of businesses with independent accreditation from Green Keys and The Green Tourism Business Scheme, with some also being certified as B Corp.  This makes a big difference and demonstrates the ambition to make the destination as sustainable as possible, with a collective responsibility to make this happen. 

Kathryn Davis, Managing Director, Visit West said:

“The entry for Bristol into the GDS-Index is led by Visit West with many partners, particularly Bristol City Council supporting with comprehensive data needed to complete the application.  This takes a significant amount of time to complete, with some complex and technical data.  Working closely with local businesses, and business associations, we can share their work and achievements within the framework, and so to see Bristol rise 13 places in an index of ever improving global destinations is a huge boost for all, and something we should celebrate.  We know that being able to demonstrate the sustainability and impact of a conference or event is critical in the decision-making process for many event organisers, and so as Bristol’s capacity to host events grows with its new venues in the coming years, so this will be increasingly important to continue.” 

Guy Bigwood, CEO of GDS-Movement, commented: 

“Bristol’s performance in the GDS-Index is a positive reflection of the city’s long-term commitment to sustainability. Rising 13 places to be ranked as the highest-performing English city is a fabulous achievement, particularly as this is only Bristol’s second year of participation. The city’s strong performance in the environmental and supplier pillars of the GDS-Index highlights the ongoing efforts to implement sustainable practices across various sectors. This progress is a big step in the right direction, and we look forward to seeing Bristol continue to build on and advance on these efforts in the years ahead.” 

VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said:

“To attract the visitors of the future we need a resilient, sustainable, world-class industry and it is fantastic to see Bristol climb the ranks in the Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Index, demonstrating the tangible progress made in building knowledge and understanding of sustainability amongst local and regional tourism stakeholders, led by Visit West. The significant and impressive increase in Bristol’s GDS ranking and the work from businesses and stakeholders across the region, supported by VisitEngland’s Core Cities programme, also supports the ambitions of the Visit West Local Visitor Economy Partnership programme, to grow the visitor economy and generate better outcomes for visitors, the environment communities and businesses.”  

There are still areas to improve, but participation in the GDS-Index enables Bristol to learn best practices from other global destinations. The ambition is now for Visit West to ensure Bristol makes the top 40 destinations globally by 2026, and to include Bath as a destination in 2026. 

Participation has only been possible due to support from VisitEngland’s pilot programme with Core Cities – an alliance representing the interests of 11 of the UK’s biggest cities.