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 2024 GDS-Index comprises 77 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.
Our current tourism model is under pressure. We are facing over-tourism, climate change, health and economic crises. Boosted by the coronavirus crisis, there has been an increase in digitalisation. As an agency, we want to work together with all our employees and partners to be part of the solution and to develop tourism for the future. This relates to both the short term, where we will support our partners to come out of the corona crisis even stronger, and the long term. We are therefore investing heavily in tourism, steering the strictly economic narrative from merely ‘more’ to ‘added value’, and from return on investment to social return on investment. This is clearly reflected in our ambitious vision for the future: We want to strengthen the role of tourism as a positive force, ensuring Flanders can flourish as an innovative, inspiring and qualitative travel destination for the benefit of the place, the locals, the entrepreneurs and visitors.
Does Visit Flanders have a Sustainability Strategy?
Does Flanders have a sustainable destination certificate?
Does Visit Flanders report on its sustainability performance?
OF ELECTRICITY
FROM RENEWABLES
OF WASTE
RECYCLED
HECTARES OF GREEN
AREA PER 100 000
POPULATION
OF HOTEL ROOMS
SUSTAINABILITY
CERTIFIED
OF VENUES
SUSTAINABILITY
CERTIFIED
OF PCOS/DMCS
SUSTAINABILITY
CERTIFIED
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.
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