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.
The Turisme de Barcelona Consortium was founded in 1993 to promote the city as a tourist destination. Since then we have been working to offer a range of products and services aimed at individual tourists and the professional tourism sector. Our ability to make a positive contribution to society and the environment is always uppermost in our minds when carrying out our work. This is why we implement a series of measures that allow us to realise our commitment from the global perspective of sustainability, within the framework of corporate social responsibility. This fact sheet brings together our main ventures which are designed to improve the quality of tourism in the cultural, socio-economic and environmental fields. The sustainability program offers visitors products and services that will allow them to enjoy the city in a sustainable way: environmentally aware accommodation, hotels with recognised eco-certifications, travel agencies specialising in accessible tourism, spaces and services dedicated to sustainable events, city tours, restaurants and sustainable means of transport.
Does Turisme de Barcelona have a Sustainability Strategy?
Does Barcelona have a sustainable destination certificate?
Does Turisme de Barcelona report on its sustainability performance?
Barcelona wants its residents and visitors to enjoy the many attractions that the city offers in a balanced way that respects the environment. Therefore it promotes a model of tourism based on respect for the city's economic, social, environmental and cultural resources. As a result, and because it is always innovating, Barcelona has established itself as a tourist destination committed to sustainability, with responsibly managed tourism and a cross-cutting strategy which seeks to ensure it is a model that will endure well into the future. Barcelona promotes green means of transport for both residents and visitors alike, including cycling, electric vehicles and public transport with low CO2 emissions. For promoting tourism that shares environmental responsibility between visitors and residents, Barcelona has been accredited with Biosphere certification as a responsible tourist destination. Barcelona is a pioneering city in terms of its architectural adaptation of public spaces for everyone, as well as in proposing improvements for the elderly and people with reduced mobility. A city open to everyone, with a wide range of possibilities for tourism related to social responsibility projects".
OF ELECTRICITY
FROM RENEWABLES
OF WASTE
RECYCLED
HECTARES OF GREEN
AREA PER 100 000
POPULATION
The celebration in Barcelona in May 2017 of the International Conference on sustainable tourism for development in the framework of the New Urban Agenda, is part of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development declared by the United Nations. The Conference reviewed the Biosphere criteria that apply to urban destinations, based on the adaptation and contextualization of the GSTC criteria to the new guidelines of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the global agreement against climate change of the COP 21 and the New Urban Habitat Agenda 3. The results of the conference are: • Declaration of Barcelona: "Building sustainable tourism in the framework of the new Urban Agenda." • Memorandum Biosphere-Barcelona 2017. Document that updates and reformulates the criteria according to the 17 ODS, as well as enables "the adhesion of companies and services to the commitment of the destination"
OF HOTEL ROOMS
SUSTAINABILITY
CERTIFIED
OF VENUES
SUSTAINABILITY
CERTIFIED
OF PCOS/DMCS
SUSTAINABILITY
CERTIFIED
Barcelona is an open, cosmopolitan city, where social cohesion is a reality. The Catalan capital is also ranked among the best cities in the world for quality of life, safety and equality. It is a city that is easy to live in, a healthy city with a Mediterranean climate, green spaces and locally produced food. Living in Barcelona ensures a good quality of life.
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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