Green Destinations Newsletter | January 2025

Join us at ITB Berlin 2025! ????

For the 11th consecutive year, we are delighted to celebrate the most inspiring initiatives in sustainable tourism development from the 2024 Top 100 Stories Competition at the?Green Destinations Stories Awards, taking place at ITB Berlin 2025?— the world’s largest tourism trade fair. The event will take place?on 4 March 2025 from 18:00 to 19:30 CET at the Blue Stage (Hall 7.1),?followed up by?GD Networking Drinks.

The nominated stories are grouped into six categories, alongside two special awards: the ITB Earth Award and the People’s Choice Award. For full details on the nominees, special awards, jury members, and sponsors, please visit our?website.

The event will also feature the announcement of newly awarded and certified destinations at the Green Destinations Awards and Certification Ceremony. Additionally, we’ll reveal the host destination for the GD2025 Global Conference, along with other exciting updates!

Our heartfelt thanks go to ITB Berlin?for their ongoing inspiration, trust, and unwavering support in advancing sustainable tourism.

Want to attend the ceremony live at ITB Berlin 2025??Get your tickets today?and join us for this incredible celebration!

Good Travel Alliance Official launch at ITB Berlin 2025 ????

Green Destinations is officially launching a new partnership putting the spotlight on tourism activities and travel experiences as the binding element between tourism boards, destinations, suppliers, tour operators and travellers. The Good Travel Alliance will be a community of national and regional tourism boards, destinations, experts and industry partners working closely together, aimed at improving the destination experience. This will be done by enhancing the social and economic benefits of activities and travel products, and by limiting and optimising environmental and climate impact, and by recognising and promoting good travel experiences.?

Our current capacity to measure benefits and impacts is too limited, and the need for data benchmarking is rapidly increasing due to emerging international consumer protection legislation. The future EU Green Claims Directive is only one example. Therefore, a new indicator system for monitoring and benchmarking will be announced to serve the Good Travel Alliance.?This system will enable us to measure and compare benefits and impacts at all important levels: national, regional, destination, supplier, and travel offerings.

Green Destinations invites interested parties to the launch,?which will take place on the Blue Stage in Hall 7.1 on 4 March from 18:00 to 19:30 CET as part of the Green Destinations Story Awards at ITB Berlin 2025.

?? Get in touch at [email protected]

Meet us at ITB Berlin 2025! ????

Join us at the ITB Hall 4.1, Booth 212 from 4 to 6 March 2025?to meet the Green Destinations team! This dedicated space is your chance to connect, exchange ideas, and explore our initiatives to advance sustainable tourism. We look forward to seeing you there!?Get your tickets here.

Join us as a Sponsor! ??

Exciting opportunity! Sponsor the Green Destinations Story Awards at ITB Berlin 2025.

Elevate your brand and be associated with promoting more sustainable tourism. Enjoy benefits like increased brand exposure, networking opportunities, thought leadership, targeted marketing, and much more. Tailored sponsorship packages are available. Contact us to explore this impactful partnership.

?? Get in touch with us today at [email protected]

Inspire and gain exposure with your Good Practice Story! ?

The?2025 Green Destinations Top 100 Stories?competition has officially launched!

The Top 100 Stories is an annual competition organised to showcase sustainable tourism stories and good practices around the globe.?

This is your opportunity to gain exposure, build your capacity in sustainable tourism, and inspire other destinations, private stakeholders, and travellers with your good practices.

We invite you to join our upcoming Top 100?introduction session?on?11 February,?9 AM?and?4 PM?CET. Register on our website today!

Tourism Sustainability Certification Alliance launched by tourism certification organisations ??

The world’s leading travel & tourism Certification Organisations have announced the launch of the?Tourism Sustainability Certifications Alliance (TSCA), a registered association dedicated to fostering a global tourism industry that thrives on sustainability.

Green Destinations Foundation remains a member of the GSTC?and is fully committed to continue working with GSTC as a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body for its destination certification, with a GSTC-Recognised Standard.

Green Destinations Solutions, as the entity?responsible for the Good Travel Seal, GD’s certification program for companies, has joined the TSCA?for reasons that are clarified in the?press release of 27 January 2025.

The TSC Alliance is an association founded by the following certification organisations: Biosphere: Instituto de Turismo Responsable; Ecotourism Australia; Foundation for Environmental Education (Blue Flag and Green Key); Good Travel Seal; Green Globe Certification, Green Key Global; TourCert; Travelife for Accommodation; and Travelife for Tour Operators.

Join us at Cities in Action Forum 2025 in Expo City Dubai ????

We are excited to share that Iyad Kayali , Green Destinations Solutions Regional Director for Southern Europe, Middle East, and North Africa?at Green Destinations, will be speaking at the?Cities in Action Forum 2025, taking place on 6-7 February 2025 at Expo City Dubai.

Iyad will be addressing a thought-provoking panel discussion on “Strategies for Urban Wellbeing: Shaping Cities for All,” where he will share key insights on creating inclusive, resilient, and people-centric urban spaces?that prioritise sustainability, accessibility, and overall well-being.

As a valued member of the Green Destinations network, you can attend the?Cities in Action Forum 2025 with an exclusive 50% discount. Reach out to us today to learn more and take advantage of this special offer - [email protected]