Mice Insights

By Viviane Vaz

Brussels, 8 August 2025, MICE INSIGHTS. In an era defined by climate crisis, social inequality, and the relentless challenges of unsustainable tourism, destinations around the world are stepping up to reshape the visitor economy with innovation and bold leadership. The 2024 Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Index listed the globe’s most sustainably savvy destinations. And spoiler alert: Helsinki, Copenhagen, and Bergen are not just in the game—they’re changing it.

Once a humble benchmarking tool, the GDS-Index has blossomed into a global movement. Think of it as the Olympics of eco-friendly tourism, but instead of medals, cities win bragging rights for regenerative tourism, circular economies, and a side of social justice.

Who’s in the race?

Launched in 2016, the GDS-Index was originally created as a tool to assess how destinations support the MICE industry (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) to promote responsible tourism. It was co-founded by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), City Destinations Alliance (CityDNA), IMEX Group, and MCI Group.

The index has quickly become the gold standard for ranking how well cities are transforming tourism to benefit people, the planet, and corporate profits. Although 86% of the cities around the globe have committed to international efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris Agreement, only 33% have incorporated tourism and events into their climate action plans.

Ranking

Speaking of data, GDS-Index currently benchmarks around 100 cities and then lists 40 elite destinations that scored maximum points for strategies that blend social good, environmental stewardship, and economic resilience. Nearly half of participating cities are now tracking their progress for tourism—and 40% for business events and conferences.

Mice Insights has created a chart so you can still track the top 15 in 2024:

Major congress cities were also in the limelight, with 22 destinations doubling up in the ICCA’s “most popular” list and the GDS-Index rankings. The report’s parting words? Commitment to regeneration isn’t optional. The only way to ensure tourism helps rather than harms is to take decisive, collective action—and maybe dust off those climate strategies before the next tourist snaps a selfie.

Coming soon

The 2025 GDS-Index is already revving up, promising tighter standards, third-party data wizardry, and even more accountability. Destinations had from March until May this year to prove they’re not just talking the talk.

The final ranking is expected to be released in October. Stay tuned: the race to become the greenest destination is far from over. Or so we hope.

Photo: Train in Gothenburg, Sweden, by Pasi Mämmelä