2022 has been a special year for Green Destinations and the tourism industry - we have witnessed unified acts of resilience and strategic cooperation by the industry stakeholders for a responsible future of tourism. We are transitioning into a more action-driven sector, attesting to our shared vision of sustainable tourism development in the post-pandemic era. No wonder Green Destinations has celebrated a 10% growth in the collection of 108 Green Destinations Awarded and Certified destinations in 2022.
Our array of Green Destinations tools and training programs have empowered destinations to assess, monitor, benchmark, forecast, and create roadmaps and action plans for destination stewardship par excellence. Not just destinations, we have also observed a great deal of tourism businesses acknowledging their sustainability efforts through our Good Travel Program. However, the pinnacle of this year has to be the Green Destinations 2022 Conference in Athens.
Our in-person flagship event welcomed an impressive 250 delegates from 43 countries, and hosted over 20 panels, workshops, and round-table discussions with more than 60 speakers. This auspice enabled us to achieve the prime aim of the conference - to support destination managers and business leaders in delivering better and more sustainable tourism by presenting success stories and peer-to-peer exchange of good practice experiences. As part of this edition, our conference hosted the first Future of Tourism Coalition Summit, uniting us with commitment and action on climate change.
Now that we transition into 2023, our core focus stands resolved; we continue to strive for the benefit of the Green Destinations community - the destinations, businesses, DMOs, representatives, partners, sponsors, and stakeholders. We can't wait to welcome you in person at ITB Berlin 2023 for the Green Destinations Story Awards 2023 to acknowledge and celebrate the good practice stories from around the world.
Happy Festive Season!
Albert Salman
President, Green Destinations Foundation
