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Congratulations to the winning stories! |
The Green Destinations Story Awards 2025 at ITB Berlin 2025 was a resounding success ✨ |
The Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards at ITB Berlin 2025 successfully celebrated the most inspiring and innovative initiatives in sustainable tourism globally. The ceremony was hosted at the impressive “Blue Hall” of ITB Berlin in the presence of more than 200 spectators. We congratulate all the winning destinations and express our gratitude for inspiring the global tourism industry to pursue more sustainable development.
Sincere appreciation to Ryan Fuller, Head of ITB Corporate Social Responsibility, and team ITB Berlin, for their invaluable support and dedication, which significantly contributed to the seamless execution of the event.
We are also delighted to acknowledge Visit Park City Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau's role as a Special Contributor to the Green Destinations Story Awards 2025 Event. As a dedicated advocate for sustainable tourism, Park City’s commitment to responsible travel, environmental stewardship, and community-driven initiatives aligns perfectly with the mission of Green Destinations. Their contribution strengthens the collective effort to showcase and promote best practices in sustainable tourism worldwide. |
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Green Destinations Launches the Good Travel Alliance at ITB Berlin 2025! |
Green Destinations officially launched the Good Travel Alliance at ITB Berlin 2025 in March, bringing together a powerful network of strategic founding destinations and expert partners, including our new IT partner, BeCause, and the introduction of the new destination indicator framework.
The Good Travel Alliance (GTA) is a global collective of destinations, DMOs, tour operators, and experience providers committed to creating travel experiences that maximise social benefits while minimising environmental and cultural impacts. With the support of Green Destinations experts, we help destinations identify low carbon, low impact activities, learn how to measure these impacts, and promote these activities. The aim is to ensure transparency and compliance with emerging consumer protection laws, including the Green Claims Directive.
Join us as we shape the future of responsible travel and sustainable tourism! |
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Green Destinations Certification Ceremonyat ITB Berlin 2025 |
Congratulations to the awarded destinations! ✨ |
We are excited to share that 15 destinations, which recently achieved or renewed their award, were presented certificates at the Green Destinations Certification Ceremony, ITB Berlin 2025. |
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Platinum Award 🇳🇱 Schouwen-Duiveland (The Netherlands) 🇫🇮 Helsinki (Finland) 🇳🇱 Nijmegen (The Netherlands) 🇸🇪 Royal Djurgården (Sweden)
Gold Award 🇸🇪 Blekinge Region (Sweden) 🇮🇹 Passeiertal (Italy) đź‡đź‡· Krka National Park (Croatia) 🇹🇠Nan Living Old City (Thailand) |
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Silver Award 🇮🇳 Mamallapuram (India) đź‡đź‡· Mljet National Park (Croatia) 🇹🇷 Urla (Izmir) (TĂĽrkiye) 🇹🇷 Selçuk (Izmir) (TĂĽrkiye) đź‡đź‡· Vukovar-Srijem County (Croatia)
Bronze Award 🇦🇱 Saranda (Albania) 🇱🇰 Sigiriya (Sri Lanka) |
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Learn more about the Green Destinations Certification Programs for Destinations: |
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Congratulations to our Green Destinations Awarded Destinations |
The Green Destinations Awards and Certification Program enables destinations to have their sustainability performance independently assessed and apply for Awards or Certification when sufficient levels of sustainability are achieved.
Kudos to these destinations on the achievement of their awards: |
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Mljet National Park Croatia đź‡đź‡·
Known for its lush forests, tranquil bays, saltwater lakes, and fascinating historical landmarks, the destination offers a serene retreat for both nature lovers and history enthusiasts. With a strong commitment to sustainability, the park is focused on fostering a development model that balances human presence with environmental preservation. By protecting its unspoiled landscapes and promoting responsible tourism, Mljet ensures that its natural beauty and cultural heritage can be enjoyed for generations to come. |
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ZOIT Maricunga - Ojos del Salado Chile 🇨🇱
Home to the Colla Indigenous communities and rich in biodiversity, geology, and cultural heritage, the destination is grounded in sustainability from the outset. Aspiring to become a regional benchmark for mountain and adventure tourism, it recognises the challenges of unregulated growth and has proactively introduced measures to ensure responsible development. These efforts support a model of tourism that respects the environment while benefiting local communities and preserving cultural identity. |
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Villa Cerro Castillo Chile 🇨🇱
This small town, located along the Carretera Austral, takes its name from a striking rocky massif that forms part of the area’s breathtaking scenery. Renowned as a benchmark for adventure and nature tourism, the destination reflects a strong commitment to responsible and sustainable development. The close connection between its natural attractions and the local community, as well as the collaboration between public and private sectors, showcases a shared dedication to preserving both environment and culture. |
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Congratulations to the following destinations on the successful renewal of their awards: |
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Bagnoles de l’Orne France 🇫🇷
Recognising today’s societal, environmental, and economic challenges—and committed to contributing to meaningful change—the management organisation of Bagnoles de l’Orne has adopted a Sustainable Tourism Strategy. We are proud to share that in October 2024, the destination received the Platinum Award, reflecting its strong collaborative approach with tourism stakeholders and its success in diversifying tourism offerings while reducing seasonal fluctuations. |
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Arouca - UNESCO Global Geopark Portugal 🇵🇹
The destination is committed to becoming a smart, inclusive, and sustainable geotourism destination. It offers enriching geological experiences that promote learning while celebrating cultural heritage, local cuisine, and community well-being. We are glad to announce that Arouca has renewed its Gold Award, proving its strong and ongoing commitment to sustainability in tourism development. |
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Sintra Portugal 🇵🇹
Over the years, Sintra has demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainability through impactful initiatives, earning the renewal of its Green Destinations Gold Award status. Nestled between mountains and sea, this UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site is renowned for its unique blend of natural and cultural heritage. Sintra enchants visitors with its mysterious charm and some of the world’s most stunning landscapes. |
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Pafos Region Cyprus 🇨🇾
Pafos Region’s clear vision and strong commitment to sustainability have led to the renewal of its QualityCoast Silver Award. The destination offers memorable visitor experiences while supporting local communities, coastal towns, and marginalised villages. By balancing tourism development with social and environmental responsibility, Pafos continues to minimise negative impacts and promote inclusive, sustainable growth across the region. |
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To discover more awarded and certified destinations, visit: |
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Final Call! Register for the 2025 Top 100 Stories Competition |
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Registrations for the 2025 Green Destinations Top 100 Stories Competition closes on 31 March 2025. This globally recognised initiative celebrates inspiring sustainability efforts from destinations that are truly committed to responsible tourism. Participating destinations benefit from international recognition at the Green Destinations Global Conference 2025 in France, a platform to showcase their impact to a global audience, and opportunities to connect and collaborate with industry leaders. Don’t miss this chance to highlight your destination’s sustainability journey.  |
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Introducing 7 Green Destinations Support Solutions |
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Green Destinations is excited to introduce the renewed GD Support Program and the 7 tailored Solutions designed to help destinations measure, assess, and improve their sustainability performance. Our program provides practical training, expert guidance, and toolkits to support destinations in shaping effective and responsible tourism policies.
Explore the GD Support Program & Solutions: With the guidance of our global network of tourism and sustainability experts, we help destinations strengthen their sustainability strategies and drive meaningful impact. Let’s shape the future of responsible tourism together! |
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Benchmarking Sustainability Good Travel Alliance and BeCause Join Forces |
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The Good Travel Alliance and BeCause have partnered to bring a data-driven approach to sustainable tourism. This collaboration addresses a long-standing challenge in the industry: the absence of consistent, accessible tools for tracking and reporting sustainability performance. |
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By combining GTA’s global network of committed destinations and tourism businesses with BeCause’s innovative sustainability data platform, the partnership introduces a robust benchmarking system to monitor key indicators. These include parameters like carbon emissions, water and energy use, waste management, and certification status.Â
With real-time insights and a clear KPI framework, this initiative will enable destinations and businesses to make more informed decisions, enhance transparency, and accelerate their sustainability journey.
If your destination or business wants to be at the forefront of data-driven sustainability, contact us today. |
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Strategic Partnership: ATTA & Green Destinations |
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The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and Green Destinations have established a strategic partnership to advance sustainability across the adventure travel industry. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to supporting travel businesses in adopting practical, measurable sustainability practices. |
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As part of the partnership, ATTA members gain exclusive access to Green Destinations’ internationally recognised Good Travel Seal certification, along with an 8% discount on annual fees. This initiative is designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) enhance their sustainability performance while increasing their credibility and competitiveness in the global market.
The partnership also includes joint initiatives such as webinars, articles, and shared resources—ensuring members are equipped with the knowledge and tools to take meaningful action.Â
For more information about this partnership and how to participate, please visit the respective websites of Green Destinations and ATTA. |
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If you have interesting news about your destination's sustainability efforts share them with us! |
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Green Destinations International © 2025 | All rights reserved
Green Destinations International's operational team consists of two divisions: Green Destinations Foundation and Green Destinations BV, an LLC also operating as Green Destinations Solutions. Â No longer want to receive update emails from us? |
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