Sustainability: GDS Index ranks Berlin fifth in its metropolises category

For the first time, Berlin is listed in the leading sustainability benchmark for the tourism and congress sector of global destinations
Germany’s capital makes a strong showing in the Global Destination Sustainability Index – ranked fifth among the international metropolises

Berlin, 26 October 2021 On its first appearance in the Global Destination Sustainability Index, Berlin has taken fifth place in the metropolis category. Now Germany’s capital is confirmed as a sustainable travel destination and congress metropolis in the leading international index for the tourism and MICE sector. The GDS Index, which promotes and encourages sustainable development in destination management, announces its annual results at the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Congress.

Burkhard Kieker, CEO visitBerlin: “Sustainability is a core theme for Berlin – and with fifth place in this global sustainability benchmark after such metropolises as Glasgow, Melbourne, Sydney and Vienna, we are clearly moving in the right direction. We are constantly working to foster the innovative and climate-friendly development of this sector in Berlin.”

For one year, visitBerlin with the Berlin Convention Office has been a member of the Global Destination Sustainability Movement (GDSM) with the aim of making Berlin fit for the future and positioning the city as an innovative and sustainable destination for conferences, meetings and congresses. The drivers playing a part in Berlin here include the recent sustainability strategy drafted by visitBerlin, the Tourism Plan with its focus on sustainability, and the promotion of quality tourism. Visitors interested in green offers can find a wealth of information on visitBerlin.de from, for instance, hotels with high standards of sustainability to tips for excursions, eating out and shopping, sustainable locations and bike tours.

Berlin is now included for the first time in the newly published GDS Index of the Global Destination Sustainability Movement. This global initiative works together with diverse destination management organisations to create new and sustainable strategies to develop tourism and congress destinations. The GDS Index is built from a range of indicators evaluating such aspects as a city’s environmental and social performance, the performance of tourism sector suppliers, and destination management performance.

Sustainable Meetings Berlin free for Berlin’s MICE partners

This year, the Berlin Convention Office together with Berlin’s Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises is offering all the city’s MICE service providers the chance to become part of the Sustainable Meetings Berlin community free of charge. Partners can benefit from a number of support modules, such as workshops or consulting, to prepare for the Sustainable Meetings Berlin audit.

For more on the Sustainable Meetings Berlin initiative convention.visitberlin.de/sustainable-meetings-berlin. More on Berlin as a sustainable destination on about.visitBerlin.de/nachhaltiges-berlin.