Nearly nine in 10 destinations measured in consecutive years improved their sustainability performance in 2026, according to the latest GDS-Index, which recorded its highest average performance since benchmarking began in 2016.
The 2026 GDS-Index Top 40 spans destinations across Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific. Helsinki, Finland, recorded the highest overall 2026 score at 92.94%, followed by Gothenburg, Sweden, and Copenhagen, Denmark. Bremen, Germany, recorded the largest year-over-year improvement, rising 22.3 percentage points.
Helsinki ranked first in the Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Index, for the third year in a row.
“Securing the top position for the third consecutive year demonstrates that sustainability is not a one-off achievement but a long-term strategic commitment. This recognition reaffirms that Helsinki is moving in the right direction and inspires us to continue raising the bar,” said Nina Vesterinen, director of tourism, City of Helsinki.
The timing of the publication of this year’s index is particularly significant, as the EU’s new “Empowering Consumers Directive” (EmpCo) enters into force. This directive aims to combat unsubstantiated claims about sustainability efforts by requiring sustainability claims to be backed up by independently verifiable empirical data.
“Considering the EmpCo directive, topping this year’s GDS Index is one of the proofs that Helsinki’s sustainability efforts are not just words, but are measurable and verifiable,” Vesterinen noted. The results of the GDS Index emphasise Helsinki as a global leader in several sustainability metrics. For example, 98% of hotels with more than 50 rooms are environmentally certified, compared to the European average of just 10%.
Beyond the top-ranking destinations, the GDS-Index results show progress accelerating across the wider field. Of destinations assessed in both 2025 and 2026, 89% improved their scores, while the overall average reached a record 74.27%. The gap between the Top 10 leaders and the wider field narrowed for the third consecutive year to 14.5 percentage points, its smallest since 2016.
Destinations with the greatest room to improve gained an average of 8.2 percentage points this year, compared with 1.5 points among those already near the top. Since the programme began, average destination performance has increased 45.5%, while performance among the top 10 has risen 49%.
Now in its 11th year, GDS-Index is an annually updated performance improvement programme from GDS-Movement that helps destinations benchmark sustainability and regenerative progress, identify gaps, and turn evidence into action. It assesses performance across four interconnected areas: Environmental, Social, Supplier and Destination Management.
“This year we are celebrating both excellence and momentum,” said Guy Bigwood, CEO and chief changemaker of GDS-Movement. “The top-performing destinations continue to raise the bar, while destinations across the wider community are accelerating their progress. The narrowing gap shows how ideas, practices, and ambition are spreading.”
The results also point to a broader geographic shift. North America recorded the largest regional gains, with its five leading destinations improving by an average of 7.6 percentage points.
“The GDS-Index shows what happens when benchmarking becomes a catalyst for change,” said John Elkington, sustainability pioneer and author. “As more destinations improve, the opportunity is to turn this momentum into deeper systems transformation. By influencing the interconnected systems behind tourism and events, destinations can accelerate the shift from sustainability to regeneration, creating places that are more resilient, prosperous, and fit for the future.”
The full 2026 GDS-Index results and insights are available here
