On 9 November, both Sweden and Denmark were recognised as sustainable destinations at the 61st ICCA Congress in Krakow, where they feature on the Global Destination Sustainability Index 2022 (GDSI). Sweden’s city of Gothenburg was recognised as the most sustainable destination for the sixth year in a row, and six Danish meeting cities made it to the Index’s top 30. Seventy cities in total participated in the index. Gothenburg spotlights sustainability 
To maintain the destination’s position in the GDSI’s top place, Gothenburg has ensured that both the city itself and its hospitality industry work in conjunction with the focuses of The Index. On the achievement, Peter Grönberg, CEO of Göteborg & Co, said: “Maintaining the top position for the sixth year is an achievement that shows that the city and the hospitality industry take sustainability work seriously and challenges other cities to do the same” Katarina Thorstensson, sustainability strategist at Gothenburg & Co, added: The competition is tougher than ever, which is also more important than ever. We want to be a pioneer and maintain the position, as it spurs us on and makes the destination attractive.” “Being able to offer a sustainable supply and tourism that gives more than it takes is beneficial for our industry, the citizens of Gothenburg, and those who visit us.” Denmark’s sustainable transition 
According to the destination, since 2015 Danish meeting locations have worked closely together with the national development association for business events, MeetDenmark, to strengthen Denmark’s MICE position. MeetDenmark’s six partner cities included in The Index’s top 30 are Copenhagen, Aalborg, Aarhus, Middelfart, Odense and Svendborg. To accelerate the sustainable transition further, MeetDenmark has compiled a new plan built on a comprehensive analysis of the Danish meetings industry. The plan contains three focus areas with 11 initiatives:
- Certifications
- Net Zero Carbon
- Outreach & Legacy
- Regenerative business models
- International Benchmarking
- Communications & Marketing
- Amongst others
GDSI as a development and benchmarking tool
Based on 70 different criteria – and aligned with the 2030 agenda and UN One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme – GDSI is an extensive sustainability index for destinations. It can be used as a development and benchmarking tool when working with selected sustainability initiatives. The comparative ranking was developed by the Global Destination Sustainability Movement and focuses on measuring ecological, social, and economic impact. On using the GDSI, Pia Lange Christensen, MeetDenmark chair, said: “MeetDenmark’s plan focuses on the continued work to minimize the industry’s climate footprint and environmental impact. GDSI has a very similar scope, which is why it’s a useful benchmarking tool for meeting destinations in general and MeetDenmark’s sustainable transition.”
