Workshops

Background & Rationale

As destinations and stakeholders increasingly seek tailored support in their sustainability journeys, there is a growing need for a network of qualified experts who can provide specialized guidance and technical assistance. Green Destinations’ Qualified Experts Program has been designed to recognize and strengthen the role of professionals who support destinations in implementing sustainability frameworks, improving management practices, and achieving certification goals.

This workshop introduces the program and provides an interactive training session where participants will co-develop tailored support offers aligned with the needs of destinations and clients. By combining expert insights, collaborative exercises, and peer-to-peer learning, the session will foster a stronger community of practice and create practical tools that can be used immediately.

Background & Rationale

Sustainable tourism initiatives often require significant financial support to move from concept to implementation. While numerous funding opportunities exist at the international, regional, and national levels, many destinations and stakeholders struggle to navigate the funding jungle and prepare strong, competitive proposals.

This workshop aims to bridge that gap by providing participants with an overview of current funding mechanisms available for sustainable tourism projects, insights from funding agencies themselves, and hands-on training on how to develop effective proposals that meet funders’ expectations.

Background & Rationale

As the tourism sector accelerates its shift toward sustainability, measuring and managing impact has become both a responsibility and a strategic advantage. From carbon emissions to community engagement, data is now a core part of how tourism businesses and destinations earn trust, access funding and stand out in the marketplace.

Green Destinations and BeCause have partnered through the Good Travel Alliance to make sustainability measurement more accessible and actionable. This initiative supports destinations, tour operators and tourism suppliers with tools to collect, report and use sustainability data for decision-making, compliance and marketing.

This workshop introduces the GTA KPI Framework, powered by BeCause, and demonstrates how digital platforms can simplify ESG tracking, boost efficiency and drive positive impact. It also invites participants to explore how indicators and tech can turn sustainability into a story that travellers trust and stakeholders support.

Background & Rationale

Certification by Green Destinations based on the GSTC Criteria or the Green Destinations Standard is considered the most prestigious recognition for sustainable destination management, relevant to destination councils, managers and planners. The Green Destinations Awards are globally recognised milestones towards GD certification, but the format of the awards will change from a two to a one-year validity due to the EU Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (2024). 

As sustainable tourism continues to evolve, global standards play an increasingly critical role in guiding destinations toward responsible and resilient practices. However, applying these standards effectively often requires local adaptation to ensure they align with national priorities, cultural contexts, and governance structures. 

This workshop explores how white-label frameworks—customized sustainability programs built upon internationally recognized standards—can empower countries, regions, and destinations to create their own branded systems while maintaining global credibility. Drawing from practical experiences and real-world examples, the session will provide actionable insights into turning global benchmarks into local success stories.

Background & Rationale

According to surveys, 96% of travelers want their travel spending to make a positive impact in the places they visit, and 71% want to leave the destination better after their visit. In this context, creating experiences for travelers is very important, since 58% of Gen-Z and millennial travelers say they are prioritizing experiences over things. Green Destinations has initiated the Good Travel Alliance to work together with destinations, tour operators and activity providers in helping them to recognise and promote Good Travel Experiences.

The Green Destinations Solutions Team developed the methodology to identify, evaluate and improve:

• the quality of the experience destinations and activity providers offer to their visitors and clients, usually through attractions, events, activities, tours, trails, and other travel products
• the positive socio-economic impact on local communities: generating income, creating jobs, and empowering local people
• the impact on the environment, with attention to climate, water, waste and pollution.

With this methodology it has become easy and very affordable to have providers of Good Travel Experiences recognised, for which great interest is expected in the market as a premium product.

Background & Rationale

Responsible destinations deserve to be in the spotlight — not only for what they offer, but for how they bring sustainability to life. Travellers today seek both inspiration and trustworthy information, and the Good Travel Alliance supports destinations in combining these elements through a unique recognition roadmap. One of the Alliance’s founders, Outdooractive, the world’s leading community platform for outdoor experiences with over 60 million monthly users, plays a key role in this approach. Through Outdooractive, destinations can promote their offers based on relatable experiences, making responsibility something that travellers can experience first-hand. Alliance members benefit from increased visibility, authentic storytelling, and well-deserved recognition across the Outdooractive network, giving committed destinations, regions, countries, and DMCs the stage they deserve.

In this upcoming workshop, two experts from Outdooractive and its regional network will present inspiring case studies from the region, demonstrating how nature-based offers such as trails can become powerful, community-driven engines for sustainable tourism development. In an interactive format, participants will explore the power of storytelling in making sustainable practices tangible and relatable. The session will also provide practical guidance on how destinations can easily onboard themselves onto the Outdooractive platform to create maximum reach — so, don’t forget to bring your laptop!