Ljubljana Enters the World's Top 40 Sustainable Destinations

The GDS-Index evaluates and benchmarks the sustainability strategies, action plans and initiatives of destination management organisations, convention bureaux, municipalities, regional tourism organisations and national tourism organisations. It assesses their sustainability performance against 76 qualitative and quantitative indicators across four key areas: environmental sustainability, social sustainability, destination management and the performance of tourism suppliers.

In this year's assessment, Ljubljana achieved an overall score of 70.76%, improving its result by 6.6 percentage points compared to last year and securing 39th place globally. The world's top 40 destinations are recognised as leaders in sustainability and regenerative practices, demonstrating outstanding efforts to create positive impacts for their cities, residents and visitors alike.

More than 80 destinations took part in this year's benchmarking programme. Helsinki ranked first, followed by Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Aalborg and Glasgow. Among medium-sized cities, Ljubljana placed 7th. Its score significantly exceeded the average for Central and Southern Europe (65%) and was even just under one percentage point higher than the Northern European average (70%), a region traditionally regarded as a global leader in sustainable destination management.

The GDS-Index is not a certification or quality label, but a continuous improvement programme designed to assess and accelerate destinations' progress towards regenerative tourism. By participating, destinations demonstrate their commitment to environmental, social and economic well-being, strengthening their international reputation while attracting responsible visitors and event organisers. Ljubljana has been participating in the programme since 2018, when it achieved a score of 45.14% in its first assessment.