Berlin, March 4, 2026
The Green Destinations & Good Travel Event 2026 convened global destination leaders, tourism professionals and sustainability experts at ITB Berlin, reinforcing the sector’s shared commitment to responsible tourism and long-term destination resilience.
Hosted by the Green Destinations – Good Travel Community, the annual gathering provided a platform to celebrate global best practices, sustainability frameworks and solutions, and announce a year of exciting developments and upcoming gatherings to advance sustainability in tourism.
Green Destinations is delighted to have Gitschberg-Jochtal as our featured sponsor for this year’s event and to spotlight their ongoing journey toward climate-conscious, community-driven tourism. They continue to demonstrate how alpine regions can lead with responsibility, innovation, and authenticity. Their sponsorship strengthens the collective effort to showcase and promote best practices in sustainable tourism worldwide.
Additionally, sincere appreciation to Ryan Fuller, Head of ITB Corporate Social Responsibility, and the team at ITB Berlin for their invaluable support and dedication, which significantly contributed to the event’s seamless execution.
🏆 Celebrating the Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards 2026
Last night, the global sustainable tourism community gathered to celebrate Good Practice Stories from the 2025 Top 100 Stories list at the 11th edition of its annual flagship award ceremony, the Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards at ITB Berlin 2026.
The selection for the awards was conducted by the Green Destinations Story Awards International Jury of Experts. The important selection criteria included the level of storytelling, the effectiveness of the best practices in solving real problems in tourism sustainability, and the extent to which they can be applied elsewhere.
Meet the Winners
Being recognised as a Best Global Good Practice Story is a powerful acknowledgement of a destination’s leadership, commitment, innovation, and investment in advancing sustainable tourism. Destinations can honour this achievement by sharing proven approaches that others can learn from and replicate, inspiring the global tourism community and accelerating the industry’s transition toward a more sustainable future.
🥇 The list of category winners securing ‘First Place’ at the ceremony is underlined below:
Destination Management
🇳🇱 The MONA Project at Van Gogh National Park, The Netherlands, with their story
“From Visitor Pressure to Balance: How the Wandelstarter Approach Reinvents Destination Management.”
Nature & Scenery
🇹🇭 Koh Lanta, Thailand, with their story
“A Hero’s Tale from Lanta Island’s Regenerative Coast: The Hermit Crab”
Environment and Climate
🇹🇭 Chiang Khan, Thailand, with their story
“When the Mekong Changed: A Fishing Village’s Journey Towards Sustainable Tourism”
Culture and Tradition
🇮🇳 Beypore, Kerala State, India, with their story
“Restoring the Age-Old Legacy and Tradition of Handcrafted Wooden Boats: The Story of ‘Beypore Uru’”
Thriving Communities
🇭🇺 Miskolc, Hungary, with their story
“Forest to Fork: Miskolc’s Bold Step Beyond Industrial Heritage”
Business and Marketing
🇨🇦 Halifax, Canada, with their story
”Meet with Purpose: Discover Halifax’s Sustainable Business Events Movement”
Special Awards
🏆ITB Earth Award
The ITB Earth Award 2026 was won by Fernando de Noronha, Brazil, for the story: “Tourism Among Dolphins: The Transformative Impact of the Spinner Dolphin Project.” This remarkable initiative demonstrates how marine conservation, scientific research, and responsible tourism management can work hand in hand. By protecting spinner dolphins while engaging the local community, Fernando de Noronha shows how tourism can directly contribute to biodiversity conservation rather than compromise it. This special category award, selected by ITB Berlin, recognises exceptional stories promoting more sustainable tourism through destination stewardship, inspiring practices, and stakeholder management.
🏆People’s Choice Award
Another special category award, the People’s Choice Award, allowed the general public to support their favourite Good Practice Story. The 2026 People’s Choice Award campaign received its highest-ever vote count, with over 20,000 votes cast worldwide. Selçuk, İzmir, Türkiye, with their story, “Ephesus Field Life Village: Where Rural Life Sprouts”, received the maximum votes to win this year’s People’s Choice Award.
🎊 Green Destinations Awards and Certification Ceremony
During the ceremony, newly Awarded and Certified Destinations were officially recognised for their achievements in sustainable destination management under the Green Destinations Awards and Certification Programme. These recognitions are based on independent assessment and reflect compliance with internationally recognised sustainability standards.
Congratulations to all destinations on these outstanding achievements!
- Bronze Destinations
- Belsh, Albania
- Belterra, Brazil
- Beypore, India
- Geoparque Seridó, Brazil
- Othe-Armance, France
- Pachmarhi, India
- Gold Destinations
- Çeşme, Izmir, Türkiye
- Selçuk, Izmir, Türkiye
- Urla, Izmir, Türkiye
- Wendland.Elbe, Germany
- Silver Destinations
- Amarante, Portugal
- East Coast National Scenic Area, Taiwan
- Marugame City, Japan
- Menderes, Izmir, Türkiye
- Varaždinska County, Croatia
- Zagreb County, Croatia
- Platinum Destinations
- Caen la Mer, France
- Kimitoön – Kemiönsaari, FinlandPachmarhi, India
- Thailand Good Travel Award
- Takua Pa Old Town, Thailand
- Doi Phu Kha National Park, Thailand
- South Tyrol Sustainability Label
- Eppan, Italy
- Gitschberg-Jochtal, Italy
- Kaltern am See, Italy
- Schenna, Italy
- Odles Dolomites, Italy
🇹🇷 Good Travel Experience Guides, starting with Istanbul
The event showcased the Good Travel Experience destination guide approach, under the auspices of the Good Travel Alliance, starting with the first guide for Istanbul. These guides curate verified tourism activities that are responsibly managed and locally beneficial, helping travellers explore destinations through practical, positive impact experiences.
📖 Launch of the Good Travel Stories Competition
The event also marked the launch of the Good Travel Stories Competition, a brand-new initiative under the Good Travel Alliance, designed to transform verified tourism experiences into engaging stories that inspire travellers. The competition invites DMOs, tourism businesses and organisations to submit responsible travel experiences that demonstrate credible positive impact.
🤝 Announcement of the Good Travel Alliance Summit 2026
The Good Travel Alliance Summit 2026 was announced as an invitation-only global B2B gathering in Istanbul, taking place from 26 to 28 November 2026. It will convene destinations and industry partners to align on standards, partnerships, and market mechanisms that can scale credible positive impact travel.
📣 Green Destinations Host Country Unveiled for GD2026
The evening also featured the official unveiling of the host destination for the Green Destinations 2026 Global Conference. JOIN US IN 🇸🇮 KRANJ, SLOVENIA, 27- 29 October
This year, the Green Destinations Conference comes alive in the charming city of Kranj, the third-largest city of Slovenia and a proud recipient of the Slovenia Green Platinum Level: The nation’s highest recognition for sustainable tourism. Set against a backdrop of alpine landscapes and centuries-old heritage, the event will once again gather inspiring experts, bold decision-makers and forward-thinking innovators from across the globe, all united by one goal: shaping a more responsible and resilient future for tourism.
The Green Destinations & Good Travel Event once again underscored the role of ITB Berlin as a key moment in the international tourism calendar. By bringing together destinations, policymakers and industry leaders, the event reaffirmed a collective vision: ensuring tourism contributes positively to communities, biodiversity and cultural heritage worldwide.
About the Green Destinations – Good Travel Community
The Green Destinations – Good Travel Community is a global ecosystem of over 1,000 destinations, tourism businesses and expert organisations committed to advancing sustainable tourism and responsible destination management worldwide.
