Green Destinations is excited to have celebrated the most inspiring Good Practice Stories from the 2024 Top 100 Stories list – at the 11th edition of its annual flagship award ceremony, the Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards at ITB Berlin 2025. All approaches described in these stories were considered for one of the below-mentioned categories of the Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards – hosted by ITB Berlin 2025 and Green Destinations.
(Left) Jana Apih, Executive Director of the Green Destinations Foundation | (Center) Albert Salman, Founding President of Green Destinations and CEO of GDBV | (Right) D’Arcy Dornan, Chair of the Green Destinations Foundation.
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 innovation, how effective the stories are in solving real problems in tourism sustainability, and to what extent they can be applied elsewhere.
Sincere appreciation to Ryan Fuller, Head of ITB Corporate Social Responsibility, and team ITB Berlin, for their invaluable support and dedication, which significantly contributed to the seamless execution of the event.
✨Green Destinations is delighted to acknowledge Visit Park City Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau’s role as a Special Contributor to the Green Destinations Story Awards 2025 Event. As a dedicated advocate for sustainable tourism, Park City’s commitment to responsible travel, environmental stewardship, and community-driven initiatives aligns perfectly with the mission of Green Destinations. Their contribution strengthens the collective effort to showcase and promote best practices in sustainable tourism worldwide.
🏆Category Awards – Winners
The nominated destinations per category were announced in January 2025, and the winning destinations were unveiled during the award ceremony at ITB Berlin 2025 on Tuesday, 4 March. The list of category winners securing ‘First Place’ at the ceremony is underlined below:
- Jeruzalem (Slovenia) – Destination Management
- San Crisanto (Mexico) – Nature and Scenery
- Nature’s Village Resort (Philippines) – Environment and Climate
- Tono (Japan) – Culture and Tradition
- Rurrenabaque Madidi Pampas (Bolivia) – Thriving Communities
- Park City, Utah (USA) – Business and Marketing
🏆 Special Awards
The ITB Earth Award 2025 was bagged by Tallinn, Estonia. This special category award, selected by ITB Berlin, recognises exceptional contributions to promoting more sustainable tourism through destination stewardship, inspiring practices, and stakeholder management.
Another special category award, the People’s Choice Award, allowed the general public to support their favourite Good Practice Story. The 2025 People’s Choice Award campaign ran from 13 to 24 January and received its highest-ever vote count. Izmir (Türkiye) received the maximum votes (🗳️ 38200 votes) to win this year’s People’s Choice Award.
🏆 Green Destinations Certification Ceremony
The Green Destinations Certification program awards excellence in general destination sustainability based on the GSTC-Recognised Green Destinations Standard: 75 criteria covering all realms of sustainability.
15 destinations, that recently achieved or renewed their Award or Certification, were presented certificates at the Green Destinations Certification Ceremony, ITB Berlin 2025.
Platinum Destinations
- Schouwen-Duiveland (The Netherlands)
- Helsinki (Finland)
- Nijmegen (The Netherlands)
- Royal Djurgården (Sweden)
Gold Destinations
- Blekinge Region (Sweden)
- Passeiertal (Italy)
- Krka National Park (Croatia)
- Nan Living Old City (Thailand)
Silver Destinations
- Mamallapuram (India)
- Mljet National Park (Croatia)
- Urla (Izmir) (Türkiye)
- Selçuk (Izmir) (Türkiye)
- Vukovar-Srijem County (Croatia)
Bronze Destinations
- Saranda (Albania)
- Sigiriya (Sri Lanka)
📣 Good Travel Alliance Official Launch
The launch of the Good Travel Alliance, along with the unveiling of the host destination for the Green Destinations 2025 annual conference, were among the key announcements made during the event ceremony:
Co-founded by destinations from 20 countries, the Good Travel Alliance is committed to creating cooperation between destinations in developing travel products, attractions, tours, routes, and other activities that optimise social benefits and minimise negative impacts on climate, environment, and culture. Green Destinations experts help destinations and activity providers measure these impacts, allowing them to promote existing and new activities as “Good Travel Experiences” within the limitations of emerging consumer protection legislation, including the Green Claims Directive.
📣 Green Destinations Events Announcement for 2025
The Green Destinations Global Conference 2025 will take place in Occitanie, France, a region celebrated for its cultural heritage, breathtaking landscapes, and commitment to responsible tourism. In June 2025, the Green Destinations 2025 Latino América event will be held in 🇧🇷 Natal, Brazil, bringing together regional and global leaders to advance sustainability across Latin America. Additionally, Green Destinations unveiled a groundbreaking collaboration with Expo City Dubai to host the Sustainable Destinations Forum 2025, a platform for policymakers, industry experts, and destination leaders to explore innovative solutions for a more responsible and resilient tourism sector.
