As Global Leaders we are committed to be at the forefront of innovation in developing tourism, in managing tourism impacts, enhancing benefits, quality and sustainability of our tourism & travel offer.

We offer national tourism boards, ministries and other organisations to benefit from the lessons learned from this approach in a rapidly increasing number of countries. This program enables countries to adopt the Green Destinations’ Award & Certification Program (ACP) for all interested destinations, incorporate their own language, management, customisation and even branding.

This allows countries to benefit from a GSTC-Accredited certification program and a GSTC-Recognised standard for destination sustainability while offering tailor-made training as well as promotional support to destinations and businesses through the Good Travel Guide and the new Good Travel Seal business certification.

The Global Leaders initiative aims to bring together leaders in tourism planning and management, to commonly promote sustainability through and beyond certification, and especially to:

While COVID-19 has faced the tourism sector with an unprecedented challenge, the climate crisis is expected to become no less problematic in view of its long-term impacts and the necessity to look and plan far ahead. However, we have learned that sustainability is not a problem to be solved, but a future to be created together.

Creating this future requires a common vision and a roadmap to ensure progress based on leadership, mutual learning and innovation. This is what the Global Leaders Program aims to offer to national and regional tourism organisations, destinations and business leaders.

Create your own sustainability scheme

The objective of the Global Leaders initiative is to assist countries and regions to develop a comprehensive program to make their tourism sector more sustainable, following the successful models implemented by Slovenia, Estonia, and other countries.

However, each member may have particular objectives and capacities. Therefore, Global Leaders members can create and implement their own tailor-made program with the guidance of Green Destinations partners, advisors and ‘senior’ members of the Global Leaders network.

Members may compose their own scheme choosing from the following elements.

To develop and implement the scheme, we will develop a ‘roadmap’ to introduce the scheme step-by-step with support from the Green Destinations partnership.

Our Global Leaders members enjoy benefits for themselves and for a number of Destinations Management Organisations. National or regional tourism boards, ministries and umbrella organizations are welcome to participate. Independent destinations are also eligible for membership.

The Global Leaders Network brings together the experience and expertise of countries, regions and the Green Destinations partnership. The Network meetings are invitation-based opportunities to meet other Members, Observers and special guests; giving the participants the chance to interact and learn from each other.