Green Destinations
Top 100 Stories
The Green Destinations Top 100 Stories competition is an annual competition that celebrates and promotes Sustainable Tourism initiatives from destinations globally.
About the Top 100
Who is this competition for?
Destinations and Small & Regional DMOs.
Cost
350€ – 700€
Fee waiver Program for selected destinations
Implementation
Annual Competition
Certificate Validity
1 year
The Green Destinations Top 100 Stories competition has run annually since 2014, celebrating and promoting 100 destinations and businesses as inspiring examples of Sustainable Tourism for other destinations, tour operators, and visitors.
The competition selects 100 Sustainable Tourism stories through an open call for applications. The stories are judged in terms of effectiveness, innovation and transferability.
The best stories in the Top 100 list are nominated for the Green Destinations Story Awards celebrated at the annual ITB conference in Berlin.
Interested to join the 2024 Top 100 Stories competition? Register here!
Introduction Sessions
For all interested, new and potential Top 100 participants, we will host several Top 100 introduction sessions. The following topics will be discussed:
- The GSTC recognized Green Destinations Standard
- Step 1: Sustainability check: What are the Core Criteria that you will have to report on, and how to use the Green Destinations online reporting platform
- Step 2 Good Practice Story: What is a Good Practice Story, and how to identify it.
At the end of the session, we will have a Q&A section for any questions you might still have. If you already have topics you would like to see addressed during this session, feel free to send them to top100@greendestinations.org ahead of the live training session.
Register for one of the introduction sessions here:
15 December at 9:00-10:00 CET – Register here
15 December at 16:00-17:00 CET – Register here
24 January at 9:00-10:00 CET – Register here
24 January at 16:00-17:00 CET – Register here
20 February 9:00-10:00 CET – Register here
20 February 16:00-17:00 CET – Register here
Why join this competition?
The Green Destinations Top 100 Stories competition provides an excellent first step for Participants looking for recognition of their efforts in Sustainable Tourism. The performance of your destination will be assessed on the GSTC-Recognized Green Destinations Standard V2 core criteria and will be illustrated in a scorecard for effective and transparent communication with the general public.
Once selected, participants will generate exposure for their destination through the communication channels of Green Destinations and the Top 100 unveiling ceremony at our annual Green Destinations Global Conference. A great opportunity to share your Sustainable Tourism Story and Solution with your stakeholders, clients, and other destinations dealing with similar challenges.
Lastly, selected participants are eligible for a Green Destinations Story Award at ITB Berlin to gain global exposure and promote their efforts for sustainable destination management.
The Top 100 Roadmap for Destinations
Registration
18th March – Registration deadline
Any interested local government, DMO, governmental or institutional stakeholder can start the application on behalf of the destination by completing the Registration form
Sustainability Check
1st April – Sustainability check submission deadline
Step 1: Basic check of the core sustainability criteria of the Green Destinations Standard
Good Practice Story
3 June – Good Practice Story submission deadline
Participants who reached ≧ 60% score in Step 1, are eligible for Step 2: submission of a Good Practice Story.
Top 100 list launch - GD2024 Global Conference
Sept-Oct 2024 (Date to be confirmed)
The Top 100 list will be officially revealed during a festive ceremony at our annual GD event
Green Destinations Story Awards 2025 - ITB
March 2025 (Date to be confirmed)
The best stories in the 2024 Top 100 list are nominated for the coveted Green Destinations Story Awards, celebrated at the annual ITB Berlin tourism conference.
You can also review the Top 100 Terms & Conditions here.
Methodology
Step 1. Sustainability Check
Green Destinations has developed the Sustainability Check for non-audited applicants who are committed and have the basic elements of Sustainable Tourism established at their destination or business. This Sustainability Check is performed by the applicant through our online reporting platform and reviewed by one of our evaluators. 1st year applicants need to complete 15 criteria, and 2nd year applicants 30 criteria.
A minimum of 60% of the criteria needs to be achieved to be eligible to submit a Good Practice Story. Recognition of performance on the GSTC-Recognized Green Destinations Standard V2 core criteria is illustrated in a scorecard, which will be provided once the Top 100 list is finalised. Participants can use this scorecard to effectively communicate and promote their sustainability efforts.
Destinations - 1st year applicants: 15 criteria (min. 60% compliant)
- Promoting local products and services
- Promoting sustainability among enterprises
- Human rights
- Supporting local entrepreneurs
- Equal and fair employment (enterprises)
- Low-impact mobility
- Solid waste reduction
- Reducing transport emissions from travel
- Reducing energy consumption
- Wastewater treatment
- Nature conservation
- Tangible cultural heritage
- Intangible heritage
- Inventory of destination assets
- Destination Management Policy or Strategy
Destinations - 2nd year applicants: 30 criteria (min. 60% compliant)
All Core 15 criteria +
- Sustainability standards
- Inhabitant satisfaction)
- Managing visitor pressure
- Health & Safety
- Noise
- Light pollution
- Renewable Energy
- Responding to climate risks
- Waste separation & recycling
- Water consumption reduction
- Tourism impacts on nature
- Landscape & Scenery
- Managing tourism impacts on culture
- Trained Coordinator/Team
- Visitor behavior at sensitive sites
Step 2. Good Practice Story
If eligible (when the Sustainability Check is passed or the participant is enrolled in the Green Destinations Awards and Certification Program), applicants can submit a Good Practice Story. A template of the Good Practice Story will be provided to support destinations in this process.
The available categories are:
Good practice story categories:
- Destination Management Solutions
- Nature & Scenery
- Environment & Climate
- Culture & Tradition
- Thriving Communities
- Business & Marketing
Good practice story evaluation criteria:
- Completeness of documentation: The extent to which the story is backed up with evidence, images and (web)references to which quantitative and qualitative data is provided that demonstrates its impact.
- Sustainability Pillars: The extent to which the GPS touches on all 3 Sustainability Pillars (Social, Economic and Environmental).
- Level of Innovation: The extent to which the approach to the sustainable tourism challenge and the solution are innovative and original. Or, an existing solution is implemented innovatively and adapted to the circumstances of the destination.
- Effectiveness: The ability to solve a tourism sustainability problem/challenge by implementing a solution in the destination which benefits a majority or multiple actors. The outcome of the solution can be measured.
- Transferability of innovation: The extent to which the GPS can be applied to solve sustainability tourism challenges in other destinations with similar effectiveness. Transferability should be approached in 2 ways: conceptually (the project can be replicated easily) and practically (the sections ‘steps’ and ‘lessons learned’ are described in detail and give other destinations cues for replication).
Participants gain access to the Top 100 training
All participants will gain access to the Top 100 training to develop skills and expertise for a strong foundation to start or continue their sustainability journey:
- Access to online self-paced training with different modules, such as the GD Core Criteria
- Live online Masterclasses (3x) by experts in Sustainable Tourism on how to write the best Good Practice Story
1:1 coaching sessions available
Destinations participating in the 2024 Green Destinations Top 100 Stories Competition can access personalized one-on-one supervision and coaching for hands-on support in their submissions.
The Top 100 Application Support helps participants deliver a strong submission to the competition, focusing on both STEP 1: Sustainability check and STEP 2: Good Practice Story.
DOWNLOAD OUR CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
MAIN CONTACT
Bart Hageman
Top 100 Manager
Top 100 Stories 2023
The Top 100 Good Practice Stories list is unveiled annually at the Green Destination flagship conference. Get to know this year’s inspiring collection of stories