This result means Bristol is impressively ranked within the average for Northern Europe, including Scandinavian countries that have been participating in the index for many years and are globally renowned for leading sustainable development.
The GDS-Index, a global organisation empowering and supporting cities and destinations worldwide in their journey to become regenerative and more sustainable, benchmarked Bristol by analysing and focusing on four key areas: City Environmental Performance (indicators include energy emissions, air quality, waste and biodiversity), City Social Performance (indicators include diversity, inclusion, safety, wellness and accessibility), Supplier Performance (indicators include hotels, airports, academic institutions, restaurants and venues) and Destination Management Performance (indicators include marketing and communications, destination strategy, policy and certification).
One of the reasons for success is the supplier network in the city, and the number of businesses with independent accreditation from Green Keys and The Green Tourism Business Scheme, with some also being certified as B Corp. This makes a big difference and demonstrates the ambition to make the destination as sustainable as possible, with a collective responsibility to make this happen.
Kathryn Davis, Managing Director, Visit West said: “Working closely with local businesses, and business associations, we can share their work and achievements within the framework, and so to see Bristol rise 13 places in an index of ever-improving global destinations is an huge boost for all, and something we should celebrate. We know that being able to demonstrate the sustainability and impact of a conference or event is critical in the decision-making process for many event organisers, and so as Bristol’s capacity to host events grows with its new venues in the coming years, so this will be increasingly important to continue.”
“Bristol’s performance in the GDS-Index is a positive reflection of the city’s long-term commitment to sustainability. The city’s strong performance in the environmental and supplier pillars of the GDS-Index highlights the ongoing efforts to implement sustainable practices across various sectors,” added Guy Bigwood, CEO of GDS-Movement.
There are still areas to improve, but Bristol’s participation in the GDS-Index enables it to learn best practices from other global destinations. Visit West aims to ensure Bristol makes the top 40 destinations globally by 2026 and to include Bath as a destination in 2026.
Participation has only been possible due to support from VisitEngland’s pilot programme with Core Cities – an alliance representing the interests of 11 of the UK’s biggest cities.
