Changemaker Award Winner (NEW)
Fanny Beaulieu Cormier, Tourisme Montréal
Recognised for an outstanding contribution to advancing regeneration within a destination. “I have dedicated my career to sustainable tourism for more than eight years. This appointment fills me with immense pride and reflects the work we have accomplished with our partners to transform Montreal’s tourism sector into a more sustainable, inclusive model that generates positive benefits for the community. Strategic alliances focused on biodiversity conservation, local sourcing, inclusive and Indigenous tourism, as well as visitor education and training for our local stakeholders, have been particularly successful.”
Impact Award Winner
Failte Ireland, Republic of Ireland
Recognised for its business events impact and legacy programme. “On behalf of Fáilte Ireland, we are proud to see Team Ireland winning the GDS Impact Award. At Fáilte Ireland, we were proud to submit our Impact and Legacy Programme for this award. This programme, which was co-created with Ireland’s Business Events Ecosystem, is transforming how association conferences deliver value, placing emphasis on economic, social and environmental impact. Through practical and financial supports, we are supporting and encouraging the integration of purposeful impact into event design.”
“Aligned with Government priorities and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, this work is helping to build long-term legacy, strengthen communities, sustain jobs, and position Ireland as a global leader in delivering purposeful, sustainable business events,” said Paul Mockler, Head of Commercial Development, Fáilte Ireland.
Innovation Award Winner
Gdansk Tourism Organisation
Recognised for the “Nothing about us without us” initiative supplying accessibility audits and communication cards as tools for inclusive destination change. “Receiving the GDS-Movement Innovation Award is a great honour for Gdansk and a strong motivation to continue our work. With this project, we wanted to show that accessibility is not an abstract idea or an additional feature – it is a practical way of designing better destinations for everyone.”
“This initiative was shaped together with people with disabilities and people with diverse accessibility needs. Their voices help us understand how places are truly experienced and what needs to change. Our hope is that this project will inspire other destinations to make accessibility more visible, practical and universal – and that the Communication Card will one day become a standard in customer service, improving the daily lives of millions of people,” added Łukasz Wysocki, President of the Board, Gdansk Tourism Organisation.
Shortlisted Applicants and Nominees
(in alphabetical order of city/region or surname)
Changemaker Award Shortlist (Nomination-based)
- Fanny Beaulieu Cormier, Tourisme Montréal
- Jac Callan, Visit Belfast
- Matti Pollari, Visit Tampere
- Petra Stušek, Ljubljana Touris
Impact Award Shortlist (Application-based) in Collaboration with #MEET4IMPACT
- Barcelona Convention Bureau
- Invest in Bogotá
- Göteborg & Co, Gothenburg Convention Bureau
- Failte Ireland
Innovation Award Shortlist (Application-based)
- VisitAarhus
- Gdansk Tourism Organization
- Göteborg & Co
- Culture Liverpool
- Ottawa Tourism
