OUR EVENTS
Find out about our events and conferences here. You can also find our past events here.
UPCOMING EVENTS
March 2021
Green Destinations Story Awards at ITB Berlin 2021
The Green Destinations Story Awards is a ceremony to showcase the most inspirational stories of resilient tourism practices from the 2020 Top 100 Competition – sponsored by ITB and GLP Films.
Autumn 2021
Global Green Destination Days 2021
The city of Bodrum (Turkey) will host the next Global Green Destinations Days (GGDD) conference. More information about the event coming soon.
PAST EVENTS
6 - 8 October 2020
Global Green Destination Days 2020
ONLINE (Bodrum event rescheduled to spring 2021)
Due to the Covid-19 situation, unfortunately the planned Global Green Destinations Days 6-8 October in Bodrum is rescheduled to spring 2021. Instead, GGDD20 will be an online conference with key-notes and good practice presentations.
4 March 2020
Sustainable Destination Awards and Tourism2030
ITB Berlin
ITB Berlin was canceled, but the winners of the Sustainable Destination Awards 2020 were announced online.
23 - 24 July 2019
Green Destinations advanced training workshop
Sintra, Portugal
QualityCoast / Green Destinations members, Top 100 year 2 applicants, GD partners and (aspirant) auditors-advisors are invited to an advanced Green Destinations training workshop 23-24 July in Sintra, Portugal.
The training is aimed at enhancing the benefits of Green Destinations membership and improving applications for GD Awards & Certification, and has as main objectives:
- Learn from the Slovenia Green approach towards introducing sustainable destination management and engaging stakeholders in a structured and step-wise manner;
- Enhancing the (QualityCoast/ Green Destinations) Award applications by better understanding key criteria requirements, background, and guidance…
8-12 October 2019
Global Green Destinations Days 2019
This October, Green Destinations and its Croatian partners will host the world’s leading event that gives destination and business leaders, managers and experts committed to sustainable tourism, a unique opportunity to meet many international colleagues; to discover practical tools and solutions with the exchange of success stories and best practices experience, and to better support their local business and stakeholder communities.
Provisional Program:
- 8 Oct. Zagreb: GD Partner Training
- 9-11 Oct. Zagreb, Gorski Kotar, Mali Lošinj: Sessions, Workshops, Field trip
- 12 Oct.: Visit Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
9 May 2019
Dutch QualityCoast Award Ceremony
Ouddorp (ZH) | The Netherlands
Green Destinations and Blue Flag Netherlands will this year jointly organise on the 9th of May a flag hoisting ceremony, in the QualityCoast Platinum municipality of Goeree-Overflakkee (province of South-Holland). It will be a full-day event with informative afternoon seminars focusing on building climate neutral tourism and the celebration of cultural heritage.
Register before May 2nd to secure your participation in this event.
6 March 2019
2019 Sustainable Top 100 Destination Awards
ITB Berlin
For the second year, ITB Berlin will host this ‘Best of Top 100’ awards event: a selection of the finest Top 100 destinations based on jury-reviewed sustainability success stories submitted by the Top 100 destinations.
Join the presentation of the Awards at ITB Berlin on 6 March 2019, Palais am Funkturm (Awards Hall), 16.00-17.15
20-23 February 2019
GSTC & GD Sustainable Tourism Training
Skyros, Greece
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and Green Destinations (GD) will jointly offer a Training Seminar in February 2019, focusing on best practices in sustainable destination development and management. The Training Event will take place in Chora of Skyros Island, Greece.
The training program will include a general training focused on the GSTC Criteria for Destinations, the global baseline standard for sustainability in travel and tourism. Based on the curriculum of the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training Program (STTP) and led by Dr. Ioannas Pappas. Additionally, the Green Destinations training, to be led by Albert Salman, helps industry professionals to progress in making destinations more sustainable, and to become engaged in destination certification and award programs.
25-28 September 2018
Global Green Destinations Days 2018
Announcement and Registration
Green Destinations and its Dutch partners present the world’s leading event for business and destination leaders, managers and experts committed to sustainable tourism, taking place in the Netherlands.
- Sep 25-26: Global Destination Leaders Conference (in Arnhem) incl. field visit in the Province of Gelderland.
- Sep 27: Global Green Destinations Day (in Nijmegen). A rich and interactive conference program for sustainable tourism professionals, with English and Dutch sessions. Market place featuring innovative business solutions. Sustainable Destinations Awards presentation.
- Sep 26, 28: Excursions in and around Nijmegen.
- Sep 28: Top 100 Sustainable Destinations workshop in Nijmegen.
If you can’t wait to book your tickets to Amsterdam, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and partners offer you a 15% discount on your airfare: https://goo.gl/X9Kwhk
19-22 June 2018
Sustainable Destinations Training Course
Tourism for Peace and Prosperity
Green Destinations and an international team of trainers in the field of destination sustainability invite destination managers and professionals, participants from the tourism business sector, and destination management experts to register for this course. Participation is limited.
7 March 2018, 16:00-17:30h
Best of Top 100 Awards, ITB Berlin
Key role of destinations recognised by
new Awards at ITB Berlin (Germany)
ITB provides its prime auditorium ‘Palais am Funkturm’, to a new mainstream award scheme exclusively dedicated to destinations: the Sustainable Destinations Top 100 Awards.
28-30 September 2017
GREENFEST – Global Green Destinations Event
Destination Leaders’ Success Stories
Cascais (Portugal)
Green Destinations’ 2017 event was dedicated to Storytelling and Showcasing Sustainable Tourism Successes, by Top 100 Sustainable Destinations and other destination leaders.
5 July 2017
Dutch Green Destinations Day & QualityCoast Award Ceremony
Renesse, Zeeland (NL)
The event presented Green Solutions, introduced the Viami travel map and Dutch QualityCoast destinations hoisted their new flags to celebrate renewal of their awards.
22 September 2017
Green Destinations Day Italy
IT.A.CÀ RIMINI 2017
Italian satellite event connected to the 2017 Global Green Destinations Event.
IT.A.CÀ Rimini hosted a rich programme, including an International Conference, Best practice examples, Green Destination Networking Meeting, and a Student Forum.
27-28 September 2016
Global Green Destinations Day 2016
Ljubljana, Slovenia
This flagship Green Destinations event has brought together 350 global experts in sustainable development and green tourism, opinion leaders, representatives of destinations, associations, hoteliers and tourist operators who strive for sustainable development in tourism. The 2017 Sustainable Destinations Award winners were presented during Global Green Destinations Gala, 27 September 2016 in the Castle of Ljubljana (Slovenia), European Green Capital 2016.
Klemen Langus,who has been the director of Turizem Bohinj Board for many years, continuously strives to put sustainable and environmental development at the core of all activities in tourism. Under his leadership Turizem Bohinj has created a comprehensive sustainable tourism model, which bases on local economy and prioritising local people.
Mrs. Jačan Obratov has a journalism degree from the Zagreb University Faculty of Political Science. Her career in tourism began at the Head office of the Croatian Tourist National Board where she still works. From 2000 to 2002 she was Head of the Information Department and between 2002 and 2013, Head of the Communications and Publishing Department. She ran the Destination Support Department until March 2016 when she was appointed Director of Destination Management and Product Development Support Division. Through years of working in the publishing and production fields, Slavija and her team put through numerous projects that the Croatian National Tourist Board received recognition and awards. Mrs. Jačan Obratov was editor-in-chief of the oldest Croatian international interdisciplinary journal “Tourism“ between 2003 and 2013.
Master of Economic Sciences with many years of experience in the fields of business management, projects, marketing, tourism development at the national level and management of tourist destinations at the local level, also co-designer of the national project Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism. Currently is managing the tourist destination Miren Kras, which in 2019 received the golden sign of the Slovenian Green Destination and is ranked among the 6 most sustainable Slovenian destinations.
Carla Chandra is the Deputy Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority, with the responsibility for product development and promotion of Guyana as a leading sustainable destination. She was born and spent her childhood in a remote indigenous community in Guyana called Kamarang, and has seen how tourism has positively impacted communities focused on tourism. With over 15 years of experience in the Travel and Tourism Industry and a great love for her country, Carla has a strong drive to contribute towards the development of Guyana and knows that sustainable tourism is the way to do that.
Fiskars Village, founded in 1649, is famous for long traditions of craftsmanship. It has plenty to offer in terms of modern design and art. Exhibitions, the museum, as well numerous performing art, slow food and outdoor events provide interesting experiences throughout the year.
Public Institution “Priroda” is responsible for managing protected areas and NATURA 2000 sites in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County through inventorying, evaluating, monitoring and supervision of protected natural areas, participating in the execution of international agreements on nature protection and implementation of European legislations and EU Directives related to the protection of natural values. In order to preserve griffon vultures, a strictly protected bird species on the basis of Croatian legislation, the Institution established the new Beli Visitor and Rescue Centre for Griffon Vultures, which is the only registered griffon vulture rescue center in the Republic of Croatia.
Lidija Srnec is working in Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service in Zagreb. She graduated from the Department of Geophysics and Meteorology at the University of Zagreb. In 2010 she finished Postgraduate Study of Natural Sciences. In DHMZ she is working in Climate Modelling, Climate Change Monitoring and Biometeorology Division. Her work is mainly in regional climate change filed and biometeorology.
The manager of the destination Bison Land. One of her loves is the tourism, since the highschool, but also with the region where she is coming from. She was studding tourism and project management and now she is one of the ones looking forward to develop the region Bison Land, the home land.
José Romana is head of the Nature and Biodiversity division at Cascais Ambiente, with a degree in Landscape Architecture at the University of Algarve and a postgraduate degree in Management from ISEG – Lisbon School of Economics and Management. He is responsible for managing the teams of territorial planning , environmental monitoring and maintenance of natural spaces, under the management of Cascais Ambiente.
The Blue World Institute (BWI) has worked on Lošinj Island for 20 years monitoring the resident bottlenose dolphin community and promoting their conservation. In the last five years, the BWI has developed a dolphin-watching programme designed to set industry standards as this protected species has become seen more as a tourism resource than an integral part of the environment. The exponential growth of dolphin-watching in Croatia places these animals at risk, the need for a mandatory code of conduct and licencing issued by the Ministry of Tourism would help to protect these animals and protect responsible operators working in the region. International recommendations exist and should be adopted in Croatia.
Pekka Alhojärvi is the representative of Green Destinations in Finland.
Carlos Bernardes is Mayor of Torres Vedras, a municipality in the Portuguese district of Lisbon, since 2015, he is also “Quality Coast” Ambassador, “Green Destinations” Ambassador, and member of the Political Advisory Committee of the CIVITAS Initiative. He holds a PhD in Tourism by the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning, University of Lisbon, and a degree in Tourism and Hospitality Business Management by the Polytechnic Institute of the West. He has participated in several conferences, seminars, workshops and courses related to tourism, environment, sustainability and mobility, among other areas.
Maja Rešić is Head of Department for General relations in Public Institution Nature Park Lastovo islands. She has been on this position for 3 years. Public Institution Nature Park Lastovo islands is a marine protected area that has been managing the area since 2006. Consisting of 42 islands, islets and reefs and a geographical position, presents a challenge in management and preservation.
Valentina Bračanov is Head of Department for Acceptance of Visitors in Public Institution Kornati National Park. She has been in this position for 4 years. Public Institution Kornati National Park is a marine protected area that has been managing the area since 1980. Consisting of 89 islands, islets and reefs and a geographical position, presents a challenge in management and preservation.
Founder, CEO and President of Sustainable Riviera Maya, Ms. Barreal is a visionary towards “Paradise forever AND for everyone” fostering Sustainability through pride of belonging and inner force.
Irena Peršić Živadinov is the director of Kvarner Region Tourist Board. Before she took over her current position, her educational background and work experience were extensive: educated in Croatia, Italy and the USA; after attending an Italian high school, she graduated in the USA, where she afterwards studied Business Management. She continued education at the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Padua (Italy). After returning to Croatia, from the Faculty of Tourism she gained a Master’s degree and obtain her doctorate (Sustainable Energy Management in the Hotel Life Cycle). She is fluent in Italian and English.
Consulting-Elementerre is dedicated to help actors in the tourism sector to integrate sustainability into their daily operation. I develop tailor-made solutions which lead to a long-term and sustainable quality improvement. Furthermore, I advise institutions (GIZ, Futouris) and companies (Thomas Cook) on the realization of sustainable tourism projects
Portuguese independent expert, born in Lisbon in 1973, graduated in Geography of Regional and Urban Planning and living in the Azores since 2003. Owner of a Fisheries Services and Consultancy company, Henrique is also focused on sustainable solutions for the marine environment and territory in general. With early connections to Blue Flag Association, head of an Environmental movement in the Azores and representing the QualityCoast Awards Jury in 2015, Henrique has a Certificate in Sustainable Tourism by successfully completing the GSTC STTP (Sustainable Tourism Training Program in 2017. Since 2017 Henrique has been working as an independent auditor for QualityCoast Awards and Green Destinations certification.
Masaru founded Asian Ecotourism Network (AEN) to promote authentic ecotourism in the region by creating a networking platform for ecotourism fraternity. In 2018 Japan Alliance of Responsible Travel Agencies (JARTA) was also created to enhance responsible tourism movement in Japan. Also servin a number of key positions in the organizations both home and abroad. Japan Tourism Agency sustainable tourism international standard committee member, United Nations Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Committee Member of 10 YFP Sustainable Tourism Programme until earlyr this year. GSTC authorized trainer, Green Destinations auditor/coach, Travelife auditor, etc.
Siniša Topalović is managing partner at Horwath HTL. He has been involved in more than 150 projects within Horwath HTL network, shaping today’s tourism industry landscape in well-established but also emerging destinations worldwide.
The Slovenian Tourist Board (STB) is a national tourist board that has developed the Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism (GSST), a national certification programme that brings together all efforts directed towards the sustainable development of tourism in Slovenia, offers tools to destinations and service providers that enable them to evaluate and improve their sustainability endeavours and promotes these green endeavours through the Slovenia Green brand. The GSST won them the title of First Green Country in the world and is one of the developmental tools, helping to address challenges like tourism flow management for better planning of strategic (marketing) actions.
Head of Green Infrastructure, with a degree in Landscape Architecture, he’s responsible for the ecological network masterplan, development of biodiversity action plans for different management areas, habitat and species management and survey, landscape planning and restoration project, special planning, and visitor experience programs. He is also responsible for environmental awareness and volunteers activates, mainly regarding nature conservation and environmental sustainability. He has been engaged with European institutions such as the Europcar Federation in the commission for sustainable agriculture in protected areas.
Mrs. Kordić is a part of the Plastic Free Zlarin Initiative, dedicated to eliminating the use of single-use plastic on Zlarin, promoting composting and a low waste lifestyle. They wanted Zlarin™s path to becoming the first Croatian plastic-free island to inspire transition towards sustainable living in other communities. Mrs. Kordić is one of the co-founders of the initiative the idea of which was brought to Zlarin from France by her colleague Ana Robb, where Ana works on turning her kids™ school plastic-free. Mrs. Kordić spent her late teen years and all of her adult life working on social development and change making by building volunteering infrastructure in Croatia.
Mrs. Marković Vukadin is a science associate at the Institute for tourism, focuses on research from the area of sustainable tourism development . As an expert in sustainable tourism, she participated in a number of European projects concerning spatial development of tourism, as well as in a large number of Master plans of tourism development. She has vast experience in the development of indicators for the needs of CROSTO (Croatian sustainable tourism observatory – a part of the UNWTO network. She is a lecturer at VERN University, Edward Bernays University and at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Dental medicine. She has published more than scientific 20 papers focused on sustainability.
Monique Chen is the co-founder and CEO of Sustainable Travel Taiwan (STT), and is specialist as an urban planner and museum operator. She engaged in cultural and environmental preservation works for 20 years. And one of her position job was the first Chief of Operations & Promotion in Gold Ecological Park which was a gold mining village from 18 century, where she was able to explore local history with mine workers and local residents, while developing a more sustainable approach to environmental conservation. STT’s main job is to take actions in encouraging destinations and tourism industry to implement GSTC criteria by using the tools of certification bodies recognized/accredited by the GSTC.
Gregory Bankuzi is the co-founder and president of the Ruhengeri Community Eco-Tourism Association, a local association of people collaborating to enhance tourism development in Rwanda. Recently he was appointed by the African Tourism Board to be in their steering committee representing the interest of African members on the platform. He is behind the 
Since 2016, Mr. Cappelli is the Minister of Tourism of the Croatian Government and it has served as former Mayor of Mali Lošinj and President of the Tourist Board of Mali Lošinj. During his work at Mali Lošinj, he induced many activities regarding the destination management development at the island of Lošinj, Croatia as well as the Lošinj archipelago as a year-round destination. During his mandate, the Tourist Board in Mali Lošinj became an affiliate member of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and a full member of the UNWTO Knowledge Network.