Adelaide has joined a destination
sustainability benchmarking programme to assess its weaknesses and build on its
strengths in areas of environmental and socio-economic transformation.
The South Australian capital is the fourth Australian
city to join the Global Destination Sustainability Movement (GDS-Movement),
alongside Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Business Events Adelaide’s chief
executive officer, Damien Kitto, said being assessed alongside other
destinations will help build an understanding of Adelaide’s relative strengths
and weaknesses. "We are aware that sustainability issues are becoming an
increasingly important consideration for business event organisers and delegates. Business event delegates visiting Adelaide often refer to our green, walkable
city-in-a-park, so whilst we feel this is an advantage over other destinations,
talking about it is no longer enough. We need to demonstrate practices that reduce
the impact on our planet, especially in a country like Australia, with
delegates conscious of the carbon footprint associated with their travel."
The Global Destination Sustainability Movement
(GDS-Movement) is an international programme which assesses and accelerates the progress of a
destination’s regenerative journey. Member destinations are listed in the GDS-Index
which measures and benchmarks the sustainability strategies, action plans, and
initiatives of more than 100 destination management organisations, municipal
authorities, and their tourism and event supply chains.
The city of Adelaide will work with Business Events
Adelaide, Adelaide Convention Centre, its member venues and stakeholders within
local and state government to coordinate Adelaide’s response to the Global
Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-Index) assessment criteria.
“Working with a recognised global authority like
GDS-Movement will help Adelaide to develop action plans to build a solid
sustainability profile,” added Kitto. “It is good for business, but more
importantly, it is the right thing to do for the future, and we look forward to
working with our members, strategic partners and stakeholders in positioning
Adelaide as a clean destination of choice.”
GDS-Movement’s CEO and dounder, Guy Bigwood, said, “Research
underscores the growing importance of sustainable travel for today's
travellers, making it imperative for destinations to take proactive steps. The
GDS-Index data reveals a positive trend: cities that join the Index
consistently enhance their sustainability strategies, improve their practices
and drive impact. We are excited to work with Adelaide on this important
journey’.
The evaluation process for the 2024 GDS-Index has commenced, with
the top 40 global destinations announced in October.
