Taking the next steps to becoming a more regenerative destination

We have taken the next steps to becoming a more regenerative destination, though participation in the Global Destination Sustainability Index 2023.

This is all part of our commitment to improving our destinations' sustainability strategy and performance, using collaboration and innovation to transform our destination.

Newcastle and Durham have joined 100 forward-thinking cities around the world in submitting data to the 2023 GDS-Index – A benchmarking system that ranks the sustainability performance of destinations.

Sunderland will join the index in 2024 and Northumberland will be part of a related pilot project exploring how rural destinations benchmark and improve their sustainability performance.

Participation in the GDS-Index benefits the whole local tourism ecosystem

Destination North East England has subscribed to the GDS-Index for three years and will use the recommendations to improve tourism and events related sustainability performance across the North East of England.

Participation in the GDS-Index benefits the whole local tourism ecosystem, from visitors, to residents, to suppliers and local government. Through a collaborative process it seeks to bring measurable improvement across all criteria, with the goal of creating a more regenerative and resilient destination.