Östersund Ranks 52nd in International Sustainability Index

Östersund, a city in central Sweden, has made an impressive debut in the Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDSI), securing the 52nd position with a score of 65.7%. This achievement highlights the city’s commitment to sustainable tourism and development.

About the Global Destination Sustainability Index

The GDSI, initiated in 2016 by the Global Destination Sustainability Movement, evaluates cities worldwide on their sustainability efforts. This year’s assessment included over 100 cities, with Helsinki claiming the top spot at 92.43%.

The index examines destinations across four categories using more than 75 indicators linked to Agenda 2030 and international criteria for sustainable destination development from GSTC. These categories measure environmental and social sustainability, supply chains, and destination management.

Östersund’s Performance and Future Goals

Inge Krogh Larsen, Changemaker and Relationship Manager for the Nordics at the GDS movement, commented on Östersund’s performance:

“Östersund has performed very well for a first-time submission and is doing better than the GDS-Index average, which shows their commitment to working with sustainability as a city and destination”

Joanna Gustafsson, Process Leader at Destination Östersund, expressed excitement about the city’s participation:

“It is incredibly exciting that Östersund as a destination now has a starting point for joint sustainability work and how we stand internationally. It has been a team effort to gather the documentation to answer the criteria, and I see great potential in collaborating and learning from the other destinations in the network that are all doing a fantastic job of transforming and creating action that contributes to sustainable social development worldwide.”

Future Plans and Strategies

Destination Östersund plans to participate in GDSI again in 2025, aiming to improve in several areas identified in this year’s measurement. The organization has already begun work on a new strategy for experience and place development for 2025-2030, incorporating insights from this year’s results.

Mikael Jonsson, CEO of Destination Östersund, emphasized the potential impact of the GDSI measurement:

“We see the opportunity to use the GDSI measurement as a lever in the development of Östersund both as a destination and for those of us who live and work here. Visitors are becoming increasingly aware and demanding sustainable services and destinations to a greater extent. Then the GDSI measurement can be a way for us to develop Östersund but also contribute to increasing Östersund’s attractiveness and get more people to choose Östersund.”

This initiative is part of the “Better Tourism Industry – Data-driven and Sustainable Development” project, funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Region Jämtland Härjedalen.

For more information on Östersund’s sustainability efforts and future plans, visit the original article.