Belfast has made the Top 20 official list of sustainable destinations in the world.
This international ranking was confirmed by the Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-Index), the world’s largest sustainability performance improvement and benchmarking programme for destinations.
Other sustainable Top 20 cities for 2021 include Gothenburg, Zurich, Sydney, Helsinki, Cork, Brussels and Glasgow.
With a score this year of 70.7%, Belfast has climbed up the rankings to number 19 among a total of 73 global destinations.
The GDS Index evaluated Belfast’s on four key areas: environmental strategy and infrastructure, social sustainability performance, industry supplier support and the strategy and initiatives of the city’s destination marketing and management organisation (DMMO) Visit Belfast.
Belfast launched its ‘Resilience Strategy’, the city’s first climate plan, in December 2020, outlining 30 programmes to transition the Belfast City Region to an inclusive, zero-emissions, climate-resilient economy within a generation.
Kate Nicholl, Lord Mayor of Belfast Council, commented: “I’m really pleased that Belfast has been recognised by the GDS-Index for its efforts in driving its environmental and sustainability credentials and placing sustainable tourism at the heart of city development. Tourism plays an important role in enriching the culture and vibrancy of our city and a move towards building a more sustainable tourism destination is vital in future-proofing Belfast for generations to come.”
Gerry Lennon, chief executive, Visit Belfast, said: “To be ranked alongside some of the most pioneering cities in the world for sustainability is a significant achievement. Since launching our ambitious sustainability plan with Belfast City Council, we have been focused on attracting visitors to the city, generating economic benefit and inclusive growth and enabling Belfast to become a more sustainable place to visit, meet and live.”
