The inaugural Good Travel Alliance (GTA) Summit will serve as a cornerstone event during the highly anticipated Green Destinations 2025 global conference. Bringing together regional, national, and international stakeholders, the Summit will showcase cutting-edge tools, global best practices, and strategies to accelerate the development and adoption of Good Travel Experiences (GTEs)—a transformative approach to sustainability in tourism.
Held under the umbrella of Green Destinations, an internationally recognized organization supported by the European Commission, UNDP, and aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Summit reinforces a critical shift from certification to impact-oriented, experience-driven sustainable travel models.
Unlike conventional sustainability summits that often focus solely on destination standards, the Good Travel Alliance Summit 2025 takes an innovative approach by prioritizing activities and travel experiences as key connectors between travellers, local communities, and sustainability goals.
Confirmed features of the event include:
Open through the end of June 2025, the Call for Speakers invites tourism boards, sustainability experts, destination managers, and community leaders to present their unique stories or projects. Speaker applications are available in both English and French, reflecting the Summit’s commitment to multilingual accessibility and international collaboration.
Interested speakers are encouraged to align their proposals with:
This aligns with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and OECD’s recommendations for sustainable tourism models that center local impact and resilience.
The Summit will coincide with the annual Green Destinations Awards ceremony, spotlighting destinations whose sustainability achievements have been independently verified against the Green Destinations Standard. This globally recognized benchmark evaluates governance, environmental management, cultural preservation, and social equity in tourism development.
Awarded destinations in 2025 include:
Each awarded destination has demonstrated adherence to criteria outlined by GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council) and aligns with national tourism development strategies, including those of Chile’s Sernatur, Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and Sweden’s Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation.
From 27–28 September, the Green Destinations team will offer an in-depth training workshop on how to apply the Green Destinations Standard in local contexts. Designed for tourism professionals, municipalities, and sustainability officers, this course covers:
Held at the Hotel Courtyard in Montpellier, the workshop will accommodate up to 30 participants. Registration fees include access to an online course and exam, with pricing between €315 and €450.
This initiative is closely supported by the European Union’s Interreg program and contributes to broader capacity building efforts in tourism governance.
To complement destination-focused efforts, Green Destinations has launched the Good Travel Stories Competition 2025. Businesses, especially micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), are invited to showcase sustainable travel experiences in three categories:
Entries may be submitted as videos or image-based stories, with evaluation criteria including:
The competition, open globally, aims to amplify private-sector contributions to tourism resilience and provide a platform for SMEs, artisans, guides, and operators often overlooked in traditional award schemes.
In two standout regional projects, Green Destinations is currently leading on-the-ground transformation in:
The GTA Summit and Green Destinations 2025 Conference reflect a turning point in global tourism. With support from the European Union, national tourism authorities, and sustainability-focused NGOs, the event promotes:
In Montpellier, from 27 September to 1 October, global stakeholders will gather to reimagine tourism—not as an extractive industry but as a regenerative force that respects heritage, protects nature, and empowers communities.
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