What is Green Destinations?
what is
Green Destinations?
“We are a global organization that delivers strategic tourism management solutions to destinations, businesses and communities with integrity and transparency. For Destinations, we evaluate your destination’s sustainability performance, nurture it through virtual training modules, coaching programs, and support toolkits, and offer global recognition for accomplishing the ascertained benchmarks. For Businesses, we employ a series of tools to assess, support, and certify the sustainability practices of your travel business.”
Green Destinations is the program used by the National Tourism Organization of Slovenia (Slovenia Green), which has been very successful and beneficial for tourism destinations there. Implementation of this program has put Slovenia on the global stage as a leader in sustainable tourism.
why join
Green Destinations?
There are many benefits to following sustainable tourism management best practices, and Green Destinations is accredited by the GSTC to issue awards and certification to destinations based on the GSTC standards. Because Albania and Kosovo are managed under the Balkan Green territory agreement, the engagement and annual participation fees are reduced. You can also receive international recognition and awards for your activities and achievements.
In addition to providing strategies for better protection of resources and long-term economic benefits for the municipality, tourism businesses in your region can receive a discount of up to 33% on the cost of the Good Travel Program (Green Destinations awards and certification program for businesses). With a minimum of 5 participating businesses achieving an award or certification, a Municipality can receive its own page in the Good Travel Guide (https://goodtravel.guide/).
For more information or if you have questions, please contact me at info@terena.al
Success Story:
Green Destinations Award for Sarandë, Albania
Albania’s premier beach destination through the Sector of Projects, has successfully applied for recognition of its sustainability policy and achievements through the Green Destinations Award program. This program certifies and promotes sustainable tourist destinations at an international level in accordance with environmental, socio-economic and cultural criteria.
After a period of extensive preparation and reporting of substantive dossiers covering more than 100 sustainability criteria and indicators, and an independent on-site audit, the Bronze Green Destinations Award level was attributed to Sarandë, indicating excellence in all fields of sustainable destination management such as nature and heritage conservation, waste management, energy and climate. The award is also a recognition for the destinations’ efforts to sustain the attractiveness of its tourism in the future. Not only visible, tangible aspects are measured, such as natural heritage, but also policy and management plans that take sustainable development principles into account.
As one of the improvements for the future, it was recommended to pay attention to creating a comprehensive sustainable tourism management plan that includes further development of visitor engagement initiatives, more in-depth monitoring of certain areas, and addressing potential light pollution.
Since 2024, Sarandë has participated in the Top 100 Destinations Sustainability Stories competition. This Green Destinations Bronze Award is a major step-up towards fully evidence-based and independently verified certification of sustainability performance in accordance with international standards dictated by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)).
The Award was officially presented to Sarandë during the Green Destinations Awards at ITB Berlin, on Tuesday, March 4th, 2025, at 18:00 on the Blue Stage (Hall 7.1).
Success Story:
The first Municipality in Albania to join Green Destinations
The first Municipality in Albania to join Green Destinations was Belsh, in 2022. In 2023, not only did they receive a Top 100 Story Award, but they also hosted the Balkan Green Roadshow event in Albania, presented at the Green Destinations 2023 Global Conference in Tallin, Estonia, and won the 2-nd prize at the Story Awards at ITB Berlin, in the category of “Culture and Tradition”.
