• Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
• Tuesday December 10 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Bristol climbs global rankings to become the highest ranked English city for sustainability in 2024

Bristol has become the highest ranked English visitor destination for sustainability in 2024, according to a new worldwide survey.

Data released today (Tuesday) by Visit West shows Bristol now sitting at 51st place globally – up from 63rd in 2023. The ranking will make it easier to the city to attract tourists, conferences, and events, says the local visitor economy partnership for the West of England.

The ranking has been published by The Global Destination Sustainability Index, which encourages visitor destinations to become regenerative and more sustainable.

The GDS-Index benchmarked Bristol by analysing and focusing on four key areas:

• City Environmental Performance (indicators include energy emissions, air quality, waste and biodiversity)
• City Social Performance (indicators include diversity, inclusion, safety, wellness and accessibility)
• Supplier Performance (indicators include hotels, airports, academic institutions, restaurants and venues)
• Destination Management Performance (indicators include marketing and communications, destination strategy, policy and certification).

One of the reasons for success is the supplier network in the city, and the number of businesses with independent accreditation from Green Keys and The Green Tourism Business Scheme, with some also being certified as B Corp.

“The entry for Bristol into the GDS-Index is led by Visit West with many partners, particularly Bristol City Council supporting with comprehensive data needed to complete the application,” said Kathryn Davis, managing director of Visit West.

“This takes a significant amount of time to complete, with some complex and technical data.

“Working closely with local businesses, and business associations, we can share their work and achievements within the framework, and so to see Bristol rise 13 places in an index of ever improving global destinations is a huge boost for all, and something we should celebrate.

“We know that being able to demonstrate the sustainability and impact of a conference or event is critical in the decision-making process for many event organisers, and so as Bristol’s capacity to host events grows with its new venues in the coming years, so this will be increasingly important to continue.”

Guy Bigwood, CEO of GDS-Movement, added: “Bristol’s performance in the GDS-Index is a positive reflection of the city’s long-term commitment to sustainability.

“Rising 13 places to be ranked as the highest-performing English city is a fabulous achievement, particularly as this is only Bristol’s second year of participation.

“The city’s strong performance in the environmental and supplier pillars of the GDS-Index highlights the ongoing efforts to implement sustainable practices across various sectors.

“This progress is a big step in the right direction, and we look forward to seeing Bristol continue to build on and advance on these efforts in the years ahead.”

VisitEngland director Andrew Stokes said: “To attract the visitors of the future we need a resilient, sustainable, world-class industry and it is fantastic to see Bristol climb the ranks in the Global Destination Sustainability Index, demonstrating the tangible progress made in building knowledge and understanding of sustainability amongst local and regional tourism stakeholders, led by Visit West.

“The significant and impressive increase in Bristol’s GDS ranking and the work from businesses and stakeholders across the region, supported by VisitEngland’s Core Cities programme, also supports the ambitions of the Visit West Local Visitor Economy Partnership programme, to grow the visitor economy and generate better outcomes for visitors, the environment communities and businesses.”

Visit West said it wants Bristol to be a Top 40 ranking city by 2026, and to include Bath as a GDS-ranked destination in the same year.