Amsterdam ranks #30 in the 2026 Global Destination Sustainability Index
Amsterdam ranks #30 in the 2026 Global Destination Sustainability Index
Last updated on 1 October 2026 at 12:56
Reading time: 2 minutes
Amsterdam has moved up 10 places to #30 among participating destinations in the 2026 Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-Index), placing it 8th among participating capital cities, with an overall score of 78.35%. The annual index benchmarks destinations worldwide on sustainability across destination management, the tourism and events industry, social progress and environmental performance. The results highlight progress in visitor flow management, event impact and legacy, climate action, sustainability reporting and visitor communication.
Strengthening sustainability across the destination
The GDS-Index highlights visitor flow management as one of Amsterdam's strengths. As tourism continues to evolve, the city is working to balance welcoming visitors with maintaining a liveable city for residents. Research by Hogeschool Inholland explores how residents experience tourism in Amsterdam, providing insight into their perspectives on its impact and management.
The assessment also recognises Amsterdam's work to increase the impact and legacy of events, with tools and guidance shared with stakeholders alongside training, incentives and ongoing communication.
Climate action is another area of progress. Amsterdam is transforming its visitor economy through the City of Amsterdam Climate Policy, aiming for climate neutrality by 2050 while balancing tourism with resident livability.
Practical guidance also helps visitors make more sustainable choices, while sustainability initiatives from museums and other stakeholders are communicated and monitored.
Looking ahead
The GDS-Index provides a benchmark for where Amsterdam can continue to improve, including sustainability within the DMO, certification across parts of the tourism and events supply chain, social inclusion and impact measurement.
For the next 12 months, the focus will be on strengthening the supply chain and internal DMO processes, particularly around certification, climate action, inclusion and measurement. The results also reinforce the importance of making Amsterdam's existing sustainability work more visible and demonstrating progress through data.
