Helsinki Ranked World’s Most Sustainable Tourist Destination

For the second year in a row, Helsinki has been ranked first in the Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Index. The latest results were published on Tuesday 23 September.

The international Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Index measures the sustainability of tourist destinations in four different categories based on more than 70 indicators. Over a hundred cities around the world committed to sustainability are included in the comparison. This is the second consecutive year that Helsinki has topped the ranking.

“Helsinki is investing in sustainable growth in tourism. Our aim is to make Helsinki a welcoming destination for a steadily rising number of travelers. Being the world’s most sustainable tourist destination for the second year in a row shows that our work for tourism and its sustainability is paying off,” rejoices Mayor of Helsinki Daniel Sazonov. 

“Helsinki continues to raise the bar by defining the ‘next practices’ of regenerative destination management. Through bold climate action, pioneering sustainability strategies, and a steadfast commitment to transparency, the city demonstrates exceptional vision. Its recognition as the top-ranked destination in the 2025 GDS-Index – for the second consecutive year – is highly deserved,” congratulates Guy Bigwood, CEO, GDS-Movement.

Helsinki’s sustainability is built on cooperation 

The GDS Index assesses sustainability in four categories: environmental performance, supply chains, destination management and social sustainability. Helsinki’s sustainability as a tourist destination is the result of cooperation between many operators.

For example, the increasing number of companies with environmental certifications and the more climate-friendly production of district heating and electricity have helped Helsinki reach the top of the list. 

“Up to 99 % of the rooms of hotels with more than 50 rooms in Helsinki are environmentally certified. This level is significantly higher than in Europe in general. Similarly, more and more destinations, meeting and conference facilities, tour operators and others have environmental certifications,” says Tourism Director Nina Vesterinen from the City of Helsinki. 

Transparency and reliability matter in sustainability

In addition to the GDS Index, Helsinki has also performed well in other international assessments of sustainable tourism this year. In March, Helsinki became the first city with over half a million residents to be awarded the Green Destinations GSTC certification, which has the strictest criteria in the world.

“For Helsinki, it is essential that sustainability is transparent. Sustainability must be more than just marketing-level greenwashing, which is already demanded by EU legislation requiring environmental claims to be reliable and verifiable. This is why indices and certifications such as GDS and GSTC are important to us,” Vesterinen points out. 

Tourism and city growth call for continued sustainability efforts

The tourism year of 2025 has been record-breaking for Helsinki. According to Statistics Finland’s accommodation statistics, the number of nights spent by international tourists has increased by 19 % in the first seven months compared to the same period last year. A significant share of this growth comes from congress attendees.

“International surveys show that a growing number of tourists are looking for more sustainable services and destinations. As a result, there will continue to be demand for the world’s most sustainable destinations.

The City of Helsinki, businesses and all tourism operators must continue to systematically invest in the sustainability of tourism,” continues Tourism Director Vesterinen. 

The City of Helsinki has several sustainability-related projects and measures underway. It already measures the carbon footprint of tourism, promotes the measures of Helsinki’s climate roadmap for tourism and supports tourism businesses on the path of sustainable tourism. Ensuring the participation and wellbeing of residents is also an important factor in the development of sustainable tourism. 

“We are promoting tourism with all areas of sustainability in mind, reducing negative impacts and increasing positive ones. The aim is for Helsinki to be a better place when a visitor leaves than it was before they arrived,” comments Tourism Director Vesterinen. 

“Despite its sustainability credentials, Helsinki as a tourist destination still has room for improvement. Finding a balance is not an easy task, but we are doing our best. A large proportion of international tourists visiting the city arrive by boat or by air, the climate impacts of which we acknowledge. Accordingly, we are aiming to attract more and more tourists from Finland and neighbouring European regions,” concludes Vesterinen.