Kraków has become the first city in Poland to receive a Green Destinations Bronze Award. In the assessment process, the capital of Małopolska achieved a score of 8.3 out of 10. For the meetings industry, the recognition has additional significance: it complements Kraków’s results in the GDS-Index and certifications held by individual hotels and venues, providing an increasingly comprehensive picture of sustainable destination management.
The Green Destinations Foundation has awarded Kraków a Bronze Award under its international sustainable destination assessment programme. It is the first such distinction for a Polish city and, according to the Municipality of Kraków, one of the first in Central and Eastern Europe. The Green Destinations Standard is recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.
More than 100 criteria and indicators assessed
The preparation process took several months. The Tourism Department of the Municipality of Kraków submitted documentation covering more than 100 criteria and indicators relating to environmental, social, economic and cultural issues, as well as destination management and long-term tourism development planning.
Kraków achieved an overall score of 8.3/10. Its highest results were recorded in four areas:
- business and communication – 9.2/10
- destination management – 8.9/10
- culture and tradition – 8.3/10
- nature and landscape – 8.1/10
The assessment highlighted, among other factors, cooperation with tourism stakeholders, access to information, tourism governance structures, dialogue with residents and solutions related to the night-time economy. Another important reference point was the “Kraków Sustainable Tourism Policy for 2021–2028”, adopted in 2021
Green Destinations and the GDS-Index – two different perspectives on a destination
For Poland’s meetings industry, the significance of the award extends beyond leisure tourism. Kraków already participates in the Global Destination Sustainability Index, a benchmarking tool widely used by the meetings and events sector to assess destinations.
In the 2026 edition of the GDS-Index, Kraków scored 65.18 points, improving on 62.16 points the previous year and remaining the highest-ranked Polish destination participating in the index.
The two systems are not interchangeable. The GDS-Index enables destinations to benchmark their performance and examines areas including the local tourism and events sector. Green Destinations, by contrast, assesses the extent to which destination management complies with a standard covering areas such as environment and climate, culture, social wellbeing, nature and business engagement. Under the Green Destinations programme, the assessment is subject to independent verification.
For organisers of international congresses, conferences and incentive programmes, this makes it possible to assess Kraków’s sustainability performance from several perspectives – from city-wide policy and destination governance to the operation of individual components of the local supply chain.
From destination level to hotels and venues
In practical event planning, a single certification or ranking does not provide the complete picture. Information from Green Destinations and the GDS-Index can be considered alongside certifications held by individual hotels and buildings.
Kraków is home to a number of hotels holding certifications including Green Key, representing different market segments and international brands. The certification applies to individual properties and confirms the implementation of defined environmental standards and management systems.
From a planner’s perspective, several levels can therefore be assessed at the same time: how the destination as a whole is managed, the city’s performance in international benchmarks, and the standards applied by a specific hotel, conference centre or building.
This is becoming increasingly important in tender processes in which organisers expect measurable information on ESG policies, supplier certifications, transport, event impact and reporting capabilities.
The audit also identified areas for further action
Green Destinations does not focus solely on identifying strengths. Kraków’s audit also includes recommendations for the next stages of development.
These include more frequent research into the impact of tourism on residents, the development of measurable targets for emissions associated with visitor travel, continued monitoring of energy consumption and the use of renewable energy sources, greater visitor engagement, and further monitoring of tourism’s impact on natural resources.
This is an important part of the process: external assessment gives a destination not only an opportunity to communicate the level it has achieved, but also a set of reference points for managing further change.
Another sustainability benchmark for Polish destinations
Kraków is one of four Polish cities currently participating in the GDS-Index, alongside Gdańsk, Szczecin and Wrocław. At the same time, the number of certified hotels and other businesses is growing, while some destinations are introducing their own programmes to support the industry through certification processes. Szczecin, for example, launched a support programme in 2026 covering certifications including Green Key, BREEAM, LEED and Good Travel Seal.
Kraków’s Green Destinations Bronze Award adds another level to this system – an independent assessment of sustainability management across the destination as a whole. For Poland Convention Bureau, it provides another measurable argument for discussions with organisers of international meetings who assess not only a city’s infrastructure, but also how its tourism development is managed.
Read more
- GDS-Index 2026: Kraków, Gdańsk, Szczecin and Wrocław in the global ranking of sustainable destinations
- Green Key-certified hotels in Poland
- Destination Poland Green Academy 2025–2026 – building the future of sustainable business tourism in Poland together
- Szczecin supports certification for the tourism and events industry
