Gdańska Organizacja Turystyczna, through the activities of Gdańsk Convention Bureau and Visit Gdansk, has won the GDS-Movement Innovation Award 2026. The international distinction was presented for the project “Nothing about us without us. Accessibility Audits and Communication Cards as tools for inclusive destination change”, which develops practical accessibility tools for tourism and the meetings industry.
GDS-Movement Innovation Award 2026 for Gdańsk
The award was presented during the GDS-Awards Ceremony, held on 17 June 2026 in Szczecin as part of GDS-Forum & Impact Day. This is one of the most important international events dedicated to the sustainable development of destinations, regenerative approaches to tourism, and the tangible impact of business events on cities and local communities.
Gdańsk was recognised in the Innovation Award category for a project demonstrating that accessibility should not be treated as an additional element of a destination’s offer, but as an integral part of destination design. The “Nothing about us without us” initiative is based on the principle that solutions for people with different accessibility needs should be created together with them, not solely on their behalf. This approach is particularly important for cities developing their tourism and conference offer, as it allows them to better understand the real experiences of visitors, event participants and residents.
Accessibility in tourism and the meetings industry
The Gdańsk project includes, among other activities, accessibility audits carried out in tourism facilities and tools supporting communication. The auditors are people with different types of disabilities, as well as carers of people with disabilities. The analysis covers the entire process of using a given place: from the decision to visit, through transport, the accessibility of the space, service and offer, to the return journey. The aim of the audits is not to create rankings of venues, but to collect practical information that helps people with different needs make informed decisions about visiting.
Since 2022, more than 100 accessibility audits have been carried out in Gdańsk in tourism facilities, tourist information points and Gdańsk Resident Card points operated by Gdańska Organizacja Turystyczna. Information from the audits is published in venue profiles, making accessibility more visible, specific and useful for users.
Accessibility audits as a tool for change
The accessibility audits carried out in Gdańsk have both a practical and educational dimension. They not only verify whether a given place is accessible, but also indicate what information people planning a visit need. For event organisers, conference venues, hotels and tourist attractions, this is particularly important, as accessibility is increasingly becoming one of the criteria for selecting a destination.
Understood in this way, accessibility goes beyond infrastructure. It also includes the quality of information, the way guests are served, communication with visitors, a sense of safety and the ability to use the city’s offer independently.
Communication cards for accessible guest service
The second important element of the award-winning project is the communication cards. This is a simple yet highly practical tool that facilitates communication in situations where traditional verbal communication is difficult. The card uses thematically organised pictograms and space for a response, clarification of a question, or for writing or drawing a message.
Initially, the card was developed to support Deaf and hard-of-hearing people, but its application is much broader. It can also help people who do not speak a given language, people using easy-to-read communication, people with speech difficulties, or children learning to communicate.
An inclusive destination in practice
The strength of this solution lies in its universality. In the tourism and meetings industry, where people from different countries, cultures and backgrounds meet every day, accessible communication is becoming one of the key conditions of good service. The communication card can be used in tourist information points, hotels, attractions, conference venues and event spaces. As a result, accessibility ceases to be an abstract concept and becomes an everyday tool that improves users’ comfort and independence.
The award rationale emphasised that Gdańsk’s initiative demonstrates the practical dimension of inclusive change within a destination. The project reflects an increasingly strong trend in the international meetings industry, where sustainability encompasses not only environmental issues, but also social aspects: accessibility, equality of participation, quality of experience and responsible destination management.
Gdańsk as a responsible MICE destination
For Gdańsk, the GDS-Movement Innovation Award 2026 confirms a direction of development that has been consistently pursued. The city demonstrates that a responsible destination is one that not only attracts events and visitors, but also designs its services with different users in mind. Accessibility here means not only infrastructure, ramps or lifts, but also information, communication, independence, a sense of safety and the opportunity to fully benefit from the city’s offer. Gdańsk proves that inclusivity is not an addition to a sustainability strategy. It is one of its foundations. The best solutions emerge when a destination listens to people who experience barriers in their everyday lives and designs change together with them.
The award is also significant for the Polish MICE industry. Gdańsk’s international recognition shows that Polish convention bureaux and tourism organisations are increasingly active in the global discussion on the future of destinations. The “Nothing about us without us” project can serve as an inspiration for other cities, venues and event organisers seeking to develop accessibility in a practical, partnership-based way, grounded in the real experience of users.
