Tartu has once again been awarded the highest distinction in the international Green Destinations Awards programme – the Platinum Award for sustainable tourism. This marks the second consecutive time that Tartu has achieved the programme’s highest level. The city received an overall score of 9.4 out of 10, improving on its 2023 result of 9.2.
Unlike many awards, Green Destinations recognition is not permanent. Destinations must undergo a comprehensive reassessment every two years to maintain their status. According to Tartu’s Sustainable Tourism Coordinator, Miia Maris Praks, the Green Destinations audit is much more than an evaluation. “It is a comprehensive opportunity to map all sustainability-related activities taking place across the city. The process brings together experts from many different fields, making it possible to see just how much work is being done to advance sustainable development,” she said.
Tartu also made significant progress towards certification by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). While the city met 78.7% of the mandatory GSTC destination criteria in 2023, this year’s assessment increased that figure to 84%. Reaching the 80% threshold is an important milestone within the Green Destinations programme, as it makes destinations eligible to move forward with applying for internationally recognised GSTC certification.
“This result shows that Tartu’s work in sustainable tourism is not a one-off project but a continuous process of improvement. Maintaining Platinum status is a significant achievement in itself, but equally important is the fact that we have genuinely progressed since the previous assessment. Reaching 84% compliance means we are another step closer to achieving full GSTC certification,” said Annika Ojasaar, Head of Tourism at Tartu.
Achieving GSTC certification has also been set as one of the objectives in Tartu’s Development Plan 2035. This year’s results demonstrate that the city is steadily moving towards that goal: Platinum status has been retained, the overall score has improved, and Tartu has now reached the compliance level required to apply for GSTC certification.
Green Destinations is an international programme that helps cities and regions assess how effectively they manage the sustainability of tourism. Rather than focusing solely on environmental commitments, the assessment examines how destinations engage local communities and businesses, protect natural and cultural heritage, collect and use data, and incorporate sustainability into decision-making.
Compared with the previous assessment in 2023, Tartu improved its results in several categories. The score for destination management increased from 8.2 to 8.4, environmental and climate performance rose from 9.2 to 9.4, and social well-being improved from 9.4 to 9.7. The largest increase was recorded in the business and communication category, where the score rose from 8.3 to 8.8. Tartu once again achieved the maximum score of 10 out of 10 in both the nature and landscapes category and the culture and traditions category.
The on-site audit was conducted by Green Destinations auditor Triin Killing, who visited several locations across Tartu on 29 May, including the Town Hall, the banks of the Emajõgi River, Rüütli Street, Toome Hill, the University of Tartu Botanical Garden, the Estonian National Museum, Vabaduse Boulevard and the city’s urban forest. During the visit, the auditor met with representatives from tourism, environmental management, emergency preparedness, cultural heritage, public transport, biodiversity and the tourism industry.
According to the auditor, Tartu presented a strong and convincing case. The report highlights the city’s progress in climate action, sustainable mobility, energy, nature conservation and support for sustainable tourism businesses. It also notes that Tartu is the only city in Estonia participating in the European Commission’s Mission for 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities.
The report also identifies areas for further development. Over the coming years, Tartu should improve the monitoring of tourism-specific sustainability indicators, including visitors’ modes of transport, the number of sustainably operating tourism businesses, and waste generated at events. The auditor also recommends providing tourism businesses with more practical guidance on reducing water consumption, energy use and carbon emissions, while communicating Tartu’s sustainability story more clearly to businesses, residents and visitors alike.
Read more: https://www.greendestinations.org/home/about/destinations-collection/
For more information: Miia Maris Praks, Sustainable Tourism Coordinator, miia.praks@visittartu.com,+372 5347 0939
