Cork: Global Destination Sustainability Index

We are delighted to announce that Cork has been ranked 22nd out of the participating destinations in the GDS-Index for 2026, with our overall rating increasing by 2.5% compared to last year! We also rank 5th in the UK and Ireland regional category.

The GDS-Index is a destination-level programme that measures, benchmarks, and improves the sustainability strategy and performance of tourism and events destinations. It is aligned with international standards: UN SDGs, GSTC Destination Criteria, UNWTO.

Each year we try and push our score up by a few percentage points, and all the hard work being done by local authorities, and the tourism and events industry, helps us to demonstrate improvement. Thanks to all the stakeholders in Cork that are progressing their sustainability and climate initiatives, helping to ensure that our industry and our cities and regions are more resilient and welcoming! 

Change doesn’t happen overnight, but if every organisation commits to make one positive change each year, then we can keep up the momentum on progress. 

What one action can your business take in the next 12 months to embed sustainability into the way you work?

Find some inspiration in our industry best practices:
https://www.purecork.ie/purecork-sustainability-best-practices



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