Poland’s Wrocław and Szczecin have officially become part of the 2025 Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-Index), increasing the number of Polish cities involved in this global performance enhancement initiative to four, alongside Krakow and Gdańsk. By participating in the GDS-Index, these cities reaffirm their dedication to sustainability, marking a significant step towards fostering a more resilient tourism and events sector while serving as a strong model for destinations around the globe. This participation allows them to evaluate their current performance, leverage international collaboration and best practices to refine their strategies, and promote regeneration within a more sustainable tourism and events industry.
In addition to advancing their sustainability initiatives, Wrocław and Szczecin are demonstrating that responsible tourism can lead to substantial progress. Szczecin, famous for its international sailing events facilitated by its extensive natural water bodies, recorded 822,400 overnight stays from January to September 2024. This represents a 9.1% increase compared to the same timeframe in 2023, which saw 793,300 overnight stays.