Representatives of destinations from all over the world gathered at the Green Destinations conference, held from 28 to 30 September 2025 in the French city of Montpellier, to share their experiences and discuss trends in sustainable tourism and business. The gala dinner, held on 29 September, was the highlight of the conference. It was also particularly important for our protected area because Plitvice Lakes National Park was granted the Green Destinations golden award for sustainable tourism.
Awards are granted by Green Destinations, a global non-profit organization established in the Netherlands, which has for many years been supporting sustainable development of destinations and tourism stakeholders, as well as encouraging good practices aimed at dealing with challenges posed by sustainable tourism. With over 600 destinations included in various Green Destinations programs and more than 160 certified and award-winning destinations in over 60 countries, the organization promotes the visibility of green destinations in the global tourism market.
THE PATH TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY
This award is an important step on the path toward sustainability, but it also serves as a key milestone for the public institution, confirming that we are heading in the right direction regarding nature conservation, management, social welfare, environment and climate, cultural heritage, business and communication. Our vision was clearly defined by the Green Destinations silver award in 2023, and this year’s golden award confirms that we are on the right path.
Given that the national park had previously been granted the Green Destinations award, after two years the renewal, or recertification, process followed, which started this year in April. On that occasion, the recertification expert team (Maja Vurnek, Zrinka Nenadić and Kristina Sigurnjak) collected documentation and described individual criteria that needed to be clarified, or harmonized, after the first audit. About 50 criteria were covered in the first phase, with another 34 criteria additionally clarified in 5 categories after the evaluator reviewed the documentation and visited the national park. Plitvice Lakes National Park was awarded the maximum score in the “Nature & Scenery” and “Culture & Tradition” categories. This entire journey ultimately confirmed the attractiveness, quality, and investment in the sustainability of the largest and oldest national park in Croatia, allowing us to improve from the silver to the gold award!
GREEN DESTINATIONS CONFERENCE
At the two-day conference, we had the opportunity to hear leading lecturers on the following topics:
- Destination management – toward successful sustainable tourism,
- Cultural heritage and tourism that strengthens and connects communities,
- Strategies, tools and activities for achieving climate resilience,
- Certificates (EcoLabel and regional cooperation in tourism),
- Innovations,
- Digital transformation,
- Decarbonization,
- Regenerative tourism through partnerships and social welfare.
The diversity of topics provided numerous opportunities for exploring sustainable solutions, exchanging best practices and connecting with various destinations from around the world (more than 300 participants), including Croatian representatives from tourist boards, counties, development agencies, Tourism Lab, and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
