In two weeks, three of our destination partners obtained the Green Destinations certification
We are very pleased to share that in the past two weeks, three of our partners have received the Green Destinations certification, putting Sárvár and Hévíz in Hungary and Harghita County in Romania on the international map of sustainable tourism.
A Green Destinations Standard sustainable destination management international is based on the requirements of, and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) recognized standard. In the Green Destinations Award system, destinations' performance is evaluated in six major areas: including destination management, nature and landscape, environment and climate, culture and traditions, social well-being, and tourism businesses and communication.
Harghita County, with a silver rating, is the first Romanian region to receive an international sustainability certification
Harghita County achieved an average score of 7.5 in the six areas examined during the audit, fulfilling the requirements for the Silver Award level. The highest score, 9.2, was achieved in the area of culture and traditions. The expert assessment highlighted the strong commitment to the preservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, the programs supporting local crafts and traditions, and the protection and promotion of gastronomic heritage. The audit also particularly praised the role of traditional culture in tourism. The Myrmidon (orange butterfly) program, which serves to identify and recognize traditional dishes and the restaurants that prepare them, is also an important example in the evaluation. According to experts, preserving and bringing local heritage to life is one of the greatest strengths of Harghita County.
Another outstanding result was achieved in the area of social well-being, where the county achieved a score of 8.6. The assessment positively highlighted, among other things, the respect for the rights of the population, measures aimed at accessibility, and new steps taken to involve local communities and monitor their satisfaction.
Harghita County achieved a score of 7.1 in the areas of destination management, nature and landscape, and business and communication. The experts highlighted the strategic role of the Harghita Community Development Association (Visit Harghita), its commitment to sustainable tourism, and the initiatives supporting the sustainability of tourism businesses.
In relation to nature and landscape protection, the audit specifically mentions the site-specific management of Lake St. Anna and the Mohos peat bog, the information and behavioral guidelines provided to visitors, and the initiatives that contribute to forest conservation and tree planting by involving schools and local organizations.
The Green Destinations experts gave a positive overall assessment of Harghita County’s sustainability efforts, highlighting that the destination has consistently worked in recent years to make sustainability a central element of tourism development. According to the audit, the commitment to sustainable tourism is evident among both the destination’s staff and tourism stakeholders.
The protection of natural values stood out in Hévíz
Hévíz received the Bronze Award with an overall score of 6.8. In the audit,
city achieved the highest score of 8.8 in the field of nature and landscape, while in the area of culture and traditions it received 8.3 points.
The peer review highlighted the system for protecting species, habitats and ecosystems, the cooperation between national and local actors, and the monitoring of nature conservation. There was also a strong result in the area of cultural heritage, while the auditor noted the
In destination management, he also assessed that sustainability is increasingly prominent in the development of tourism.
The assessment also highlighted initiatives to support the local economy and more sustainable tourism services. The CROSSDEST project supports tourism businesses in Hévíz and surrounding areas to prepare for the Green Destinations Good Travel Seal certification. The auditor considered this a good starting point and encouraged the programme to be continued in the longer term and to be extended to a wider range of businesses.
„The Green Destinations recognition does not mean the end of a closed process for us, but rather confirmation that we are on the right track. The special natural asset of Hévíz, Lake Hévíz, is both a tourist attraction and a heritage for the preservation of which we have a long-term responsibility. It is particularly important for us that the audit assessed the protection of natural assets as one of our strongest areas. The next task is to ensure that sustainability increasingly appears in the daily operations of local tourism service providers.” – Mrs. Bolla Krisztina, marketing manager – Hévíz Tourism Nonprofit Ltd.
One of Sárvár's greatest strengths is the preservation of culture and traditions.
Sárvár reached the Bronze Award level with an overall score of 6.7. It received 9.2 points in the culture and traditions category., which stood out among the six assessed areas; and in the area of nature and landscape it achieved 8.1 points.
The auditor particularly positively assessed the system for ensuring the protection of cultural heritage and the way in which local cultural institutions, associations and civil society organisations cooperate in keeping traditions alive. The audit cites as examples the traditional events and the involvement of the local population and young people in these. In the area of nature conservation, the assessment highlighted the protection of species and habitats and the close cooperation between national and local nature conservation actors.
In recent years, Sárvár has consciously started to incorporate sustainability into tourism development: in 2025, it adopted a sustainable destination management strategy and a visitor management plan. The auditor assessed this as a positive initiative. I-Dest sustainability indicator system application, in which ten local businesses are currently participating in the pilot.
The CROSSDEST project has also brought tangible results in this area: ten tourism businesses in Sárvár are being prepared to obtain the Good Travel Seal. According to the auditor, the business development and awareness-raising work initiated in the project is in the right direction; the next task is to maintain this in the long term and involve additional local service providers.
„Sárvár’s tourism is built on long traditions, so for us sustainability also means preserving our values so that they remain alive for future generations. We are particularly proud that the independent audit rated the area of culture and traditions the strongest. However, the Bronze Award is not a destination: it also shows exactly where we need to develop further.” said Ferenc Haller, managing director of Sárvár Tourist & TDM Nonprofit Kft.
Not a title, but a development process
One of the important features of the Green Destinations Award is that does not only examine the results already achieved. The audit also identifies areas where further development is needed, so the assessment also provides a professional roadmap for the next period. In the Green Destinations system, the Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum Award grades indicate different levels of compliance with the standard and are also milestones on the path to full Green Destinations Certification.
In the case of Hévíz and Sárvár, the audit identified, among other things, the further strengthening of measurable sustainability goals and regular monitoring, the broader involvement of local actors, and the more visible communication of sustainability results as next tasks. In the case of Sárvár, for example, the auditor emphasizes in his summary that several positive initiatives are already in place, but the measurement and documentation of their results need to be further developed. In Harghita County, too, the focus should be on data-driven management of sustainable tourism, which is a significant task in a county with 67 settlements.
International recognition also opens up new opportunities in terms of communication. Destinations that win the Award are included in Green Destinations' international communication and network, receive the opportunity to appear on the organization's sustainable destination platforms, and are automatically pre-qualified for the Green Destinations Top 100 Stories program.
International results from cross-border cooperation
Hévíz and Sárvár Green Destinations are preparing for the CROSSDEST – Cross-border destination development for inclusive and sustainable tourism in the Slovenian-Hungarian border region was implemented within the framework of the project.
The project aims to embed sustainability not only in the strategies of destinations, but also in the specific services used by guests. To this end, at least 40 tourism service providers in the program area will be prepared to obtain the Good Travel Seal, while the development of attractions and local product producers is also part of the program.
The results of the two cities therefore go beyond the individual success of Hévíz and Sárvár: shows that sustainable tourism is not a single investment or campaign, but a joint, long-term effort between the destination, the local community and tourism businesses.
The Green Destinations Award is followed by an independent performance and progress review every two years, meaning that recognition is accompanied by the expectation of continued improvement.
The Bronze Award recognition for the two cities will be presented at the Green Destinations Global Conference, between October 27-29, 2026, in Kranj, Slovenia.
