Building Climate-Resilient Destinations: Integrating Climate Indicators into Sustainability Standards

Thursday, March 26, 2026
Rue du Trone 62, 5th Floor (Puglia Region Headquarters),1050 Brussels


As climate risks intensify across Europe, tourism destinations are increasingly exposed to extreme weather events, biodiversity loss and infrastructure vulnerability. Considering the proposed EU 2040 climate targets, the EU Adaptation Strategy, the upcoming EU strategy for sustainable tourism, and the emerging European framework for climate resilience and risk management, tourism must strengthen its capacity to mitigate emissions while adapting to growing climate impacts.

Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) play a key role in translating EU climate ambition into local action. Integrating climate mitigation, risk assessment and adaptation indicators into sustainability standards is essential to enhance resilience, protect ecosystems and infrastructure, and support investment pathways towards 2050.

This workshop highlights the importance of engaging local authorities, businesses, residents and visitors in co-creating climate-resilient destinations. By aligning the revision of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Destination Standard with EU climate objectives, the event aims to strengthen tourism as a driver of community-based climate action and long-term resilience.

Please join the event by registering below.

Question Title

* 1. Name:

Question Title

* 3. Company/Organization:

Question Title

* 4. Role at organization:

Question Title

* 5. Do you plan to attend in person or virtually? If virtually, a link will be sent to you before the event.

Question Title

* 6. By clicking agree you agree to allow the event organizers to process your name, email address, and organization information for this event. You can withdraw your consent at any time. Photos and videos may be taken at this event. By clicking agree, you also consent to having photos of yourself taken and/or published on the event organizers' websites and/or social media platforms. You can withdraw your consent at any time.

Agenda

09:00 – 09:30 Registration

09:30 – 09:45 Opening and strategic framing

Moderator: Cinzia De Marzo, Lawyer, EU senior advisor & European Climate Pact Ambassador
  • Welcome by Maria Grazia Starace, Regional Councillor for Tourism and Promotion, Puglia Region of Italy - remote
9:45 – 10:45 Panel 1: Climate resilience and tourism governance at different territorial level: why standards matter
  • Rachel McCaffery, Technical Consultant for GSTC Destination Standard Revision and Tourism Sustainability Expert
  • Kathleen Davisters, Sustainability & Accessibility Specialist, Visit Brussels
  • Dorota Tomalak, Deputy Head of Unit, European Committee of the Regions
  • Pablo Gandara, Team Leader, IURC (International Urban Regional Cooperation Project) & Oscar Prat, Business and Academia Support Expert, IURC
10:45 – 10:50 Q&A

10:50 – 11:15 Coffee break

11:15 – 12:15 Panel 2 and Workshop: Embedding climate indicators into destination standards

Facilitator: Rachel McCaffery, Technical Consultant for GSTC Destination Standard Revision and Tourism Sustainability Expert
  • Ignacio Sandino, General Manager, Citadines Toison d’Or and Sainte-Catherine Brussels (The Ascott Limited) -- GSTC-Certified Hotel
  • Eric Caspers, Strategic Advisor, and August Eggebeen, Policy Support Officer for Economy and Recreation, Schouwen-Duiveland, The Netherlands -- GSTC-Certified Destination
12:15 – 12:30 Open floor discussion

12:30 Wrap-up and key messages
  • Ioannis Pappas, European Climate Pact Ambassador and Regional Director for Europe, GSTC - remote

T