I-DEST Sustainable Destination Award - Data-driven recognition for towns and regions, based on GSTC standards

Thursday, 15 January 2026 08:47

On 15 January 2026, the I-DEST sustainable tourism portal celebrated its first anniversary.

To mark the anniversary, we are launching the I-DEST Sustainable Destination Award, which aims to use objective, comparable data to highlight which towns and regions are doing the most for sustainable tourism – and who achieves the greatest improvement within a year.

The award is not just a recognition but also a tool for development and feedback: participants can track their sustainability performance in a measurable way via the I-DEST online platform and compare it with other destinations.

The programme's objectives and methodology align with the European Union's Green Transition programme: supporting the measurement of sustainability performance, transparent monitoring of environmental and social impacts, and the development of responsible, high-quality tourism.

The I-DEST Sustainable Destination Award can be awarded to a town or region that commits to uploading and publishing its sustainability initiatives on the I-DEST platform and, during reporting periods (quarterly), reviews its data and records its sustainability actions in the database.

Who can apply?

The I-DEST Sustainable Destination Award is open to:

towns and regions in Hungary,
as well as predominantly Hungarian-populated cross-border destinations (e.g. settlements and regions in Transylvania, Upper Hungary, Vojvodina, and Subcarpathia).

Awards will be given in the following categories:

Settlements with a population under 1,000
Settlements with a population between 1,000–3,000
Settlements with a population between 3,000–5,000
Settlements with a population between 5,000–10,000
Settlements with a population between 10,000–50,000
Settlements with a population over 50,000
Regions (e.g. counties, national parks, geoparks, nature parks, wine regions, cultural regions)

Two main awards will be presented in each category:

Destination with the highest sustainability index
Destination achieving the greatest positive change (within one year)

There will also be a special award in each category for the destination that generates the most engagement in the I-DEST system during the year.

How does the programme work?

Destinations wishing to participate must register on the I-DEST platform by 15 March 2026 and pay the registration fee.

Once the fee is received, the I-DEST editors will grant the destination access to the online platform.

Participants are required to:

1. Upload initial data (indicators, background information),

2. Provide an introduction and photos

The destination will gain full access to the I-DEST platform, where they can:

1. Continuously monitor their sustainability index,

2. Compare their results with other towns and regions in the system

How much does it cost?

The registration fee is determined based on the population size of towns and regions. The price includes full access to the platform for the town/region and up to 10 attractions at the location for one year.

Under 1,000 inhabitants: 90,000 HUF + VAT
1,000–3,000 inhabitants: 120,000 HUF + VAT
3,000–5,000 inhabitants: 150,000 HUF + VAT
5,000–10,000 inhabitants: 190,000 HUF + VAT
10,000–50,000 inhabitants: 850,000 HUF + VAT
50,000–100,000 inhabitants: 1,300,000 HUF + VAT
100,000–250,000 inhabitants: 1,800,000 HUF + VAT
250,000–1,000,000 inhabitants: 3,000,000 HUF + VAT
Over 1 million inhabitants: 5,000,000 HUF + VAT

Regions (counties, regions, geoparks, national parks, etc.): Pricing based on population size as above

The fee includes:

Destination dashboard and visibility on the I-DEST.com website, access to all I-DEST destination services during the registration period
Display of up to 10 attractions
Each additional attraction or service provider, if the destination is listed on I-DEST: 20,000 HUF + VAT