• From regenerative strategy development, to circular thinking and the SDGs, to conducting supply chain analysis and reducing food waste, our training enables professionals to become leaders empowered with up-to-date knowledge on best practises and how to implement regenerative practices.

  • Our courses are personal, practical, backed by decades of experience, and informed by the latest theory on circular thinking, regeneration, and behaviour change.

    We pride ourselves on the collaborative, interactive and fun nature of our modules.

  • Our faculty consist of experts in sustainable destination management and are leading thinkers in regenerative management practices. They come from within the GDS-Movement, from leading universities and, from our partner destinations and organisations.

For Organisations

🅐 In house training for destination management organisations (NTOs, DMOs, CVBs)

🅑 Groups of destinations via a NTO or association

🅒 In destination training in partnership with DMOs for suppliers (ie. hotels, venues, restaurants, activity providers, event organisers)
View Our Courses

For Professionals

🅐 Open enrolment courses for destination management professionals

🅑 Masterclasses to further your knowledge and expertise in regenerative destination management
View Our Courses

Schedule of open-enrolment courses

  • GDS-ICCA-CityDNA Certificate in Regenerative Destination Management

  • 1 September - 15 December, 2022

  • Storytelling and Communication Strategies for Regeneration

  • 24 March - 21 April, 2022 (registration closed)

Experts in sustainable destination management, and thought leaders in regenerative management practices

Chief Storyteller and Head of Communications, GDS-Movement

Melissa Baird

Melissa is a communications specialist whose career has spanned publishing, advertising, brand, and marketing development. She has worked with global NGO’s, local government, major brands and was head of strategy at specialised advertising agency Ogilvy Earth. She is a passionate and dedicated teacher and has also developed a range of environmental literacy materials for use at South African schools. Her work with the GDS-Index began in 2015, and she is now Chief Storyteller and Head of Communications for the GDS-M.

Senior Changemaker

Rebecca Johnson

Rebecca’s passion for process and results driven sustainability strategies in tourism and events organisations has led her on a fast and furious journey in recent years, fine tuning her sustainability knowledge and experiences to become an expert in her field. With a full bundle of qualifications under her belt (ISO 20121, ISO 14001, GSTC, Travelife Auditor, GRI, Biosphere, Sustainable Event Alliance accreditation) and experience in providing sustainability trainings, Rebecca is well equipped to guide the full range of destination stakeholders in their mission to develop and implement a sustainability strategy.

Chief Changemaker

Guy Bigwood

For the last 15 years, Guy has been delivering award-winning consulting services focused on helping cities, governments, corporations and associations step up, scale up and speed up their sustainability programmes and regenerative practices. Guy’s pioneering work has been recognised with 22 sustainability awards including the Events Industry Council Pacesetter Award, and recognition as a Fellow of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment.

Founder, Social Impact Reporting

Fathma Khalid

Fathma is a Social Impact Measurement Consultant, working with businesses and organisations to track and measure the social impact they create. Experienced with methods including Social Return on Investment, Logical Frameworks and Theory of Change, Fathma prioritises understanding the key indicators needed to determine success and building them into a compelling story.

Changemaker, GDS-Movement

Jessica Vandy

Two years ago, sitting in a conference room in Ljubljana Slovenia she had the lightbulb moment. Creating greater connections and social change between business events and communities. Measurable, tangible change - positive social impact. She recently developed Tourism New Zealand’s first social impact programme Conference Impact Aotearoa. Now at the head of her own consultancy, her business is projects, social impact, communications.

CEO, eko6

Sebastien Turbot

Until recently, Sebastien was the Executive Director at the New Cities Foundation, a global non-profit with a mission to shape a better urban world for all by fostering urban innovation and entrepreneurship. He leads global projects on key focus areas including smart cities, urban tech, placemaking, urban wellbeing, urban mobility, artificial intelligence, proptech and urban financing.

Resident Futurist

Ed Gillespie

Ed Gillespie is a keynote speaker, writer, communications specialist, serial entrepreneur and futurist. As well as the Resident Futurist at the GDS-Movement, Ed is a facilitator with the Forward Institute for responsible leadership, a Director of Greenpeace UK, a Trustee of Energy Revolution, and a founder investor and former Chair of pioneering online rail ticketing business ‘Loco2’ now rebranded as Rail Europe. Ed co-hosts Itunes chart-topping podcast ‘Jon Richardson and the Futurenauts’ and ‘The Great Humbling’.

CEO, #MEET4IMPACT

Geneviève Leclerc

Geneviève has 25 years of experience in congress management and consultancy for associations. She works as a facilitator, speaker and trainer with the association meetings industry. She’s passionate about applying design thinking and lean startup practices to accompany organizations through innovation, and her most recent work focuses on achieving greater social impact. When off work, she's an avid sailor who holds a Yachtmaster Offshore certification.

Head of Strategic Communications, Travel Foundation

Ben Lynam

Ben has more than 20 years’ experience of working in marketing and communications for the private sector, governments and NGOs, with more than seven years in tourism marketing and communications. Ben was heavily involved in the development and promotion of TTF’s 2019 report, Destinations at Risk: The Invisible Burden of Tourism, securing global visibility and engagement within the international tourism community, including industry dialogue and speaking engagements.

Head of Strategic Partnerships, Travel Foundation

Graeme Jackson

Graeme is responsible for developing and managing partnerships for the Travel Foundation. A trained journalist, Graeme joined the Travel Foundation team in 2011, following a decade in the fields of Public Relations and marketing where he represented and consulted for the private, public and third-sector in a range of sectors including; business finance, wines & spirits, sustainability and energy.

Director of Programmes, Travel Foundation

Wendy Moore

Wendy Moore is the Director of Programs for TTF. She has more than 25 years’ experience in tourism, including working with international tour operators, research institutions, destination governments and tourism enterprises supporting better understanding of tourism impacts, strengthening and resilience of value chains and new product development (including setting up and running an award-winning community tourism enterprise in Thailand).

Programmes Manager, Travel Foundation

Terry Brown

With outbound tour operating and international development comprising most of his professional and academic experience, Terry joined TTF in 2014 and now manages the Destinations Programme team, overseeing the delivery, monitoring and impact evaluation of the TF’s portfolio of in-destination programmes. Terry’s recent experience includes overseeing TTF’s signature program in Jamaica, in partnership with the TUI Care Foundation, titled ‘Big Up Small Business’. The program seeks to equip 150 small-business entrepreneurs in Jamaica with the knowledge and know-how to benefit from tourism.

Senior Changemaker, GDS-Movement

Claudia van't Hullenaar

Claudia helps advance the transition to conscious and regenerative leadership and businesses. She is also a founder of Sustained Impact as well as a Senior Changemaker at the GDS Movement. Claudia combines 25 years multi-disciplinary, cross functional business and sustainability experience including an 11-year tenure at a Fortune 500 IT company. Here she designed and led the implementation of an award-winning corporate event sustainability strategy. Her passion lies in human potential and genuine transformation, and facilitating collaborative processes for societal impact.

CEO & Founding Partner at Group NAO

Signe Jungersted

Signe Jungersted is CEO and partner in innovation and strategy agency Group NAO. NAO works with strategic transformation and innovation within the experience and visitor economy. Projects include 101sustainableideas.com with Gothenburg and Power of Community with European Cities Marketing. Signe is formerly Development Director with Wonderful Copenhagen (DMO), where she was lead responsible and author of the 2020-strategy that declared ”The End of Tourism” and welcomed a new era of people-centric tourism development and localhood.

Founding Partner & CCO at Group NAO

Peter Rømer Hansen

Peter Rømer Hansen is founding partner in innovation and strategy agency Group NAO. NAO works with strategic transformation and innovation within the experience and visitor economy. Projects include The Tourism Co-Operative with South Coast Demark and Tourism Taxes by Design as a multi-client project. Peter has been a key figure in developing destinations and tourism co-operation across Europe. As Executive Vice President of Wonderful Copenhagen, Peter played a lead role in building a strategic and analytical DMO, taking tourism to new levels with Big Tourism and innovation strategies.

Guest Speakers

Over 20 guest speakers from destination management organisations around the world!