Victoria has been recognized as the world’s best small city for sustainable tourism by by a notable tourism industry index.
The Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Index ranked Victoria as the number one city overall with a population less than 200,000 for sustainable tourism. The runners-up to Victoria were Kerry, Ireland in second place and Luzern, Switzerland in third. Based on the criteria assessed for this year’s index, Victoria also ranked highly for destination management with a third-place score of 95.89, close behind second place Helsinki, Finland (96.58) and Montreal in first place (97.95).
“Victoria’s outstanding recognition in this year’s GDS Index is a remarkable achievement reflective of DGV’s destination management excellence,” said Paul Nursey, CEO of Destination Greater Victoria. “The entire tourism and business community in Greater Victoria can take pride in this global recognition of DGV’s exceptional management standards.”
Destination Greater Victoria’s own sustainability policies, strategies and ongoing capacity-building support for members have also contributed significantly to the destination’s strong performance.
Victoria has also ranked 15th overall in the GDS Index global “Top 40” cities, cracking the top 20 for the first time. Victoria is also one of only three North American cities on the Top 40 list, behind Montreal
(ninth) and ahead of Edmonton (39th). The Top 40 ranking is based on sustainability leadership efforts across four key areas: destination management, supplier, social progress, and environmental performance.
The exceptional results achieved in 2026 reflect the close collaboration between Destination Greater Victoria and the City of Victoria, as well as the shared commitment of industry partners, local government and the broader community to advancing long-term social and environmental sustainability. DGV attributes the success to a combination of factors such as extensive cycling infrastructure, walkable neighbourhoods, a clean energy grid, a safe and reliable water supply, and comprehensive climate action initiatives.
Victoria was one of only three Canadian cities on the list, with Montreal ranking ninth and Edmonton 29th overall.
