In March 2019, ICLEI Member Ljubljana (Slovenia) was recognised at the ITB Berlin awards. Ljubljana won “Best of Cities” in the Green Destinations award category. This achievement recognises Ljubljana for “showing global leadership in urban sustainability and avoiding disruptive mass tourism (overtourism).”

ITB Berlin is an international travel trade show that distributes annual awards in a variety of categories, including “Green Destinations.”

Ljubljana’s Best of Cities award comes as a result of its high environmental standards. This is seen, for example, as the city centre is closed to motor vehicles, creating an extensive Urban Ecological Zone. Ljubljana also makes vast green areas available to locals and tourists.

In 2016, the city’s sustainability actions were recognised by the European Commission through its prestigious European Green Capital Award. The recent ITB Berlin award demonstrates that Ljubljana’s sustainability efforts have continued to move forward.

For a full list of 2019 Green Destination winners, click here. And, to read more about what led to Ljubljana’s win, click here.