Co‑developed by City Destinations Alliance (CityDNA) and Simpleview, the whitepaper critiques the growing reliance on sustainability indexes as proxies for success in urban tourism. It argues that while metrics can kick‑start sustainability efforts, they often prioritise what is easily measured over what truly matters—such as resident well‑being, equity and systemic innovation.

From Metrics to Meaning

Part of the VivaCITY Project—a three‑year co‑creation lab involving Helsinki and Torino—the publication highlights four strategic insights: the trade‑off between measurability and meaning; the risks of direct comparisons between diverse cities; the role of indexes as guideposts rather than goals; and the potential of indexes to build political will when used to convene stakeholders. It also flags forthcoming policy pressures under the EU’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive, which will require destinations to substantiate environmental claims with greater transparency.