Legacy and accessibility projects: Meet the winners of the GDS Awards in Poland (pure inspiration!)

Innovation Award: Gdańsk Promotes an Accessible and Inclusive Model

The Gdańsk Tourism Organization won the Innovation Award for its project “Nothing about us without us,” an initiative that promotes tourism accessibility designed with the direct participation of people with disabilities—and not just for them.

The project is based on two main initiatives: accessibility audits conducted by people with various types of disabilities, who evaluate the entire visitor experience and propose improvements; and Communication Cards—cards featuring pictograms developed in collaboration with the deaf community to facilitate communication in hotels, museums, restaurants, and other tourist venues.

Its main innovation is turning accessibility into a tool for continuous improvement and universal design, providing reliable information to visitors and promoting more inclusive tourism. Furthermore, the model is open and replicable, with the goal of enabling other European destinations to adopt this methodology.

Impact Award: Ireland Promotes Conferences with a Legacy

The Impact Award went to Fáilte Ireland. Its “Business Events Impact and Legacy Program,” developed in collaboration with the national industry and integrated into the Business Events 2030 strategy, proposes a new model in which the success of a conference is no longer measured solely by the number of attendees or the immediate economic impact, but also by the value it leaves behind in the host communities—that is, its legacy.

The program is structured around five pillars: a methodological framework for planning and measuring the impact and legacy of events; pilot projects designed to create intentional impact; the dissemination of success stories; training initiatives for the sector; and financial incentives for events that incorporate sustainability and impact criteria from the design phase.

One of the highlights of the initiative is its collaborative nature. The program was co-created with the entire Irish events ecosystem, involving public administrations, convention bureaus, universities, professional associations, industry companies, and local communities. In addition, it has a dedicated team focused on sustainability and social impact, an annual budget to promote ESG initiatives, and international partnerships that support its development and implementation.

To ensure tangible results, Fáilte Ireland has developed a system of key performance indicators (KPIs) linked to the Business Events 2030 strategy, which makes it possible to measure the economic, social, and environmental impact of conferences and to continuously monitor their progress. Among the key achievements to date are the creation of the Impact and Legacy Framework, the launch of pilot projects, the training of industry professionals, and the integration of evaluation tools into its management system. Furthermore, the program assesses the degree to which each event aligns with the government’s priorities and is working on new initiatives to expand its impact on rural communities and small businesses.

It is important because, through this initiative, Ireland has succeeded in incorporating the concept of legacy into the entire event management cycle, from the bid phase through to the post-event evaluation.

Changemaker Award for Fanny Beaulieu Cormier

The new Changemaker Award, introduced for the first time at the 2026 GDS Awards, recognized the career achievements of Fanny Beaulieu Cormier of Tourisme Montréal.

Among the results of its work are the training of more than 400 professionals in the sector, the creation of strategic partnerships with public and private entities, and support for the funding of projects that benefit both the destination and the local population. It has also promoted initiatives focused on biodiversity conservation, encouraging the consumption of local products, developing inclusive and indigenous tourism, and raising awareness among both visitors and tourism businesses.