Responsible Travel & GSTC Green Destination Award Recognitions for Kyoto by the Sea

Kyoto by the Sea has received additional recognition for its work on responsible travel through achieving Gold for the 2026 ICRT Responsible Tourism Awards and Silver for the GSTC Green Destinations Award.

IRCT Global Responsible Tourism Awards

The prestigious Responsible Tourism Awards were founded in 2004 to discover, recognise, and promote good practice encouraging replication contributing to the development of new solutions and replication. The winners providing inspiring models and clear evidence of impact.

The Responsible Tourism Awards always have six categories and are run on a regional basis in Latin America, Africa, Europe, the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, as well as “worldwide” category for organisations operating in any other part of the world.

Kyoto by the Sea DMO were recognised for their innovative approach to developing tourism in Ine Bay and its environs for the optimal benefit of the local economy and community. The strategy is detailed in our 2022 blog post; since then the DMO have seen impressive results through longer average stays and higher daily spends. An overview of the activities and achievements cited in relation to the award is provided below:

" The destination management authority (DMO) worked with more than 50 individual small craft and cuisine businesses, family owned and run accommodation, assisting them in bringing their individually distinctive experiences to market by engaging destination management companies and tour operators. Work has encompassed developing local guides, signage, creating and monetizing experiences with swordsmiths, weavers, lantern makers, paper makers, lacquer artisans, family-owned sake breweries, fishers, authentic local restaurants serving locally sourced produce and seafood. By carefully selecting tour operators it has been able to manage visitor numbers. To avoid over-tourism in the Ine fishing village, it introduced the Ine Pledge, promoting slow travel with minimum two-night stays, local experiences and visitor education. Tourism demand for the region has increased significantly, with travel trade sales rising from ¥12 million in 2023 to ¥49.8 million in 2024 and ¥79.6 million in 2025. The judges were impressed by the way this ‘new’ destination was developed and managed to present authentic experiences of Japan and avoiding overtourism, supporting “small communities and endangered cultures, along with the environment that allows them to exist.” If only this approach was adopted more widely, there is much to be learnt from the approach and success of the ‘Kyoto by the Sea’ DMO." https://icrt.global/judges-citations-2026-icrt-responsible-tourism-awards-worldwide/

Gold winners in all categories in the regional Responsible Tourism Awards then go on to be considered for a prestigious Global Responsible Tourism Award which is announced in London in early November.

GSTC Green Destination Silver Award

Miyazu City in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, officially achieved the Green Destinations Silver Award in August 2026. This milestone represents a significant step forward in the region's sustainable tourism initiatives, bypassing its initial baseline goal of reaching the Bronze level in 2024.

The certification was evaluated and granted by Green Destinations, an international non-profit organization dedicated to sustainable destination management.

GSTC Alignment: Green Destinations operates an Award & Certification Program based on the Green Destinations Standard, which is a GSTC-Recognized Standard. This standard incorporates 84 rigorous criteria assessing environmental stewardship, cultural heritage protection, socioeconomic benefits, and sustainable destination management.

For more information on Kyoto by Sea DMOs sustainability initiatives, take a look at this in depth interview with International Marketing Manager, Jesse Efron.