PAN Parks works to protect Europe’s wilderness, the continent’s most undisturbed areas of nature. In these areas our knowledge and understanding is enhanced for the benefit of nature and humanity alike; people appreciate the pleasures offered by wilderness with the respect it deserves.

PAN Parks, the only European-wide organisation focusing on the protection of wilderness areas, applies a truly integrated approach combining wilderness protection and sustainable tourism development. With diverse activities and work in different fields of expertise, we maximise our efforts for the protection of wilderness.

• Conservation
• Policy work
• Communications
• Tourism
Photo: Orsolya Haarberg
Conservation

• Developing a network of wilderness protected areas in Europe

These areas provide examples of the best practices in wilderness management, working with local communities and offering a unique wilderness experience to visitors.
We also actively support European protected area managers to meet PAN Parks quality standards and link them to a European-wide network with opportunities to exchange expert ideas.

• Setting an important benchmark for high standards in protected area management
PAN Parks provides effective a third-party certifcation system under WCPA (World Commission on Protected Areas) Framework for Management Effectiveness.

Policy work

• Redefining and developing a concept of wilderness conservation in Europe

PAN Parks occupies a unique position from a conservation perspective in its attempt to redefine and develop a concept of wilderness conservation in Europe, one of the most highly developed areas in the world.

• Creating better policies and a research environment of wilderness areas

We participate in developing guidelines to support techniques needed in wilderness protection and lobby for their adoption in the EU legal framework. We prepare professional publications on these approaches to be applied in wilderness protection.

• Creating and operating a ’Wilderness Think-tank’

PAN Parks will set up a panel of wilderness experts (conservationists and scientists) to support wilderness conservation in Europe.

Communications

• Raising awareness and creating positive perception of wilderness

We work to provide extensive information on wilderness European-wide through media appearances, publications, our website and various communications tools such as leaflets plus info boards in the field, in PAN Parks.

• Promoting the PAN Parks network as the best wilderness areas of Europe

We provide publicity for PAN Parks in European and local media, through leaflets, our website and various international and local events.

Tourism
Photo: Kote Gabrichidze
Helping develop these areas through the active promotion of local and sustainable tourism
We actively promote local and sustainable tourism in PAN Parks.

• Developing a certification system for selecting local PAN Parks partners

We provide criteria not only for wilderness protected areas but also for tourism businesses in their region. We implement independent quality audits and provide technical support for monitoring. The PAN Parks brand enables tourists to be assured that they are really visiting the best of
Europe’s wilderness.

• Linking local business partners with international tour operators

We increase visibility of local business partners and link them to international tour operators to provide opportunity for potential partnerships.

• Offering incentive travels

We organise travel incentives for companies into Europe’s wilderness: offering special experiences and creating opportunities to really make a difference in the field through hands-on activities.