There are two certification programmes in Europe covering sustainable tourism in protected areas, PAN Parks - founded by WWF - and European Charter for sustainable tourism - founded by EUROPARC Federation. Both initiatives were labelled by the European Commission as the most relevant tools to manage sustainable tourism in protected areas (Sustainable tourism and Natura 2000 Guidelines, initiatives and good practices in Europe, European Commission, 1999).

In 1995 EUROPARC took the initiative to set up the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas, as a strategic approach and a widely used tool for sustainable tourism development and conservation in protected areas.

W W F, the conservation organisation founded PAN Parks in partnership with the Dutch leisure company Molecaten in 1997, as a “quality brand” aiming at guaranteed high level protection of Europe’s wilderness capitals supported by all Europeans.

Recent detailed research commissioned by the PAN Parks Foundation in 2005 confirmed that both initiatives are very much complementary even though taylored for specific audiences.

Download the complete studies or a summary of the comparison:

Summary of A comparative analysis of the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism and PAN Parks

A comparative analysis of the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism and PAN Parks

Comparative study between the PAN Parks Principles 4-5 and the Europarc Federation’s European Charter for sustainable tourism principles (by Janna Kumpula)

Chart comparing PAN Parks and European Charter principles