The PAN Parks Team wishes you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Karhunkierros Hiking Trail in PAN Park Oulanka has been named as the best outdoor activity in the year 2005 by the Central Association for Recreational Sports and Outdoor Activities. The trail received the award “Vuoden liikuttaja” as it and its services have significantly endorsed outdoor recreation in 2005. Karhunkierros trail, Finland’s most popular hiking trail leading through PAN Park Oulanka, Finland, has been a hiking trail for 50 years.

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The cost and benefit analysis of PAN Parks will be prepared as part of the Research Network’s activities. The goal of this study is to collect comparative data from the various Certified PAN Parks to determine the socio-cultural and economic benefits of PAN Park status for communities and tourism development in the surrounding areas.

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Eight tourism businesses operating in Bieszczady National Park received PAN Parks certificates, a recognition of responsibility as well as environmentally and culturally sustainable activities.

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Karhunkierros trail, Finland’s most popular hiking trail leading through PAN Park Oulanka, Finland, has been a hiking trail for 50 years.

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WWF is urging European Union member states to reject a proposal by the Swiss government to allow the hunting of wolves in Europe. According to the global conservation organization, a recent report shows that the wolf has not yet recovered in Europe and there are worrying gaps in available data.

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Central Balkan National Park first officially promoted the twelve PAN Parks local business partners offering tourist services in the region of the park at the Eighth Regional Contact Tourist Fair, an important event for national tourism with the participation of 119 representatives of tour operator companies, hotel owners, managers, and the national and regional media.

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The PAN Parks verification process has been evaluated positively by participants of the verifier wokshop in early November, with only minor changes to be applied to the process guidelines.

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Pres release

Conference told of the potential for sustainable tourism with community benefit

Delegates and speakers from around the world converged on Edinburgh today (Thursday 03 November 2005) for the fourth PAN Parks Europe’s Wilderness Days conference (1), taking place at Our Dynamic Earth on 03 and 04 November 2005. Over two days, the delegates will discuss the issues facing the preservation of Europe’s last remaining wilderness areas and measures to engage all interested parties in the mutually beneficial protection of Europe’s wild and protected areas.

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Oulanka and Paanajärvi National Parks have won an INTERREG Neighbourhood Project grant to strengthen the status of the twinpark as an important national and international attraction and provide for a common framework of nature-oriented tourism. The project is also supported by PAN Parks

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The PAN Parks Foundation supports a project in PAN Park Bieszczady to develop tourism with a special focus on winter activities. The Polish park receives the support through the PAN Parks Small Grants Fund.

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On 14 October nine tourism businesses operating in Oulanka National Park received PAN Parks certificates, a recognition of responsibility as well as environmentally and culturally sustainable activities.

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The 8th World Wilderness Congress met for almost two weeks, from late September into early October, in Alaska, US, achieving all of its conversation objectives and generating several unexpected results. PAN Parks was presented during the 1-day European session. The Congress also resulted in resolutions relevant to Europe.

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Bavarian Forest National Park has great potential to become a PAN Park - considering its approach to ecosystem dynamics and tourism management. This was the main finding after the PAN Parks Conservation Manager’s trip to the area to meet the Directors of the German park and the neighbouring Czech park Sumava.

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Read about the newly certified Russian PAN Park Paanajärvi, the approaching Europe's Wilderness Days, an interesting survey finding that women dominate the eco-travel market, and news from our partner parks in the recently published Autumn issue of the PAN Parks Courier.

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Recent detailed research confirmed that PAN Parks and the European Charter for sustainable tourism are very much complementary initiatives even though they have been tailored for specific audiences.

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Verifiers have recommended the certification of Majella National Park in Italy. Independent verifiers visited the area and checked highlights and management practices of the park. Ultimately, the team concluded that the park fulfills the requirements of PAN Parks Principles 1-3.

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The PAN Parks Foundation funded two projects through its Small Grants Fund (supported by DOEN Foundation) in 2005. One of the projects, carried out in Central Balkan National Park, Bulgaria, aims at developing the capacity to manage the PAN Parks certification process. The second grant, which went to Paanajärvi, Russia, set the goal to ensure the socio-economic and ecological sustainability of nature tourism.

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Take action for Kalofer, Bulgaria where an unsustainable investment project is threatening the Byala river lying in the immediate vicinity of Bulgarian PAN Parks member Central Balkan National Park!

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23 Canon employees from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East visited PAN Park Fulufjället in Sweden to help park rangers in the field. The volunteer camp project supported nature conservation, improved different skills of participants, and was a good team building activity.

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