Brabant Partners has won a Silver Award in the Nature Positive Tourism category at the ICRT Europe Responsible Tourism Awards 2025. This prestigious prize recognises initiatives that demonstrate how tourism can contribute to nature conservation, liveability, and sustainable recreation.
The award ceremony took place on 16 October 2025 at the Press Club Brussels Europe (BE), where fifteen organisations from across Europe were recognised for their inspiring approaches to responsible tourism. In Van Gogh National Park, Brabant Partners leads the European MONA Project, which improves access to natural areas while protecting them by smartly dispersing visitor flows. Earlier this year, the MONA approach earned a spot in the Green Destinations Top 100 Stories 2025 and won the City and Region Marketing Innovation Award.
Pioneering in responsible tourism
The Responsible Tourism Awards have existed for twenty years and highlight organisations that demonstrate how tourism can make a positive contribution to people and nature. Entries are judged on innovation, impact, sustainability and scalability. In the Nature Positive Tourism category, Brabant Partners won Silver, Naturetrek (UK) won Gold and Animondial was named ‘One to Watch’.
“The Responsible Tourism Awards show what’s possible when organisations take responsibility for the places where they operate. The winners set the standard for how tourism can contribute positively to people and nature.”
Professor Harold Goodwin, Chair of the Jury
MONA and Wandelstarter: tourism and nature in balance
Brabant Partners leads the MONA Project (Modal shift, routing and nudging solutions in NAture areas) to better manage increasing visitor pressure in North Brabant’s nature areas. The approach focuses on reducing congestion, promoting sustainable travel choices, smart route planning, and influencing visitor behaviour.
A key element is Wandelstarter, a digital platform where visitors can easily find walking routes, parking facilities and amenities. With more than 200 walking starting points across Brabant, the platform guides visitors away from crowded hotspots, easing pressure on sensitive nature areas while encouraging exploration of lesser-known places. By shifting the focus from popular routes to smart starting points, Wandelstarter improves visitor distribution. It also promotes public transport and cycling, helping to balance recreation and nature.
The jury praised the Brabant approach for its measurable impact and broad applicability in other regions, calling MONA “a strong initiative for managing visitor pressure in natural areas.”
“This Silver Award is a wonderful recognition for all partners involved, including those within Van Gogh National Park. We’re proving that with smart choices and collaboration, you can protect nature and offer visitors an unforgettable experience. It’s fantastic to see this approach receive international recognition once again,”
Fabio Tat, MONA Project Leader, Brabant Partners
Smart collaboration as a strength
The MONA approach has been made possible through close cooperation between municipalities, nature organisations, mobility experts and tourism partners. By combining mobility, nature management and visitor experience, MONA creates a strategy that benefits nature, enhances liveability for local residents and strengthens recreational offerings.