MONA is dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism in natural landscapes. How? By advocating for a transition to more sustainable transport in nature areas, incorporating inclusive route planning and encouraging all park users to adopt sustainable practices.
Launched in 2023, MONA's mission is to promote sustainable tourism in and around nature areas in north-western Europe. This initiative benefits nature, the environment, visitors and local economies. The project achieves its goals by promoting modal shift, supporting sustainable transport, implementing inclusive route planning and encouraging both visitors and stakeholders to adopt sustainable practices.
Together, these approaches aim to effectively manage visitor flows, mitigate negative impacts on the local environment and improve inclusive access to nature reserves.
To achieve these ambitious goals MONA is implementing three pilots in eight nature areas to work on the following aspects:
Pilot A: Action plan for facilitating and stimulating a modal shift towards sustainable mobility
This pilot project, led by National Park Utrechtse Heuvelrug, Grenspark Kalmthoutse Heide and Montagne de Reims Regional Park, has the primary aim of shifting from car-centred travel to sustainable alternatives such as walking and cycling. Key objectives include transforming railway stations into gateways to the natural areas, promoting sustainable mobility and providing guidance to visitors.
A number of activities will be developed in this pilot project:
Improving facilities: Tailor-made action plans will be developed for each nature area, including the reallocation of parking spaces, the creation of common hubs and the improvement of road safety. The aim is to improve station services and create a seamless and integrated nature experience.
Develop a visitor information format: Building on the learning from the project, the pilot aims to develop a standardised format for universal visitor information. Accessibility will be a priority, with features such as large fonts and Braille. Implementation will be phased, with annual evaluations for continuous improvement.
Regional vision for sustainable mobility: Led by National Park Utrechtse Heuvelrug, the pilot is engaging stakeholders in the development of a regional vision. This involves aligning stakeholders, identifying key issues and working together to define a model for North West Europe. Valuable learning from this process will be shared at project meetings.
Learn more about Pilot B or Pilot C.
