How Van Gogh National Park’s Story Won 1st Place in the Destination Management Category
At the Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards, the story “From Visitor Pressure to Balance: How the Wandelstarter Approach Reinvents Destination Management” received 1st Place in the Destination Management category. Led by Brabant Partners and Van Gogh National Park in the Netherlands, the initiative demonstrates how smart visitor management and cross-sector collaboration can protect nature while improving access to outdoor recreation.
“An excellent and innovative approach to managing visitor pressure in natural areas by guiding visitors toward less crowded starting points, helping protect sensitive landscapes while improving the visitor experience.”
The Challenge
Nature-based tourism is growing rapidly, and in Van Gogh National Park, this meant millions of visitors heading to the same popular nature areas. The result was increasing pressure on landscapes and communities, including overcrowded parking areas, traffic congestion and pollution, trail erosion and environmental stress, and unequal access to nature for those without cars. At the same time, the region needed a way to balance conservation, recreation, mobility, and economic development across a complex landscape shared by municipalities, farmers, nature organisations, and tourism stakeholders.
The Solution
The answer was Wandelstarter, a digital platform designed to guide visitors to well-equipped, lesser-known starting points for walks across the region. More than a route website, Wandelstarter was developed in collaboration with 56 municipalities, water boards, nature organisations, and tourism partners to become a strategic destination management tool that redistributes visitor flows across the landscape, promotes public transport, cycling, and car-free access, supports coordinated communication about nature protection, and provides real-time data for planning and conservation decisions. The initiative is part of the MONA project, a broader program that promotes sustainable tourism through smarter mobility, visitor routing, and behavioural nudging.
The Impact
The Wandelstarter approach is already delivering measurable results. In 2024 alone:
- Visits to the most crowded nature reserves decreased by 20%
- Pressure on vulnerable areas such as the Loonse and Drunense Dunes dropped significantly
- A communication campaign promoting responsible recreation reached over 600,000 people
The initiative is also supporting local economies. By creating new walking hubs on farms and in smaller villages, Wandelstarter connects visitors with local products, services, and rural experiences, helping distribute tourism benefits across the region.
What Other Destinations Can Learn
Van Gogh National Park’s story highlights key lessons for destinations facing rising visitor pressure:
- Think beyond routes and manage the whole system: Visitor management works best when mobility, infrastructure, conservation, and communication are addressed together.
- Use digital tools strategically: Platforms like Wandelstarter can guide visitor behaviour and support data-driven planning.
- Build strong coalitions: Success required collaboration between municipalities, nature organisations, transport providers, and local entrepreneurs.
- Plan for long-term change: Shifting visitor behaviour takes time, consistent communication, and continuous monitoring.
Share your destination’s best practices and join the Top 100 global community
🌍 Stories like this are what the Green Destinations Top 100 Stories Competition celebrates. We encourage destinations around the world to share their best practices and join the 2026 edition, inspiring others and showcasing their leadership in sustainable tourism.
