Pan Parks is one of the first European certification agencies
to join with the VESTAS and nominate its chosen members for a 2011
VESTA award
In this fourth focus on the VESTAS: Vision European Sustainable Tourism Awards Pan Parks introduces itself and its aims
The first VESTA winners will be announced at ITB Berlin in 2011.
Edit Borza of Pan Parks talks to Valere Tjolle of Vision on Sustainable Tourism
Valere Tjolle: Could you give me the full name of your
certification and its history (when did it start? Who are the guiding
team and what do they do?)
Edit Borza: PAN Parks Foundation carries out
certification through independent experts. The Foundation was founded in
1997 and is a non-profit conservation organisation working on
protecting Europe’s wilderness, the continent’s most undisturbed areas
of nature.
Certification, that is to create a network of excellent protected areas
serving as best practice examples of wilderness protection and
sustainable tourism development, is a tool in its conservation work.
The team of the Foundation consists of 7 people working in different
fields of expertise (conservation, communications, finance). Managing
certification is part of the team’s work but is done by independent
experts (with international conservation and tourism background).
For further information: verification: http://www.panparks.org/learn/pan-parks-concept/concept history: www.panparks.org/about-us/history
team of the Foundation: www.panparks.org/about-us/team
Valere: What organisations are certified? Where are they? and what are they certified for?
Edit: PAN Parks provides effective third-party
certification system setting an important benchmark for high standards
for protected areas. The certification is based on verification carried
out by independent experts, in accord with PAN Parks quality standards.
There are five PAN Parks principles; covering relevant wilderness
protection, social, economic and cultural aspects. Principles allow for
objective verification and transparency.
PAN Parks certifies protected areas and local businesses in/around certified PAN Parks through a local group
Being a certified PAN Park means that the protected area has high
standards of management for both conservation and sustainable
development and encompasses a wilderness area without human intervention
on at least 10,000 ha (with another 10,000 ha surrounding this core).
A PAN Park always offers a real wilderness area with undisturbed
nature while in other sections of the park it has high quality tourism
facilities, well balanced with wilderness protection and sustainable
local development.
Local businesses, certified based on environmental standards and their
commitment to conservation, are recognised by the PAN Parks logo.
For further information: certification criteria: www.panparks.org/learn/apply-for-verification/principles-and-criteria
certified protected areas:www.panparks.org/visit/discover-pan-parks
certified local businesses: www.panparks.org/visit/local-tourism-partners
Valere: In your view, what has your and other certification programmes achieved so far and what have they failed to achieve?
Edit: Benefits provided for protected areas:
- Improved wilderness protection
- Easier access to funding
- Expertise exchange in a living network
- Improved co-operation with rural communities
- Tools to control and monitor tourism
- Support in lobbying at decision makers
- International recognition
Benefits provided for local businesses:
- Increased collaboration in park management
- International promotion
- Economic benefits
The main achievement of certification in the case of the PAN Parks
Foundation is an improved wilderness conservation of protected areas and
through the created certified network the spreading of information on
wilderness management and the more widespread use of its approaches.
However, in order to achieve this it is essential to support an improved
cooperation of the park with local communities and the sustainable
development of tourism – these are important tools in our conservation
work.
For further information: Benefits for partners: www.panparks.org/about-us/benefits
Valere: Which best practices have you nominated for the VESTAS and why?
Edit: Most Sustainable and Responsible Accommodation
places were picked from our local certified business partners
(described above). They were chosen from the more than 80 partners as
they are the best in applying ecologically sustainable practices.
Most Sustainable and Responsible Attractions were chosen from the the 11 certified PAN Parks (described above).
Most Sustainable and Responsible Tour Packages were chosen from those
packages that are offered by our partner international tour operators
that partnering with us in order to offer PAN Parks tours.
Valere: If you had one wish – what should happen in 2011 to support your certification programme in making tourism more sustainable?
Edit: It would be great to involve more international
tour operators in our partnership programme to provide more travellers
the opportunity to travel to PAN Parks destinations with reliable
companies thinking in line with our sustainable development concept
supporting wilderness protection.
Valere Tjolle
Valere Tjolle is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite 2011 - latest news on the suite at
www.travelmole.com/stories/1145712.php
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Pan Parks nominates accomodations, attractions and packages
