EUROPARC Webinar | Active Tourism and Protected Areas: Driving Change Together

Active tourism is growing faster than many Protected Areas can manage. Demand for hiking, cycling, trail running, mountain biking, kayaking, climbing, canyoning, paddling, diving and outdoor events is increasing, yet many Protected Areas lack the staff, maintenance resources, mobility solutions, monitoring systems and visitor-management capacity needed to respond.

Social media, outdoor apps and car-based access can concentrate visitors in fragile locations, leading to informal trails, erosion, wildlife disturbance, parking pressure, conflicts with local residents and safety concerns.

The challenge is therefore no longer simply to manage visitor pressure—it is to rethink the relationship between people and nature.

Active tourism involves Protected-area Managers, municipalities, tourism boards, businesses, guides, clubs, federations, residents, landowners, event organisers and digital platforms. Without effective coordination, promotion can grow faster than responsibility.

This is where the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas (ECST) offers a powerful framework. Through dialogue, shared governance and collective responsibility, it creates the conditions to plan and manage tourism more sustainably—while encouraging visitors to become active partners in conservation.

In this webinar, two experienced ECST specialists shared how they have built successful partnerships with the outdoor sports sector. The webinar explored the steps taken to protect and manage canyoning in Alta Garrotxa, as well as the value of working with guides and businesses accredited under the ECST. Through the example of the Medes Islands Marine Reserve, participants discovered management approaches and practical tools that help tourism businesses become active drivers of a more sustainable tourism model.

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Webinar Speakers

Sara Sánchez Olmo | Director CONSORCI DE L’ALTA GARROTXA

Sustainability professional with 20+ years managing and protecting natural areas. Since 2023, Director of the Consorci de l’Alta Garrotxa, the largest Protected Area in the eastern Pre-Pyrenees, leading strategic planning and management. Member of IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), building synergies with international and local partners to drive real impact on landscape and heritage conservation.