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Dutch national park cuts visitor pressure by rerouting walkers to quieter trailheads

Best practices

23 September 2026

Dutch national park cuts visitor pressure by rerouting walkers to quieter trailheads

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The photo presents people walking and cycling along a park path, while others sit, play and relax on grassy lawns surrounded by large trees.

Van Gogh National Park in the Netherlands won a Green Destinations Top 100 award for a digital platform that redirects walkers toward lesser-known trailheads, reducing pressure on its most crowded nature reserves by 20% in a single year. The initiative also helps distribute tourism income to smaller villages and farms along the way.

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Editorial team

Related Organisation(s)

Van Gogh National Park

Topics
Geographical descriptors

Netherlands

Organisation Type

Destination Management & Marketing Organisations

Local Authorities

NGOs / Non-profits

Regional Authorities

  • Specific types of tourism

    • Adventure tourism

    • Ecotourism

    • Rural tourism

  • Transition Pathway Strategic Areas

    • Governance of tourism destinations

    • Sustainable mobility

    • Tools for data on tourism

  • Business activities

    • Activities of associations and other organisations supporting tourism

    • Gardens and nature reserves activities

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Van Gogh National Park in the Netherlands won a Green Destinations Top 100 award for the Wandelstarter platform, which guides walkers toward well-equipped, lesser-known trailheads instead of the same crowded hotspots. Rising visitor numbers had been causing overcrowded parking, trail erosion and unequal access for those without cars, so 56 municipalities, water boards, nature organisations and tourism partners built the tool together as part of the broader MONA sustainable mobility programme, promoting public transport and car-free access while feeding real-time visitor data back into conservation planning.

In 2024, visits to the most crowded reserves fell by 20%, pressure on the vulnerable Loonse and Drunense Dunes dropped sharply, and a linked communication campaign reached over 600,000 people. The platform has also created new walking hubs on farms and in smaller villages, helping spread tourism's economic benefits beyond the usual hotspots.

#DestinationManagement #ResponsibleTravel 

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