CERTIFIED EUROPEAN WILDERNESS EXPANDS
GROWING PAN PARKS NETWORK IN ESTONIA AND PORTUGAL - Estonian Soomaa National Park represents the best of Europe’s wilderness – the park receives PAN Parks certification for its excellence in combining wilderness protection and sustainable tourism development. The network of certified PAN Parks partners also grows in Portugal as eighteen Portuguese businesses operating around Peneda-Gerês National Park, Portugal are also certified demonstrating their high environmental standards and commitment to wilderness protection. The certificates are handed over during the conference Europe’s Wilderness Days organised in Peneda-Gerês, the Portuguese PAN Park.
Soomaa, ‘the land of bogs,’ is the eleventh PAN Park
Sooma National Park in Estonia joined the PAN Parks network of wilderness areas as it proved excellence in combining wilderness protection and sustainable tourism development. To get the PAN Parks certification the Estonian park was subject to independent international verification according to the PAN Parks Principles and Criteria, including environmental and sustainable tourism aspects. Zoltan Kun, Executive Director of PAN Parks Foundation, added, “We are glad to welcome Sooma National Park in our network as it represents the largest intact peat bog system in Europe preserved as wilderness. The area is also special as it has unique tourism potential with a well-developed trail system providing extraordinary wilderness experience for visitors.”
