14/07/2026
🚨 New European Commission guidelines set out how the Natura 2000 network can support sustainable tourism without undermining the conservation goals it exists to protect.
Natura 2000 covers more than 27,000 sites across the EU, spanning nearly a fifth of the bloc's land area and over 10% of its sea area. Within these sites, visitor activity generates an estimated €50 to 85 billion a year and sustains up to 2 million full-time equivalent jobs, many in rural, coastal and mountainous regions.
The guidelines respond to what they term the conservation paradox: well-managed protected areas draw more visitors, which can in turn increase pressure on the species and habitats that make them attractive. To manage this, the Commission proposes four steps: identify tourism-related pressures and benefits, assess site carrying capacity, strengthen communication and awareness, and put in place suitable management measures.
Ecotourism has grown at up to 34% a year since the early 1990s, well ahead of the wider tourism sector.
Read the Commission's guidelines: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/natura-2000-network-offers-sustainable-tourism-opportunities-2026-07-14_en
