All national parks have plans for strengthening nature and landscape, but effects are still difficult to measure.

All 21 national parks in the Netherlands have developed plans to enhance nature, landscape, heritage, and spatial quality. This is evident from the first measurement of the policy monitor for the National Parks Policy Program 2024-2030, carried out by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) on behalf of the Ministry of LVVN.

According to the report, the parks are actively working on projects and collaborations to strengthen their areas. Many initiatives focus on nature restoration, preserving landscape elements, and making heritage more visible in the landscape. In doing so, parks collaborate with residents, farmers, nature organizations, and local entrepreneurs, among others.

Preparation or start-up phase

However, according to the researchers, it is still too early to determine clear effects of the policy on nature quality and landscape. This is a first measurement, and many activities are still in the preparation or start-up phase. The national parks also vary greatly in size, organization, and resources, which affects how they implement policy goals.

Visitor management

An important point of attention is the management of visitor flows. One-third of the parks have an official visitor management plan to balance recreation and nature. Most other parks try to relieve vulnerable areas through measures such as zoning, route choices, and temporary closures.

Awareness

Additional research among Dutch people shows that national parks are relatively well-known: a total of 91 percent of respondents know that the Netherlands has national parks. At the same time, the distinction with general nature areas is still unclear for many. Respondents mainly associate national parks with nature and tranquility, and less with recreation or regional development.

First measurement

The monitor is a first measurement and will be conducted twice more during the policy program period (2027 and 2030) to track the extent to which the goals are achieved by 2030. With the second measurement, it will also be possible to identify effects of the activities conducted.
Read the full report here...