We are very proud to announce that Plitvice Lakes National Park was included in the Travel Green List for 2024 by Wanderlust Travel Magazine, the top British travel magazine. Ever since it was launched 30 years ago, this largest and longest-running travel magazine has been known for its active support of responsible travelling and the destinations, accommodation providers and tour operators leading the way to sustainable tourism.
The Travel Green List™, launched in 2023, is a list of destinations demonstrating dedication to responsible business that deserve to be brought to light. To be included in this list featuring the most promising and the most exciting initiatives is no small feat, it is proof of true dedication to environmental protection and promotion of sustainable practices. The magazine received over a thousand applications from all over the world, each eco initiative more exciting than the next. A panel of 9 judges, experts in sustainability, highlighted around a hundred destinations, the Plitvice Lakes National Park one of them. To be an example to others in a time when sustainable travelling is a central topic represents a great impetus for Park management to keep working hard on protecting this wonder of nature in Croatia and one of the most beautiful parks in Europe.
George Kipouros, Wanderlust editor-in-chief, was thrilled with the response to their call for applications for the Travel Green List™ this year and delighted with the many green travel ideas coming in from around the world. He stated that now is the right time to support and promote the destinations working hard on preserving the environment and local culture.
The Plitvice Lakes National Park is entered into the list as a haven for biodiversity, supported by the 2021 UNESCO research which ranked the Park fourth among UNESCO World Heritage sites worldwide for the amount of CO2 absorbed per hectare from the atmosphere. In addition, all electricity used in the Park is green energy, and all plastics used are recycled.
A key aspect in sustainable tourism is our support of the local community: over 80% of Park employees are locals who receive free bus transport to work within a 60 kilometres radius, with the aim of eliminating the need for private vehicles and the pollution they emit.
Wanderlust Travel Magazine advocates for responsible travelling, which includes travelling over shorter distances and staying longer, travelling in the off-season, travelling by train or by plane with no layovers or interchanges whenever possible. At the Plitvice Lakes National Park, we wholeheartedly second these recommendations and invite nature lovers to visit our Park and experience its full beauty sustainably and consciously, to preserve it for generations to come.
