The latest tours in the Greater Côa Valley, Velebit Mountains and Rhodope Mountains rewilding landscapes will further enhance nature-based tourism and promote rewilding across Europe.

Europe’s nature-based tourism market is booming. To connect visitors with Europe’s magnificent wild nature in a sustainable way, increase support for rewilding, and grow local economies, the European Safari Company is transitioning into a new company: Rewilding Europe Travel.

Designed for entrepreneurs involved in guiding, hospitality and tourism, Rewilding Europe’s pioneering, three-stage Rewilding Training Tourism programme aims to professionalise and scale up nature-based tourism across Europe.

With an enhanced website and more enticing holiday offerings than ever, the company is well-placed to take advantage of a resurgence in nature-based tourism.

Taskforce activities, which in 2018 included data collection, website and app development, educational initiatives and community outreach, helped bolster the success of the area’s ongoing bison reintroduction programme.

The newly opened island, one of five created in the Markermeer as part of the Netherlands-based Marker Wadden rewilding project, attracted crowds of nature lovers. By creating new habitat and improving water quality, the project is reconnecting people with wild nature and boosting biodiversity.

Attracted to fish stranded in the Stettin Lagoon by August’s low water levels, the huge gathering of eagles drew crowds of photographers and nature lovers. The presence of so many of these majestic birds bodes well for rewilding efforts in the area.

Given a thumbs up by the local entrepreneurs who participated, the informative and inspirational event will hopefully boost rewilding-related nature-based tourism in the area.

A succession of European Erasmus+ students are now volunteering with Italian NGO Salviamo l’Orso. As they make an invaluable contribution to Marsican brown bear conservation in the Central Apennines rewilding area, they are also learning from their experience.

Rewilding Europe’s enterprise work is now seeing nature-based businesses mushroom across Europe. The economic prosperity they are generating is benefitting people and wild nature on a growing scale.