Balancing Nature, Mobility and Experience: The MONA Approach
09/08/2026 - 11:20
Across North-West Europe, regions are searching for new ways to balance accessibility with preservation. One such initiative is MONA: MOdal shift, routing and nudging solutions in NAture areas – a European collaboration that does not question whether people should visit nature, but rather how they move through it.
Instead of restricting access, MONA explores a different approach: what if the sustainable choice simply became the easiest one?
- Uncover
This article was written for Uncover magazine – From Global to Ground (10th edition). You can read the full magazine here.
Authors: Natalie Siereveld is Marketing & Communication specialist at Routebureau Brabant Partners, Jeroen Nawijn is part of the Tourism Impacts on Society research group at Breda University of Applied Sciences.
A European approach to mobility and behaviour
The MONA Project brings together regions, nature parks and knowledge institutions to address a shared challenge: how to manage visitor flows in nature areas while maintaining both visitor experience and ecological balance. Its approach combines modal shift, routing and nudging. Visitors are encouraged to choose more sustainable transport options, being guided towards alternative and less crowded entry points. This process is subtly influenced through design and communication.
These principles are not theoretical. They are tested in real-life settings, where mobility is treated not just as infrastructure, but as behaviour. Every decision – how to travel, where to start, which route to take – becomes an opportunity to influence outcomes.
Brabant as a living landscape
At a smaller scale, these ideas become tangible in Van Gogh National Park in the south of the Netherlands. This is not a traditional national park, but a living landscape where nature, agriculture, villages and cities are closely intertwined. Here, sustainable tourism is not about limiting access, but about shaping how people experience the landscape.
A key tool in this approach is WandelStarter, developed by Brabant Partners in collaboration with over 50 partners. Instead of directing visitors to well-known hotspots, WandelStarter introduces alternative walking starting points, often closer to urban areas and away from the busiest locations. This seemingly simple intervention leads to a subtle but meaningful shift in behaviour. Visitors discover new places, pressure on vulnerable areas is reduced, and experiences become more local and personal.
Designing better choices
Central to MONA is the concept of nudging, an approach from behavioural science that focuses on influencing decisions without restricting freedom of choice. In practice, this means that quieter routes are presented more prominently, sustainable travel options are made more visible, and storytelling is used to strengthen the connection between visitors and the landscape.
These interventions are often small, but together they create an environment in which sustainable behaviour feels intuitive. Behaviour does not change through rules alone, but through experience.
Learning from practice and research
To understand whether these approaches are effective, MONA combines practice with research. In nature areas such as the Loonse and Drunense Duinen, surveys among visitors and residents, conducted in collaboration with BUas, provide valuable insights into behaviour, perceptions and willingness to change.
The results show clear differences between local residents and visitors from outside the region. For residents, the area is part of everyday life. A large majority visits for relaxation (88%) and exercise (79%), often engaging in familiar activities such as walking or cycling. Their visits are usually spontaneous, with only 20% preparing in advance, and most follow the existing routes. This also makes them less likely to consider alternative starting points outside the core area (26%). In addition, sustainable transport options such as public transit play only a minor role for this group, mainly due to convenience and proximity.
Visitors from outside the region show a different pattern. While they share similar motivations, such as relaxation (64%) and enjoying nature (54%), they are generally more open to new experiences and alternative ways of exploring the area. Although most still arrive by car (74%), they indicate a greater willingness to adapt their behaviour when attractive alternatives are offered. This may involve trying alternative starting points or opting for more sustainable travel options, as long as these are easy to access and clearly communicated.
Overall, the findings suggest that influencing visitor behaviour requires a tailored approach. While local users tend to stick to familiar habits, visitors from further away are more receptive to change. This confirms the importance of tools like WandelStarter, which make sustainable and less crowded choices more visible and appealing.
In the near future, follow-up surveys will be administered to investigate how residents and visitors from outside the region experience the Loonse and Drunense Duinen. Particular attention is paid to the alternative starting points and implemented nudging strategies. This should allow for more sustainable transport and an even better visitor experience.
Recognition and international relevance
Meanwhile, the Brabant approach has gained international recognition, with the WandelStarter approach standing out as a leading example of innovative destination management. Its impact has led to recognition by Green Destinations, an international organisation that supports and recognises sustainable tourism worldwide, in the category of sustainable destination management. This demonstrates the strength of combining mobility, visitor management and behavioural insights to balance recreation, nature and liveability. WandelStarter plays a key role in guiding visitor flows and reducing pressure on vulnerable nature areas.
In addition, Brabant Partners and collaborating parties have received recognition at the Responsible Tourism Awards and a Dutch national innovation award, reinforcing their standing as front-runners in sustainable tourism. These accolades position Brabant and The MONA Project as a reference for other regions facing similar challenges.
A shift in perspective
What makes MONA particularly relevant is not just what it does, but how it reframes tourism. The focus shifts from promotion to guidance, from growth to balance, and from managing destinations to designing experiences. Success is no longer defined by the number of visitors, but by the quality of the experience and the resilience of the landscape.
This shift requires collaboration across sectors. In Brabant, this means bringing together governments, nature organisations, mobility partners, and knowledge institutions such as BUas, combining research with real-world application.
From global view to local impact
The challenges MONA addresses are shared across Europe. Many regions are facing increasing visitor pressure, car dependency and fragmented landscapes. The lessons emerging from MONA show that small interventions can lead to meaningful behavioural change, and that accessibility and experience are key drivers of sustainable choices.
As the perspective shifts from a global view to the ground beneath our feet, MONA’s relevance becomes clear. It is not only about mobility, but about connection, about how people relate to landscapes, and how small decisions can have wider impact.
In Brabant, visitors may simply choose a different starting point for a walk. Yet in doing so, they become part of a broader transition. Not through restriction, but through design. Not through obligation, but through invitation. And that is where sustainable tourism begins.
MONA is a collaborative European project co-funded by the Interreg North-West Europe Programme.
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Photography
Brabant Partners - Bjorn Snelders