Sustainable tourism

Tourism is vital to the Cairngorms National Park, accounting for 30% of the economy and 43% of employment. People have been visiting here for centuries to appreciate the outstanding landscapes, wildlife and huge range of activities.

We welcome around two million visitors a year. Over half of those visitors, and two thirds of international visitors, say that National Park status is an important influence in their decision to visit. However, it’s crucial that visitors don’t undermine the very things that attract them in the first place - landscapes, wildlife, culture and tranquillity.

European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas

Since 2005, shortly after the area was designated as a National Park, we have been accredited with the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas, a practical management tool that enables National Parks and other protected areas to develop tourism sustainably based on five principles:

Giving priority to protection
Contributing to sustainable development
Engaging all stakeholders
Planning sustainable tourism effectively
Pursuing continuous improvement

Every five years we submit a new Sustainable Tourism Action Plan, along with our National Park Partnership Plan, and details of tourism delivery over the previous five year period. This is assessed by a panel of experts and includes a verification site visit. We were most recently accredited in 2023.

Cairngorms visitor survey

We commission regular research to help us understand what motivates people to visit the area and what their experience is when they are here. Reports and data from our 2024 / 25 visitor survey will be available in late summer.

2019/20 visitor survey results