South Africa has over 870 recorded bird species, approximately eight per cent of the world’s bird population. And while the country’s avitourism sector has blossoming growth potential, more needs to be done to develop this niche tourism activity and raise awareness of its significant value.
“Getting tourism services operators aware of the avitourism assets in the area and how they can enrich the experience of tourists through birds is vital, and has a huge potential for growth,” Andrew de Blocq, former Avitourism project manager at BirdLife South Africa, told Tourism Update.
The global birdwatching tourism market is currently valued at around US$659.4 billion and is predicted to rise at a compound annual growth rate of 5.3%,…
