The Project

Due to the high nature value of Macaronesia and the large number of tourists it receives, the goal of the project is to reconcile tourism with conservation, especially the conservation of birds, and promote rural development in the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands and Cape Verde using the uniqueness of their natural spaces and their avifauna.

Ornithological tourism is a value-added product in the current offer of eco-tourism directed at visitors of these archipelagos.We intend to draw up a planning and development document for the activity, and select natural areas where modelsforadapting and implementinginfrastructures(information plaques, observatories, etc.) for birdwatching tourism will be carried out.

We also intend to train local guides to promotelocal birdwatching tourism companies, and improve the knowledge of the natural environment and birdsinexistingsectors involved in this tourism(nature guides, hotel industry, managers, etc.). In general we intended to promote birdwatching tourism as an additional resource that will respect the environment.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE

Develop ways to reconcile tourism with environmental conservation, especially the conservation of birds, in Macaronesia, and promote rural development of its islandsusing the uniqueness of its natural spaces and its avifauna as a resource.

Specific Objective 1.Elaborate a strategy for birdwatching tourismin Macaronesia that defines, plans and implements a series of measures and actions that promote sustainable tourism taking into account the uniquenessof each archipelago.

Specific Objective 2.Identify natural spots in each archipelago that have the potential for birdwatching tourism, select model areas to implement the means andinfrastructure for birdwatching tourism.

Specific Objective 3.Promote birdwatching tourismas an additional activity for the tourist who visits the archipelagos, and, at the same time,ensuretheactivity respects the environment.

SpecificObjective 4.Educationof local guidesthat promotes and supports the creation of birdwatching tourism companies, and promotion of environmentaleducation of other sectors involved, such as the hotel industry, nature guides, environmental managers, etc.