A new version of the Guide to Birdwatching in Colombia will be available to the public as of tomorrow. That is the date PROCOLOMBIA and the international association Bird Life, will release the book before experts and potential travelers from the United Kingdom.
The book in English contains detailed information (geographical location, ecosystem, species and climate) about 112 IBA destinations in Colombia. These locations are ideal for bird conservation and protection.
" The photographs and documentation had to be updated to offer our visitors a more useful tool. The tool is more precise so that watchers can learn about the 1,876 bird species in Colombia, 74 of them are endemic," said PROCOLOMBIA president Maria Claudia Lacouture.
Colombia is at the top of the list of bird diversity, and is also an attractive destination for birdwatchers. According to the World Tourism Organization, they number 100 million.
PROCOLOMBIA, and entity dedicated to position Colombia as an international tourist destination, promotes the birdwatching segment in a dozen markets. Among them is the United Kingdom, as it represents the greatest number of birding travelers. This product is part of the " Colombia is Magic Realism" promotion campaign that PROCOLOMBIA began April of 2013. Watch the campaign testimonial about birdwatching here
At tomorrow' s book presentation, the Royal Geographical Society will present two special guests: The Times journalist, Tom Chesshyre, and a Colombian bird expert, Diego Calderón.
Chesshyre will share his cultural experience in Colombia with over 60 attendees, members of the Royal Geographical Society and birdwatchers.
Calderón, will review six Colombian regions: The Amazon, Andes, Caribbean, Magdalena, Orinoco and Pacific. This locations are home to some of the rarest bird species in the world, such as the Pyrrhura caeruleiceps (Todd' s Parakeet) and Clytoctantes alixii (Recurve-billed Bushbird).
" Birding Tourism" in the 2013 Bird Fair
Manakin Nature Tours and Mapalina Birding Trails, two Colombian tour operators that specialize in birdwatching, will participate in the 2013 Bird Fair. It is one of the most important fairs of this tourism sector in the world. It will be held August 16-18.
The companies are located in the departments of Boyaca and the Valle del Cauca respectively. They will exhibit their tours and even hold meetings with their foreign peers in the stand PROCOLOMBIA arranged within the nature reserve in Rutland county, the epicenter of the fair.
" Our presence at this event is strategic for the promotion of nature tours, specifically for the birdwatching niche, because we gain access to professionals, wholesalers and travel agencies interested in building alliances to offer their clients new destinations," explained Lacouture.
PROCOLOMBIA has been working with these entrepreneurs for over a year though multiple channels to strengthen their tourism packages. This in order to make their packages more interesting to the foreign market. In fact, some of them already sell their services in the United Kingdom, and see the fair as a chance to reach new markets.
Approximately 400 exhibitors from all over the planet are registered for Bird Fair 2013. They are broken down into groups such as travel and/or promotion agencies and non-profit organizations that protect birds.