British tour operators and journalists will be in Colombia to observe bird-tourism options

They will be in Cundinamarca, Valle del Cauca, the Coffee Triangle, Magdalena and the Pacific. 

A group of journalists and tour operators from the United Kingdom arrived for a fam trip this week, and will be here through July 31st, to explore the regions in Colombia that are rich in unique bird species that can only be found in our country.

During the trip, which was arranged by PROCOLOMBIA, the group will visit places in Cundinamarca, Valle del Cauca, the Coffee Triangle, Magdalena, and the Pacific prior to the Bird Fair 2011, the largest bird fair in the world inviting professionals and other audiences, to be held in the United Kingdom between August 19th to the 23rd.

Colombia is the number one country in bird diversity in the world, with 80 endemic species, according to the Humbolt Institute, which ranks it third in South America after Brazil and Peru.

It is also considered a true paradise for birdwatching enthusiasts thanks to the countless options in the amazon and choc jungles, mist forests, or the Andes highlands, the Eastern Plains and the lower Caribbean lands.

Bird tourism has great international potential, since it is an activity with an approximate market of 100 million nature and bird watchers around the world.

In the United States alone, according to US Fish and Wildlife Services, 66 million people have devoted their lives to this activity, which invest around US$59,000 million per year.

According to Bird Life International, the United Kingdom has 15 million of these enthusiasts; Gemany has 14.5 million, according to the World Tourism Organization and, adding the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Austria, the total is 10 million. 

In addition, the average spend per person dedicated to this activity is higher than that of a regular tourist, and they stay at each destination for about 15 days, also longer than the average.

Bird tourism takes place in far regions and tourists visit the destination repetitively to see birds never seen on any other trips. 

Among other participants in the fam trip are:

Birdfinders: one of the most successful birdwatching tourism companies, in operation since 1993. It offers outstanding vacations for birdwatchers to many destinations in the world, including the United States, South America, Asia and Europe. 

Oriole Birding: a United Kingdom based company specializing in birdwatching tours in Norfolk and South Wales. It also offers other destinations in the United Kingdom and international tours in different seasons.

Oenanthe Birding Adventures: an independent birdwatching tour operator located in Pulham St Mary, Diss, with broad experience in birdwatching. It offers tours guided by great experts who know where to find a wide variety of birds in Norfolk, and who can to there anywhere from one day to several weeks.

Kazakhstan Birdtours: a company offering birdwatching tours in Kazakhstan and Eastern Europe.