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Birdwatching tourism in help to conservation |
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Dr Petar Iankov, PhD  Dr Petar Iankov
Another important aspect is that the use of bird guides from nature conservation organisation, became a guarantee that the tourist activities will be done according to the conservation requirements. It is well known that if not properly managed, eco-tourism activity could be very destructive for the Nature and especially for the rarest and most sensitive birds. Bird guides – conservationists ensure maximum security for these very attractive birds for the tourists, and thus they preserve not only the biodiversity, but the tourist resource itself. This means real sustainability of the birdwatching.
But the most important contribution of the birdwatching tourism to the conservation is connected with motivating the local people for preserving the natural treasures around the places they live. BSPB already established the practice tourists to receive as much as possible services from the local people around the ornithologically rich sites. These services vary from buying food from local stores, having local guides, using local restaurants and hotels, etc. Providing obvious income to the local economy, especially of small towns and villages, the birdwatching groups motivate people to preserve the biodiversity not emotionally, but as a source for economy benefit for themselves. This is the BSPB understanding of sustainability of the Nature conservation.
The Nature Conservation Centres
The role of BSPB in the process of developing the ecotourism in Bulgaria did not stop in providing bird guides. In 1994 BSPB developed 2 projects which were funded by the Swiss Government and together with the 6 similar projects of the Bulgarian Ministry of the Environment formed one of the biggest and most successful conservation programmes in Bulgaria up to now. It was called the Bulgarian-Swiss Biodiversity Conservation Programme (BSBCP), it continued 10 years and now it is transformed into Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation (BBF). One of the main results of the BSPB projects within the BSBCP were the establishment of the first for Bulgaria Nature Conservation Centres ‘Poda’ and ‘Eastern Rhodopies’. Amongst the purely conservation and educational functions these Centres play a role of ecotourism bases as well. Local people were trained to organise and support birdwatching in the regions of the centres, information and accommodation services are provided all year round. The BSPB experience was perceived by some governmental institutions (Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Forests and others), municipalities (Ivailovgrad) and other NGOs (Wilderness Fund, Ribaritsa Association and others) and several other Nature Conservation Centres were created in many parts of Bulgaria. All they now form ‘de facto’ a real network of eco-tourism fascilities.
Enlarging the partnership
The birdwatching tourism activities inevitably stimulate many partnerships and involve various players in the process. There are obvious things like providing working opportunities for transport companies (very often they are small private ones), for interpreters, like spending money in the local hotels, restaurants, shops, etc. and thus supporting the local economy and employment. Very often this happens in quite poor, but with rich biodiversity, regions of the country. But besides this, additional partnerships appeared – with local municipalities, local business enterprises, local conservation projects and initiatives. There is a case, when the BBFS decided to sponsor one of the municipalities, where the birdwatching groups usually observe the Imperial Eagle, as a sign of respect to the people, preserved one of the 16 Bulgarian nests of this Globally Endangered Species. With the BBFS money a well was restored by local builders and with the voluntary help from the local BSPB branch. The numerous Nature Conservation Centres created new professions and new job opportunities for local people in some of the less developed regions. New services appeared there for the eco-tourists themselves. It is a fact that still there is no typical birdwatching ‘bed and breakfast’ hotel in Bulgaria. But in the same time, a private businessman built a nice hotel in the town of Madzharovo, where BSPB created its Conservation Centre ‘Eastern Rhodopies’. The hotel is especially orientated towards the birdwatching tourists, coming there to see vultures and other birds of prey, which are under the special care of the BSPB team there. This is one of the very encouraging cases in Bulgaria, when the successful conservation actions led to ‘boom’ of birdwatching visits, which was followed by establishing a special hotel for the tourists.
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Consrvation 
