Bird tourism bid

Valencia is promoting 40 special protection areas which are home to emblematic species

VALENCIA is once again bidding to attract birdwatchers from the UK to the region in order to boost rural tourism.

Officials from the regional department for tourism attended the British Birdwatching Fair (known as Birdfair) from August 17 to 19, which is the ‘largest of its kind in the world’.

The event at the Rutland water nature reserve attracts around 20,000 visitors each year.

“Birdfair provides an un- beatable stage for any ornithological tourism initiative,” noted a department spokesman.

He explained that Valencia tourism officials were joined by members of the regional birding guides’ association at the Turespaña stand, at a desk dedicated to the Valencia region. They were promoting the best sites in the region including protected areas in Alicante province such as El Hondo and La Mata-Torrevieja natural park.

The spokesman noted that visitors attend the fair to ‘plan their next bird watching holiday’.

As well as wooing ornithologists, the officials were also there to establish contacts with tour operators who specialise in birdwatching holidays.

The spokesman said that initiatives such as these are very important to bring quality tourism to the region all year round.

They have created the webpage www.experienciascv.es/ home which is available in English and shows many different tourism experiences, including ornithology.

The website highlights a number of different areas for birdwatching including Santa Pola salt lakes and the Sierra Escalona mountains near Orihuela and San Miguel de Salinas .

hey note that many different ecosystems can be found in the region, which are home to a vast number of birds that enjoy 40 special protection areas.