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© Department of Trade and Industry (the dti ), 2010. Published by the dti , 2010. ISBN: 978-0-9869824-5-3 Reproduction is permitted, provided the source is acknowledged. Physical Address the dti Campus 77 Meintjies Street Sunnyside Pretoria 0002 Postal Address the dti Private Bag X84 Pretoria 0001 the dti Customer Contact Centre: 0861 843 384 Disclaimer While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and validity of information of this commissioned study, and its timeous publication, the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti ) does not accept responsibility for any errors or omissions in this respect, nor does it assume responsibility for direct or indirect damage as a result of the usage of, or quoting the content in, this document.

Contents

Abbreviations and Acronyms....................................................................................... i Glossary ......................................................................................................................ii Executive Summary ...................................................................................................iv 1. Introduction and Purpose..................................................................................... 1

1.1 Motivation, context and purpose of the study ..........................................................1 1.2 Project scope and methodology ..............................................................................2

2. Economic and Policy Context of Avitourism......................................................... 4 2.1 The significance of tourism to the South African economy ......................................4 2.2 Policy and Strategy Context of Avitourism...............................................................6

3. Why avitourism? ................................................................................................ 14 3.1 Definition...............................................................................................................14 3.2 Estimated economic impact ..................................................................................16 3.3 Environmental and conservation issues ................................................................18 3.4 Assessment of base assets for avitourism ............................................................21 3.5 Profile of role-players in South Africa’s avitourism industry ...................................34 3.6 Comparison of South Africa with other avitourism destinations .............................54

4. Market Profiling and Assessment ...................................................................... 65 4.1 Introduction to the birding and avitourism markets ................................................65 4.2 Profiling birders.....................................................................................................66 4.3 Birding within the wider market segment priorities for tourism in South Africa .......72

5. Benchmarking of avitourism............................................................................... 76 5.1 Overview of approach to benchmarking ................................................................76 5.2 Kenya ...................................................................................................................77 5.3 Tropical North Queensland (Australia) ..................................................................79 5.4 United States of America ......................................................................................81 5.5 Namibia.................................................................................................................84

6. SWOT analysis of avitourism in South Africa..................................................... 86 Appendix A: List of stakeholders consulted.............................................................. 89 Appendix B: Documents consulted .......................................................................... 95 Appendix C: Survey questionnaire ........................................................................... 98 Appendix D: South African Tourism consumer portraits......................................... 107 Appendix E: Preliminary Avitourist Consumer Descriptions ................................... 123 Appendix F: Profiles of International Avitourism Market Segments........................ 125 Appendix G: Definition of Indicators Used in Comparative Analysis ...................... 127 Appendix H: Further Detail on Responsible Tourism ............................................. 130 Appendix I: International Agreements for Conservation and Biodiversity............... 140

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Abbreviations and Acronyms

AsgiSA Accelerated Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa

B-BBEE Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment

CAGR Compound Annual Growth Rate

CBO Community-Based Organisation

CSP Customised Sector Programme

DEAT Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (now the Departments of

Environment and Tourism)

EBA Endemic Bird Area

GDP Gross Domestic Product

GIS Geographic Information System

GVA Gross Value Add

IBA Important Bird Area

IMC International Marketing Council

KZN KwaZulu-Natal

LSM Living Standards Measure

MCM Marine and Coastal Management

MEC Member of the Executive Council

PAX Passengers

SAMSA South African Maritime Safety Authority

SAPS South African Police Service

SAT South African Tourism

SETA Sector Education and Training Authority

TFDS Total Foreign Direct Spend

TGCSA Tourism Grading Council of South Africa

TTCI Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index

TTCR Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report

UK United Kingdom

UNWTO United Nations World Tourism Organisation

USA United States of America

VFR Visiting Friends and Relatives

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Glossary Aggregation Clustering of birds attracted to an environmental resource, e.g.

water, specific foods.

Avitourism Travel outside one’s usual environment for the purpose of viewing

birds in their natural habitats. People who travel to view birds in their

natural habitats are avitourists.

Bird hides These are man-made shelters that are used to observe birds at

close quarters without disturbing the birds. A typical bird hide looks

like a garden shed and has windows or openings to enable

observation.

Bird route A geographical area designated as having a relatively high

concentration of birds of a particular species or variety of species

with particular interest to avitourists and birders.

Birder-friendly accommodation Accommodation establishments that cater to the needs of birders by

offering flexible meal options (e.g. early or packed meals for birders

who want to get an early start to the day), local bird lists and/or

maps, etc.

Birding Observing and identifying birds in their natural surroundings. People

who engage in these activities are known as birders.

Boardwalks Wooden paths for pedestrians and vehicles commonly found in

wetlands, coastal dunes and other sensitive areas.

Congregation Socially induced clustering of birds, e.g. mating.

Ecotourism Environmentally responsible travel to natural areas in order to enjoy

and appreciate nature in a manner that promotes conservation, has

a low visitor impact, and provides for the beneficial active socio-

economic involvement of local peoples.

Endemic Bird Areas (EBAs) These are areas that are home to at least two bird species which are

range restricted (i.e. travel within less than 50 000km2 of ‘home’).

The birds are therefore confined to that area and cannot be found

anywhere else (i.e. they are endemic to that area). The identification

of EBAs is important for habitat-based conservation of bird life

because EBAs contain the majority of the world’s restricted-range

bird species. As of 2009, BirdLife International has identified about

218 EBAs around the world.

Field guide Books and other publications designed to help the reader

identify birds while outdoors or out in the field. They typically include

a description of the birds together with illustrations or photographs

and an index.

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Important Bird Areas (IBAs) These are areas identified by BirdLife International and its regional

offices as priority conservation sites for bird life. IBAs are required to

meet the following criteria before they can be designated as such:

� Hold significant numbers of one or more globally threatened

species;

� Be one of a set of sites that together hold a suite of restricted-

range species or biome-restricted species; and

� Have exceptionally large numbers of migratory or congregatory

species.

As of 2009, there were almost 11 000 designated IBAs in about 200

countries.

Life list A list of all bird species seen by a particular observer (often

qualified, e.g. life list, county list, year list, etc.). Some birders may

keep several lists, and some also compete to amass longer lists

than their rivals.

Migrant A bird that moves seasonally from one location to another

Nature-based tourism Tourism that takes place mainly in natural environments, with the

specific purpose of viewing and experiencing the natural features of

a destination.

Pelagic birds Birds that live in or on the open ocean or sea

Protected areas The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and the

United Nations Environmental Programme both define a protected

area as “An area of land and/or sea especially dedicated to the

protection and maintenance of biological diversity, and of natural

and associated cultural resources, and managed through legal or

other effective means.” Examples of protected areas include nature

reserves, national parks, habitat/species management areas, and

protected landscapes/seascapes.

Ramsar sites The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance was signed

in Ramsar, Iran in 1971. It is an intergovernmental treaty for the

conservation and use of wetlands and their resources. Ramsar sites

are therefore wetlands that have been designated for inclusion in the

Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. As of 2009,

there are 158 signatories to the Convention which covers 1874

wetland sites around the world.

Trip expectation The average number of birds that one can expect to see in an area

within a specified time frame

Vagrant An individual bird that is observed in a region that lies outside of the

range that is currently known for that species.

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Executive Summary Introduction and purpose This document is part of the final output of the analysis of South Africa’s avitourism market conducted from May 2009 to December 2009. Its purpose is to draw on research conducted during the project to provide the following information: � A targeted overview of the current and potential avitourism market in South Africa; and � An analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats relating to the avitourism

sector. The strategic recommendations on potential interventions to support the avitourism niche are contained in the Opportunities and recommendations document which accompanies this report. Definition of avitourism Avitourism is travel outside a person’s usual environment for the purpose of viewing birds in their natural habitats.1 Since it is centred on components of the natural environment (i.e. birds and their habitats), avitourism is considered to be a sub-category of nature-based tourism. However, if avitourism adheres to sustainability principles it can also be regarded as a component of ecotourism (sustainability is at the core of ecotourism but is not a key feature of nature-based tourism). Profile of avitourists

Previous studies of avitourists made a distinction between those who are committed, or ‘active’, and those who are ’passive’.2 Active avitourists take frequent birding trips, attend courses, and invest in equipment, whereas passive avitourists are defined as people that are able to identify common birds in their neighbourhood or take a passing interest in birds when travelling. A survey conducted as part of this project made use of the following categorisations of avitourists: casual (33%), enthusiastic (57%) and fanatical (10%).3 Behaviour and spending patterns across these avitourism sub-segments vary considerably. Overall, active South African avitourists spend about 36 days a year birding, two-thirds of which are on overnight trips. Fanatical birders devote 50% more time than this to their hobby. International avitourists tend to be more fanatical (i.e. devote a higher proportion of their overall leisure time to birding and spend more money on tours and equipment). Almost half (49%) of international respondents indicated that they undertook short trips to Africa, 77% of these within Southern Africa.

1 For the purposes of this report, ‘one’s usual environment’ is defined as an area within a 40-kilometre radius of home. The choice of 40 kilometres is intended to be consistent with tourism definitions used in South Africa, Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT), Tourism South Africa (2008). Note: This definition of avitourism, for the purposes of this report, excludes hunting. Although bird hunting is an important source of tourism revenue for certain portions of South Africa, prevailing international conventions for bird-watching require the birds to be alive for viewing, particularly for those who keep lists of birds sighted. 2 Eubanks, Jr., T.L., Stoll, J.R., Ditton, R.B. (2004). Understanding the diversity of eight birder sub-populations: Socio-demographic characteristics, motivations, expenditures and net benefits. Journal of Ecotourism, 3 (3), 151 – 172; Tourism Queensland Research Department. (2004). Bird watching tourism. 3 The classification of birders into these categories is artificial, because of the continuum of levels of commitment to the hobby (Turpie & Ryan 1998). Nevertheless, some kind of classification is useful in order to understand the changes in experience and behaviour along this continuum with increasing avidity.

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About 57% of birding activity takes place outside t hese avitourists’ home provinces . Casual birders typically stay within South Africa, whereas fanatical birders travel further afield. On average, South African avitourists spend 81% of their time birding within South Africa and 58% of this time in protected areas. International respondents spend 93% of their overall day trips on birding. They spend about 80% of total days spent on short breaks and longer leisure trips birding. Similar to domestic avitourists, international avitourists spend 60% of their birding time in protected areas. Overall, self-catering accommodation is preferred by the majority of domestic avitourists, irrespective of type, followed by staying with friends and family, and camping and caravanning. International avitourists also favour self-catering accommodation, but are more likely to stay in hotels, guesthouses and game lodges than South African birders. As a general rule, the more fanatical the birder, the less is spent per night on accommodation and food. Nevertheless, this group spent more overall on an annual basis, because they spent more time in the field. About 97% of domestic avitourists surveyed organised their own tours, compared to 63% of international avitourists. International avitourists expressed a higher degree of preference for specialist birding tour operators than domestic avitourists (only 4% of domestic avitourists surveyed used specialised birding-tour operators). Bird clubs and birding-pal groups also seem to play an important, though occasional, role for domestic avitourists. The surveys show that 27% of domestic avitourists have been on organised commercial bird tours at some point in their lifetime, with participation increasing markedly with avidity (e.g. more than 50% of fanatical birders have been on commercial bird tours compared to 11% of casual birders). Among those who had never been on a bird tour, the preference to go bird-watching independently and the high cost of bird tours were the most commonly cited constraints. Between 2007 and 2009, about 18% of domestic avitourists surveyed went on at least one pelagic birding trip within South Africa, and 13% went on at least one pelagic birding trip outside South Africa. International avitourists surveyed were more active with respect to pelagic birding tourism – 35% went on at least one trip within South Africa, and 40% went on at least one pelagic birding trip outside South Africa. Potential target-market segments South African Tourism (SAT) sets out, in its Tourism Growth Strategy 2008 – 2010, a range of priority market segments for domestic and international markets. The tables below match the characteristics of avitourists surveyed during this project to the various market segments identified by SAT for both domestic and international tourists. Note that there may be some bias in the survey, because of the online survey method and a tendency for more avid avitourists to respond than casual avitourists.

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Table 1: Potential matches between domestic avitourists and wider domestic target markets4

General domestic tourism market profile – 2008 (200 7)

� 32,9 million trips (2007: 35,9 million trips) � 47% of South African adults took at least one trip in 2008 � 13,9 million domestic tourists (2007: 13 million) � Average of 2,4 domestic trips per domestic tourist � Living Standards Measure (LSM): 87% within LSM groups 5 – 10, 56% in groups 5 – 8, 31% groups 9 –

10 � Composition (based on 2004 profile)

– Young and upcoming: 28,9% market share, 17% value – Independent young families and couples: 5,3% market share, 37,5% value – Striving families: 3% market share, 11% value – Well-off homely couples: 6,1% market share, 18% val ue – Home-based low-income couples: 3% market share, 7,7% value – Basic-needs older families: 42% market share, 1,7% value – Golden Active Couples: 1,5% market share, 11,6% val ue

� Average length of stay: 4,5 nights (4,4 nights) � Purpose of trip: 71,4% Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR), 15,7% holiday � Top source markets: Gauteng (30%), KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) (26%), Eastern Cape (16%) � Top destinations: KZN (32%), Eastern Cape (17%), Gauteng (14%), Western Cape (12%) � Majority of trips intra-provincial: Gauteng, Limpopo, Free State and North West are net trip generators � Seasonality mirrors school holidays � Average spend per trip: R780 (2007: R550) � Spending breakdown: 31% transport, 18% food and beverages, 17% accommodation, 16% leisure and

entertainment � Accommodation type: 81% friends and relatives, followed by hotels (4%) and self-catering (4%) � Activities: unpaid social activities and shopping dominant; only 7% visited natural attractions or viewed

wildlife Domestic avitourism target segments

Avitourist profiles Corresponding tourism market segments South African domestic avitourists, 1997 Demographics � Home province: Gauteng 39%, KZN 24%, Western

Cape 20% � Gender: 2/3 male � Age: average 50 years, 49% between 40 and 60,

22% retired (65+) � Education: average 15 years, i.e. higher-education

level � Employment: 70% professional � Household income: average R13 500; about 20%

> R20 000 Travel behaviour � Group size: majority couples � Accommodation preferences (commercial):

camping; self-catering chalets and bed and breakfast establishments (B&Bs)

� Trip length: 15 – 42 days South African domestic avitourists, 2009 � Home province: Gauteng 38%, W Cape 27%,

KZN 14% � Gender: 75% male

Primary segments Golden Active Couples � Home province: Gauteng 46%, KZN 11% � Gender: 45% male, 55% female � Age: majority 50+, 83% children older than 21

years � Education: 40% matric, 28,1% higher-education

level � Household income: Primarily R5 000 to R20 000 � LSM 9 – 10 Travel behaviour � Average trip length: 13 nights � Trips per year: three per person � Average days travelling per year: 39 � Destinations: KZN 27%, Western Cape 23%,

Mpumalanga 8% � Group size: majority couples � Accommodation preferences: self-catering,

camping and guesthouses � Seasonality: December 16%, April 14% Secondary segments:

4 Sources: South African Advertising Research Foundation (SAARF) All Media and Products Survey (AMPS) 2008a, SAT 2004, SAT 2009.

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� Age: average 49 years, majority 31 to 65 � Household size: 74% no children in household � Education: 53% university, 14% matric only � Household income: 72% > R20 000; 35% >

R 40 000; 28% < R20 000 � LSM 9 – 10 Travel behaviour � 27 days per annum on overnight leisure trips; 23

days spent birding � Birding destinations: Western Cape, Mpumalanga,

KZN, Limpopo � Mainly inter-provincial on overnight stays � Group size: equal split between couples and small

groups (~40% each) � Accommodation preferences (commercial): self-

catering, camping and caravanning � Information sources: birding books, birding/nature

magazines, Internet � Travel arrangements: self-organised (95%),

specialist operators (4%)

Well-off homely couples � Home province: KZN 31%, Western Cape 29%,

Eastern Cape 17% � Gender: 57% male, 43% female � Age: majority 30 – 50, majority have no children � Education: 39,1% matric, 33,7% higher-education

level � Household income: primarily between R10 000

and R20 000 � LSM 8 – 10 Travel behaviour � Trip length: 7,5 nights � Trips per year: 4,1 per person � Average days’ travelling per year: 31 � Destinations: KZN 31%, Western Cape 29%,

Eastern Cape 17% � Group size: majority couples � Accommodation preferences: self-catering,

camping and hotels � Seasonality: December 20%, April 14%

Independent young couples and families � Home province: Gauteng 59%, Western Cape 9%,

KZN 8% � Age: majority 30 – 50, majority have children of

primary and high-school age � Gender: 45% male, 55% female � Education: 36% matric, 43% higher-education

level � Household income: primarily between

R10 000 and R25 000 Travel behaviour � Trip length: 10 nights � Trips per year: 2,2 per person � Average days’ travelling per year: 22 � Destinations: KZN 37%; Gauteng/Western

Cape/Eastern Cape 10% each � Group size: majority couples � Accommodation preferences (commercial): self-

catering, hotels and camping � Seasonality: 33% December, 11% April

There appears to be a close correlation between domestic avitourists and ‘Golden Actives’ and ‘independent young couples and families’ . However, there are some differences in the profile of domestic birders, including: � Higher average-income levels; � Longer average-trip lengths; � Stronger presence of people based in the Western Cape; � Greater tendency to visit multiple provinces; and � Higher levels of educational attainment.

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Table 2: Potential matches between international avitourists and wider international target markets5

International birding tourism target segments

Birder profiles Corresponding tourism market segments United States birders � Origin: California, Pennsylvania, New York State � Gender: 54% female � Age: average 49 years, 58% between 45 and 65,

19% > 65+ � Education: 65% higher education � Household income: 49% > US$50 000, 28% >

$75 000 � Marital status: 72% married

United States Primary segment Next Stop South Africa (NSSA) Demographics � Gender: 50:50 � Age: 57% between 41 and 65, 43% 65+ � Education: 78% higher education � Household income: 54% > US$60 000 –

$120 000 � Marital status: 71% married/living with partner Travel behaviour � Average trip length: 2 – 3 weeks � Trips per year: three � Past travel: Western Europe > 80%;

Caribbean and North Africa and Asia < 80% � Future travel: Western Europe 48%,

Caribbean 37%, Australia / New Zealand 33%, Asia 26%, South America 24%

� Information sources: travel agency 29%, Internet travel agency 17%, travel guides 13%, other Internet 11%

� Travel companions: 73% significant other � Destination expectations: variety of activities,

ease of getting around, safety, and availability of good restaurants; travelling for education and culture

� Accommodation preferences: quality more important than price; prefer hotels

Possible secondary segments � Wanderlusters

International birding visitors to SA, 1997 � Origin: United States of America (USA), United

Kingdom (UK), rest of Europe � Demographic information: none available � Trip length: 21 days � 1/3 Free Independent Traveller (FIT), 2/3 guided

tours International birders, 2009 survey Demographics � Origin: Europe (60%), Africa (24%), USA (8%) � Gender: 82% male � Age: average 53 years, 87% between 41 and 65,

4% > 65+ � Education: 61% higher education � Household income: unknown

Likely primary segments* Germany, France, Netherlands, Australia NSSA Senior Explorers United Kingdom NSSA Possible secondary segments � Wanderlusters (UK, Germany, France,

Australia) � Experienced Wanderlusters (UK)

5 Sources: SAARF AMPS 2008a, SAT 2004, SAT 2009.

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International birding tourism target segments Birder profiles Corresponding tourism market segments � Marital status: unknown Travel behaviour � Average days travelling per year: 20 days on

overnight trips � Information sources: Internet; birding books,

birding and nature magazines and other birders � Travel arrangements: 2/3 self-organised; 1/3

specialist birding tour operators � Travel companions: more than half (52%) in pairs,

16% in groups of up to eight � Destination expectations: species diversity and

rare/endemic species most important factors, followed by overall number of birds; other attractions/things to do relatively important

� Accommodation preferences: self-catering most popular, followed by hotels and game lodges.

Please refer to Annexure A for more detailed profiles of international target-market segments. Economic impact of avitourism in South Africa Research conducted for this report suggests that the total size of South Africa’s current avitourism market is between 21 000 and 40 000 avit ourists annually . Of this total, the number of active and potential domestic avitourists in South Africa ranges between 13 000 and 24 000 consumers. The number of international avitourists ranges between 8 000 and 16 000. Collectively, these avitourists spend an estimated R789m to R1,520bn on birding trips, support services and equipment annually.6 Using a conservative multiplier effect of 1,3, avitourism’s potential contribution to Gross Domestic Product (G DP) is in the range of R1,025bn to R1,975bn annually .7 Environmental and conservation impacts of avitouris m Avitourism also provides environmental benefits to communities, helping to educate locals about the value of biodiversity, and incentivising successful protection and preservation of natural areas. It is also likely that avitourism will lead to the protection of more natural areas. The migratory patterns of birds do not necessarily correlate with the designated boundaries of protected land. However, avid bird-watchers will seek them out in non-protected areas, thus creating an incentive for locals to preserve these areas. When compared to other outdoor activities that fall within nature-based tourism, avitourism has a lower environmental impact.8 The expectations of avitourists (that they will see a variety of species) also provide a direct link between avian biodiversity and local income. 6 Including spend on trips outside South Africa. 7 These figures are conservative estimates based on the surveys conducted in 1998 and 2009. Because of the inherent limitations of surveys (e.g. sample sizes may be statistically significant but do not accurately reflect actual number of avitourists) and the overall lack of avitourism data in South Africa, it is likely that avitourist numbers are significantly higher and their economic impact greater than is depicted in this report. 8 Sources: Weaver, D.B. (1998) Ecotourism in the Less Developed World. Wallington, UK: Oxon International and Page, S.J. & Dowling, R.K. (2002) Ecotourism. Essex, UK: Pearson Education Limited.

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Assessment of base assets for avitourism The attractiveness and potential for expansion of birding and avitourism in South Africa is dependent to a large extent on the base assets available to domestic birders and international visitors. These assets include the natural characteristics of the country (e.g., species diversity, richness, and endemism) as well as the advanced tourism infrastructure (physical and informational), both general (e.g. complementary wildlife attractions, accommodations and transportation amenities) and birding-specific (e.g. Important Bird Areas, infrastructure such as boardwalks, hides, and interpretation centres, and birding routes) in place to support birding-specific tourists. Species diversity Internationally, South Africa is seen as an attractive birding destination because of the large number of endemic species (i.e. species that can only be found in South Africa). There are almost 9 900 species of birds in the world, and Africa hosts about 23% of the world’s bird species. Furthermore, 20 of the world’s 142 bird families and 18% of the world’s species are found only in Africa. About 35% of Africa’s bird species can be seen in Souther n Africa , and 134 species, or 1,4% of the world’s species, are found nowhere else . Of these species, 33 are particularly restricted in their ranges to less than 50 000km2 and therefore extremely sought-after targets for birders. While most of the species occurring in Southern Africa also occur in South Africa, far fewer species are endemic to South Africa alone. South Africa is home to 45 globally threatened or n ear-threatened bird species . South Africa also contains a number of Endemic Bird Areas (EBA) that are potential avitourism draw cards. Pelagic birding South Africa has several breeding seabird colonies. These are mainly located on the country’s 17 offshore rocky islands around the coast from Bird Island in Lambert’s Bay on the West Coast to the Algoa Bay Islands off Port Elizabeth. On the mainland coast, there are breeding colonies of African Penguin at Simon’s Town and Betty’s Bay and of Kelp Gulls at Macassar (all near Cape Town). Many of the country’s larger coastal lagoons and estuaries provide impressive aggregations of waterbirds, dominated by migratory waders in summer. The most important of these are Langebaan Lagoon, St Lucia and the Berg estuary. Bird spectacles are also found at inland sites, typically large seasonal wetlands that attract significant aggregations of waterfowl during the wet season. These include wetlands such as Nylsvley.

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Important Bird Areas A total of 122 IBAs have been identified in South Africa. Although they are delineated for conservation purposes, the criteria used to select IBAs are similar to some of those that are important to birders. It follows then, that IBAs are also important birding areas . This is true to an extent, but some IBAs are more attractive than others from a birder’s perspective, for example, some IBAs will receive more attention from domestic birders than from international birders because locals tend to explore the local area more thoroughly. Birding hotspots Among those that responded to the 2009 survey, domestic avitourists – excluding those that responded via email groups, which were heavily biased towards the Western Cape and Gauteng – spent the largest amount of their birding time in KwaZulu-Natal (21%), the Western Cape (19%), Mpumalanga (18%), Limpopo (14%) and Gauteng (10%). These tourists spent less than 10% of their time in the Eastern Cape, North West, Northern Cape and Free State (which is the least popular birding destination at less than 2% of time). International birders followed a similar pattern, except that Mpumalanga was higher than the rest (26%), probably due mainly to visiting Kruger National Park: 19%, 18% and 13% of their time was spent in KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and Limpopo, respectively, and less than 10% of the time was spent in each of the remaining provinces. Marketed birding routes In addition to the Important Bird Areas and other naturally occurring birding sites throughout the country, several ‘birding routes’ have been devised in South Africa as a marketing mechanism to promote bird tourism and stimulate local economic development and empowerment in rural communities. These routes, which together cover most of the country, include the following:

� Greater Limpopo Birding Route;

� Gauteng Birding Route;

� Mpumalanga Birding Route;

� Zululand Birding Route;

� Southern KwaZulu-Natal Birding Route;

� Eastern Cape Birding Route;

� Western Cape Birding Route; and

� Diamond Route.

Birding facilities and access In addition to its natural amenities, South Africa contains man-made birding infrastructure which, collectively, forms an important asset. This man-made infrastructure includes campsites, picnic sites, bird hides, trails and boardwalks.

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Role-players in South Africa’s avitourism industry In addition to South Africa’s base birding assets, the country has developed an established avitourism industry encompassing information providers, tour operators and guides, accommodation providers, and support organisations. There are more than 30 local and international specialist birding tour operators, hundreds of birder-friendly accommodation establishments, and more than 50 bird clubs. Avitourism also enjoys corporate sponsorship from some of the biggest companies in the country, who provide funding for a wide range of activities including bird guide training and community nature-based tourism projects. In terms of academic research, University of Cape Town’s Animal Demography Unit and Percy FitzPatrick Institute of Ornithology play key roles in bird-related data collection and analysis to inform avitourism and bird conservation. There are also numerous local and international online and print sources of information suitable for all levels of birders and bird enthusiasts. South Africa’s competitiveness as an avitourism des tination A set of birding destinations regarded as potential competitors for South Africa, was selected for analysis. The set comprised SAT’s competitive set,9 other destinations viewed as prominent global birding destinations and neighbouring destinations that could offer complementary or competitive birding experiences. South Africa ranks third on avitourism indicators and third on general tourism indicators, and is ranked third overall. South Africa’s main avitourism competitors are Thailand, Australia and Brazil (ranked first, second and fourth overall respectively). This is illustrated below.

Table 3: Ranking of South Africa’s avitourism market relative to selected competitors10

Avitourism Indicators

South Africa

Kenya Uganda Brazil Thailand Australia Namibia Botswana Tanzania

Total known species

7 3 4 1 5 6 8 9 2

Total species of birds

7 2 4 1 5 6 8 9 3

Total endemic species of birds

4 6 9 2 5 1 7 8 3

Trip expectation (no. of species in a three-week trip)

4 1 2 2 4 6 5 6 3

No. of endemic bird areas

5 4 5 1 6 2 7 3 8

No. of Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

3 5 6 2 5 1 7 8 4

No. of globally-threatened or near-

5 6 8 1 4 2 7 9 3

9 South Africa’s core competitive set for general tourism comprises Australia, Brazil, Kenya, and Thailand. 10 Analysis based on data in the WEF Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2009, UNWTO Tourism Barometer.

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South Africa


threatened bird species No. of Ramsar sites

2 6 3 5 4 1 7 8 7

No. of clearly-defined birding routes

1 9 9 9 9 2 9 9 9

Destination’s birding tourism resources featured on New Trends and Outlooks (NTO) website

9 9 9 1 1 9 9 9 9

Destination’s birding tourism resources featured on national conservation agency website

1 1 1 1 9 9 9 9 9

Environmental treaty ratification

4 2 6 3 7 1 5 7 4

Protected areas as a % of total land area

9 8 4 3 5 6 7 2 1

Total Score: Avitourism

61 62 70 32 69 52 95 96 65

Rank: Avitourism

3rd 4th 7th 1st 6th 2nd 7th 8th 5th

Connectivity 1 5 9 6 3 2 4 7 8 Visa requirements

4 7 7 5 1 7 2 3 6

Seat kilometres (international)

4 5 6 3 1 2 8 9 7

Departures per 1 000 population

4 7 9 5 6 1 3 2 8

Airport density

6 8 9 4 5 1 2 3 7

Number of operating airlines

3 5 7 4 1 2 8 9 6

Road density 1 5 2 3 4 6 8 9 7 Presence of major car rental companies

1 4 2 3 3 1 4 4 5

Hotel rooms 5 7 8 0 2 1 4 3 6 % World market share

2 7 6 3 1 3 4 8 5

xiv


South Africa


Marketing presence in major source markets

3 1 7 9 2 4 5 6 8

Market share of birding source markets

4 5 9 3 1 2 8 7 6

Travel and Tourism (T&T) government expenditure

9 1 8 7 6 4 5 2 3

T&T fair attendance

3 2 5 2 1 3 4 4 2

Total Score: General Tourism

50 69 94 57 37 39 69 76 84

Rank: General Tourism

3rd 5th 9th 4th 1st 2nd 5th 7th 8th

Weighted Overall Score

(Avitourism, 65%; General tourism, 35%)

116.1 130.3 158.0 81.7 118.1 96.5 174.8 180.9 144.5

Weighted Overall Rank


SWOT analysis of avitourism in South Africa The purpose of this section is to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the South African avitourism industry, as well as the potential opportunities they give rise to and the threats that are posed to the future growth and development of the sector. These strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) are presented and discussed within the context of the National Tourism Growth Strategy’s six objectives because this allows for an analysis that is accessible and consistent with tourism planning in the country. Growing volumes

Strengths Weaknesses

� Attractive core birding assets compared to

competitor birding locations – in particular bird

species diversity, endemism and rarity

� Lack of co-ordination among role-players

� International avitourism volumes may be

insufficient to justify sizeable expenditures relative

to other niche markets

� Lack of data on avitourism may hamper planning

� Hard to influence fanatical birders – they aim for

maximum bird-list yield in the shortest amount of

time

xv


Opportunities Threats

� Increased awareness by wildlife accommodation

providers of avitourism opportunities in their areas

can help to attract avitourists and present dual

marketing opportunities

� Rising affluence levels in South Africa (e.g. greater

interest by ‘Black Diamonds’ in birding in medium

to long term) can increase the number of casual

and enthusiastic domestic avitourists

� Internationally, avitourism development efforts

could tap into existing efforts to target Europe,

Australasia, East and West Africa, SADC and

North America

� Reduction on bird species, in particular endemics

and endangered species

� Environmental degradation or pollution of

avitourism areas

� Persistent threats to personal safety or the

perception of threat

� Increased competition from other locations

Increasing tourist spend


� Avitourists have a higher spend per trip than

other niche segments


� Lack of data on avitourism may hamper planning

� Limited use of existing avitourism infrastructure in

low-volume tourism destinations

� Limited opportunities for tour operators


� Rising affluence levels in South Africa presents the

potential for new avitourist spenders to emerge

� More corporate sponsorship and more active

calendar of events can increase awareness of

avitourism opportunities to a wider range of

consumers

� Evidence of significant economic impact in other

countries

� International avitourists often travel in their home

regions, but long-haul to South Africa introduces

additional costs


� Propensity of avitourists to organise their own

tours and accommodations

xvi

Increasing length of stay


� Birders tend to have longer trip lengths than similar

tourism market segments

� Birders spend a high total number of days per

year travelling for birding



� Birding add-ons in groups with mixed interests e.g.

family trips

� Birding as an add-on to other trips, e.g. business,

VFR trip add-ons for casual/novice birders

� Evidence from other countries of successfully

targeting these types of birders

� Extended stays might be elsewhere in the region

rather than in South Africa

Improving seasonality


� South Africa has high topographical and biome

variety in close proximity – provides for varied

holidays throughout the year

� Presence of pelagic touring opportunities

throughout the year

� Avitourism patterns do not necessarily differ

significantly from broader seasonality patterns

� Difficult winter weather conditions pose a threat to

pelagic tourism


� There is a low level of existing pelagic touring

activity relative to the attractiveness of the asset

� International visitors in off-peak seasons

� Domestic short breaks and long trips occur

throughout the year

� Some spectacles and events can create

opportunities in off-peak seasons

� Casual birders/trips with birding add-ons are less

likely to impact on seasonal spread

xvii

Improve geographic spread


� South Africa has high topographical and biome

variety in close proximity – provides for varied

holidays

� Extensive man-made birding infrastructure (e.g.

picnic and camp sites, bird hides, etc.)

� Numerous birding routes have been developed

that complement the country’s IBAs and other

birding hotspots

� Attractive birding locations and hotspots are

present in many areas of the country, many of

which do not yet have high tourist volumes

� Diversity of landscapes, scenic beauty and

historical/cultural attractions, friendly people, and

good food, etc.

� Limited use of existing avitourism infrastructure in

low-volume tourism destinations

� Birders are unlikely to be attracted to a geographic

area if the core bird species present are limited

� Presence of migrant bird species


� Strong linkages between avitourism and

conservation activities/protected areas

� Event-based activity (including greater focus on

inclusion of international visitors) e.g. competitions

and birder weekends

� Scope to attract visitors into outlying or rural areas

� Security concerns

� Casual birders/trips with birding add-ons are less

likely to impact on seasonal spread Clustering of

existing birding infrastructure in provinces with

existing high tourism-visitor numbers

Promoting transformation


� Presence of community guides

� There are several role-players in academia and in

the public and private sector avitourism industry

providing research, funding, marketing, and other

support for the industry’s development

� Avitourism enjoys corporate sponsorship and

comprises an attractive demographic for multiple

consumer goods, financial services, and other

corporates


� Limited transformation of industry to date

� Limited opportunities for tour operators

� Limited training for community guides


� Avitourism also enjoys corporate sponsorship from

some of the biggest companies in the country, who

� Avitourism segments potentially less attractive to

commercial B-BBEE operators than other

xviii


provide, and may further provide, funding for a

wide range of activities including bird guide training

and community ecotourism projects

� Linking avitourism to wider local economic

development planning

� Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-

BBEE) accommodation, transport services, guide

services (small-scale commercial bird guiding,

community guiding), and retail (equipment and

accessories)

segments

� Sustainability and scalability challenges for

community-based operators, e.g. economies of

scale, consistency of demand, other revenue

streams

1

1. Introduction and Purpose

1.1 Motivation, context and purpose of the study The South African government has identified tourism as one of the priority economic sectors in South Africa. Recognising the sector’s potential to contribute to enhanced employment, growth and equity, the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti ) formulated a Tourism Sector Development Strategy in 2005. This sector-development strategy, known as the Customised Sector Programme (CSP), seeks to identify key projects which may enhance development of the broader sector and its ability to contribute towards government’s objectives. In order to complement SAT’s marketing strategy, the dti Tourism Unit’s strategic focus includes the development of high-growth niche-tourism segments. The unit has recently completed research studies on priority tourism niches such as Business Tourism, Cultural Tourism and Backpacking Tourism. In 2009, avitourism was identified as a potential high-growth niche to be investigated. Birding is one of the fastest-growing pastimes world-wide and appears to be experiencing similar growth in interest and participation in South Africa. However, industry-wide planning for future development and marketing in this segment has been impeded by a lack of reliable and applicable information. As a result, the dti concluded that an assessment of the status of the avitourism segment in South Africa is both necessary and timely. Therefore a study was developed with the following overall aims: 1. Propose a practical and inclusive definition for avitourism. 2. Develop a market profile on the avitourism segment in South Africa. 3. Provide information on the specific needs and requirements of the avitourism market 4. Identify product gaps. 5. Identify core issues that confront both the operation and the development of tourism

businesses targeting the avitourism market. 6. Evaluate the economic impact of avitourism. 7. Recommend interventions necessary to support avitourism. The approach to this project is discussed in the next section.

2

1.2 Project scope and methodology The objective of this project was to assess the current status of avitourism in South Africa and identify the opportunities and constraints to the future development and sustainability of the niche. The diagram below represents the approach to the project, as set out in the project proposal below:

Figure 1: Project plan

PHASE 2: PROFILE, OPPORTUNITIES AND

CONSTRAINTS

2.1 Industry profiling

2.2Market

assessment

2.3 Bench-marking

PHASE 3: RECOMMENDATIONS

3. Recommen-

dations

2.4. Opportuni-

ties and Constraints

1.Project

Initiation

Iteration workshop

PHASE 1: PROJECT INITIATION

PHASE 2: PROFILE, OPPORTUNITIES AND

CONSTRAINTS

2.1 Industry profiling

2.2Market

assessment

2.3 Bench-marking

PHASE 3: RECOMMENDATIONS

3. Recommen-

dations

2.4. Opportuni-

ties and Constraints

1.Project

Initiation

Iteration workshop

PHASE 1: PROJECT INITIATION

Interim Draft Report (covering research through Phases 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3)

Draft Final Report Final Report

As is illustrated above, this document presents part of the final output of the project . Please note that two separate deliverables have been produced for this project. They are: � A detailed research and findings report (this document) – including a avitourism industry profile,

market assessment, and benchmarking based on secondary research, benchmarking and industry interviews, a survey of domestic and international birders, and a SWOT analysis; and

� A strategic recommendations report – including identification of opportunities and constraints in avitourism and final recommendations for sector development.

Overview of the research methodology the dti Avitourism in South Africa study research and analysis focused on the following areas: � Review of the global and local avitourism market using interviews and secondary sources; � A print and web-based survey designed specifically for this project (please refer to Appendix C

for the questionnaire used in the survey):

3

– A questionnaire survey targeting domestic and international birders was conducted between August 2009 and December 2009, with the online birding community (available through Survey Monkey and advertised in online forums and via e-mail), and with readers of the print version of the Africa: Birds & Birding magazine;

– A total of 711 questionnaires were completed (including both online and printed versions). Of the 647 that specified their nationality, 615 (95%) were from domestic respondents and 32 (5%) were from international respondents;

– From a statistical perspective, the number of domestic respondents is sufficient to extrapolate their behaviour to those of the general avitourism population, but the number of international respondents is not statistically significant;

� Integration and updating of secondary sources of data (e.g. surveys and reports); � Identification of South Africa’s base birding and avitourism assets, including:

– Interviews with industry associations, bird clubs, tour operators, and accommodation providers;

– Consolidation of existing Geographic Information System (GIS) data sources and creation of new databases;

– Ranking of Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in terms of their attractiveness to avitourists; and � Benchmarking interviews with international avitourism stakeholders in Namibia, Kenya,

Australia and the United States of America. The details of stakeholders consulted are given in Appendix A. Appendix B lists the reports consulted.

4

2. Economic and Policy Context of Avitourism

2.1 The significance of tourism to the South African ec onomy 11 Tourism is a fast growing industry which is recognised by the South African government as being able to play a key role in economic growth and poverty reduction. It has been demonstrated that tourism can influence the generation of value-add, employment, personal income and government income in regional and national economies. Tourism is also one of the three sectors (together with biofuels and business process outsourcing) which were identified as a special priority in the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA). South Africa’s political transformation in the early 1990s paved the way for the country’s return to international tourism. Since then, the country has experienced significant growth in foreign arrivals. For the period 1994 to 2000 the compounded annual growth rate (CAG R) was 8%. Tourism to South Africa has been growing steadily since 2001 as South Africa implemented its Tourism Growth Strategy. Between 2001 and 2006, the CAGR of the total foreign arrivals to South Africa was 7% as the tourism sector focused on specific countries in which to market South Africa. There were about 60 million international visits to South Africa over this period. However, growth in 2008 was slower than in the previous three years because of the global economic crisis that affected mainly overseas arrivals to South Africa. In 2008, there were 9 591 828 foreign arrivals to South Africa, which represented an additional 500 947 arrivals over 2007. The 5,5% growth rate was above the global average growth of 1,8%. The trend in foreign arrivals between 1994 and 2008 is illustrated in Figure 2 below.

Figure 2: Foreign arrivals to South Africa 1994 – 200812

3 668 956

4 488 272 4 944 430

5 140 124 5 731 424

5 890 514

5 872 254

5 787 310

6 429 583

6 504 890

6 677 844 7 368 742

8 395 833 9 090 881

9 591 828

0

1 000 000

2 000 000

3 000 000

4 000 000

5 000 000

6 000 000

7 000 000

8 000 000

9 000 000

10 000 000

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

11 Note: This entire section is based on information sourced from UNWTO, 2008. Tourism Satellite Account Recommended Methodological Framework. 12 Source: UNWTO, 2008. Tourism Satellite Account Recommended Methodological Framework.

5

International visitors spent an extra R6 billion in 2008 compared to 2007. Total foreign direct spend (TFDS) reached a record high of R74,2 billion in 2008 , an increase of 7,8%. The average TFDS (excluding capital expenditure) of all tourists increased by 15,7% (R1,100) in 2008 to reach R8 100. Leisure remains the primary purpose of visit of tourists to South Africa but this has declined from 61,3% in 2007 to 57,7% in 2008. This was driven by the decrease in holiday tourists down from 25,3% in 2007 to 20,0% in 2008. Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel increased from 24,2% in 2007 to 25,1% in 2008. Tourists visiting for personal shopping, shopping for business purposes and business travellers have increased. The analysis of purpose of visit by region shows that most holiday tourists come from overseas markets (Europe, the Americas and Asia and Australasia) while shopping and VFR tourists come from Africa. African countries constitute the largest foreign source market in terms of tourist arrivals, contributing to 75% of the total arrival figures. The majority of African arrivals come from neighbouring SADC countries. The European market constituted 15% of total foreign arrivals in South Africa and formed the second largest foreign market during 2008. The five largest European markets during 2008 were the UK, USA, Germany, the Netherlands and France. Globally, domestic tourism remains significantly more important than international tourism in both activity and monetary terms. Significant growth in domestic tourism is forecast for the developing countries within Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, where the proportion of active participants in tourism will increase significantly. Access, disposable income, and proximity are key elements in determining the future performance of these destinations and the level of growth that can be attained. South Africa is well positioned to capitalise on future opportunities relating to these markets. Domestic tourism contributes significantly to the tourism sector in South Africa, accounting for 77% of total tourism volume in South Africa in 2008 and possesses the potential for even greater expansion (it contributed only 26% of total tourism receipts in 2008). Forty-seven percent (47%) of the adult population (about 14 million people) took an average of only 2,4 domestic tourism trips in 2008. This resulted in 33 million domestic trips. There is an increase in the number of people travelling since 2006, showing that domestic travel in SA is becoming more attractive to South African adults. VFR accounts for 71,4% (23 million) of all domestic trips. Holiday accounted for only 15,7% (5 million) of all domestic tourism trips. The revenue generated through domestic tourists’ direct expenditure in South Africa (Total Direct Domestic Spend - TDDS) was about R26 billion in 2008. On average, a domestic tourist spent R550 per trip in 2007 compared to R780 per trip in 2008 (in nominal terms). Spend per trip increased across all purposes of travel. As expected, holiday trips accounted for the highest spend per trip at R1 910 per trip, while VFR tourists only spent R480 per trip. On average, holiday tourists spent R370 a day while VFR tourists spent a mere R110 a day. The first draft Tourism Satellite Account for South Africa estimates that in 2005 tourism direct gross value added 13 for South Africa amounted to R42,3 million (or 3,1% of total gross value added). Tourism direct gross domestic product was R45,6 million (or 3,0%) of total gross domestic product for 2005. There were 527 630 persons (or 4,3 % of total employment) directly engaged in producing goods and services purchased by tourists in 2005. There is therefore significant potential to further increase tourism’s contribution to Gross Value Add (GVA), GDP and employment.

13 Tourism direct gross value added is the sum of the portions of value added generated by the industries (tourism industries and other industries) as they respond to tourism consumption (Table 6 of the TSA).

6

2.2 Policy and Strategy Context of Avitourism 2.2.1 Tourism-specific strategic direction

If avitourism is to be selected as a tourism niche market, it should support the strategy direction set out by the South African government for tourism. This strategic framework includes the following:

Table 4: Overview of tourism strategic framework in South Africa

Policy/Strategy Relevance for Avitourism � Global Competitiveness Programme for the

Tourism Industry in South Africa (2005 – 2010)

� Avitourism is a potentially high yield niche market � Avitourists spend more per day than some other

tourism segments � Tourism Customised Sector Programme

(2006) � CSP emphasises transformation, strategic product

development, transport infrastructure, data availability and safety and security as key issues for sector support

� Avitourism presents opportunities for joint marketing with other South African tourism offerings, particularly niches such as cultural tourism, backpacking, hiking and trailing, botanical tourism and whale-watching

� National Responsible Tourism Guidelines (2002) and National Minimum Standards for Responsible Tourism (2009)

� Avitourists are more ecologically sensitive than some other tourists

� Preference for community guides and preservation of nature habitats complements government objectives with respect to responsible tourism

� Tourism Sector Code (2009) � Opportunities exist for smaller operators to partner with previously disadvantaged groups

� The demographic profile of avitourists is attractive to corporate sponsors who may support development efforts

� Tourism Growth Strategy (2008 – 2010) � Avitourism offers the potential to contribute to multiple objectives laid out in the Tourism Growth Strategy

� Avitourism market segments overlap with existing consumer segmentation strategies and targeting of source markets

Note: A new National Tourism Strategy is being prepared to guide the development of the tourism sector In particular, in the National Tourism Growth Strategy identifies six growth objectives for the South African tourism industry. The objectives are intended to ensure that the tourism sector contributes to sustainable GDP growth, sustainable job creation, and redistribution and transformation.

7

These objectives, and their implications for avitourism, are illustrated below:

Figure 3: National Tourism Growth Strategy objectives and implications for avitourism14

Growing volume

Increasing tourist spend

Increasing length of stay, from the most common length of 2 days for all tourists, and 2 for land arrivals, and 7 days for air arrivals

Improving geographic spread ,beyond the current dominant destinations of Gauteng, W Cape and KZN (for int tourists) and KZN and Gauteng (for domestic tourists)

Improve seasonality , in particular for the winter months for int, and easing valleys btw school holidays for domestic tourism

Promote transformation , in particular seeking out sources of growth through transformation

Promote SA’s avitourismresources to attract birders in markets with high growth potential

Promote SA’s avitourismresources to attract birders in high value segments

Highlight birding opportunities as an additional destination activity for markets (not necessarily birders) known to have long trip durations

Showcase birding opportunities at destinations outside of major tourism areas to markets with inclination and time to explore “off the beaten track”

Highlight birding opportunities as an additional destination attraction /activity to attract birders in markets known to travel out of season

Empower PDIs to be part of the commercial mainstream of avitourism e.g. development of cultural tourism at birding destinations, black ownership of businesses in the avitourism value chain

National Tourism Growth Strategy objectives

Application to avitourism

According to the Growth Strategy, the implementation of programmes to achieve these six objectives is expected to yield the following outcomes: � Improved understanding of the market; � The removal of obstacles; � Choosing the most attractive market segments; � Facilitating the product platform; � Marketing the destination; and � Monitoring and learning from tourist experience. This is closely aligned with the dti ’s plans for the growth and development of the South African avitourism sector. In addition, the interventions identified in the Customised Sector Programme provide a backdrop for this avitourism study, because the initiatives may well address challenges affecting this sub-sector. These initiatives and their relevance for avitourism are outlined below:

14 Source: SAT, 2007. ‘Growth Strategy 2008 – 2010’.

8

Table 5: The implications of the dti 's CSP for avitourism

CSP intervention Relevance for avitourism

� Information for decision-making, including the Tourism Satellite Accounting and the Real Time Product and Tourism Infrastructure Information System

� Allows market profiling of avitourism segments for use in targeted marketing and interventions

� Profiling of avitourists contributes data for comparison with other niche segments

� Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment,

including implementation of the Tourism Charter

� Opportunities for creation and further development of B-BBEE enterprises in avitourism e.g. ownership of accommodation, expansion of community guide programmes and small-scale commercial guide operations, and product development for pelagic tours and cultural tourism

� Product development and investment, with

targeted investments, and research into suitable incentives

� Avitourism presents opportunities for targeted investment into the development of birding-specific products and add-ons within the broader nature-based tourism offerings

� Tourist transportation systems, including an airlift programme to improve air transport infrastructure

� Avitourists travel more widely in South Africa than other tourists

� South Africa has good transport infrastructure and compares favourably with other avitourism destinations

� Employment creation, productivity improvement and skills development

� Avitourism presents employment opportunities across multiple sectors and geographies, particularly at the micro enterprise and co-operative levels

� Some aspects of avitourism are highly specialised and skills intensive, hence avitourism can contribute to productivity improvement and quality of life (by providing high quality jobs)

� Safety and security � Safety and security are highlighted as important considerations by avitourists who often spend significant portions of their time alone in isolated areas

The Tourism B-BBEE Code , gazetted in June 2009, sets measurable targets for the tourism industry in relation to seven elements, i.e. ownership and control of economic assets, employment equity, skills development, preferential procurement, enterprise development and social development. The avitourism implications of the Tourism Sector Code are:

9

Table 6: The implications of the dti 's Tourism Sector Codes for avitourism

Provision/requirement in Tourism Sector Code Relevance for avitourism

� Tourism businesses with a turnover below the R2,5 million annual threshold are exempt from the Tourism Sector Code. However, B-BBEE recognition Level 3 will be mandatory for all enterprises doing business with the public sector

� The community guides working within South African avitourism industry are below the annual threshold

� Tour operators (and some accommodation and transport service providers) are typically above the threshold and, therefore, subject to the Tourism Sector Code

� All tourism businesses with a turnover between R 2,5 million and R35 million have to select four out of seven elements of the Scorecard

� Tour operators working in South Africa’s avitourism industry may find opportunities by working with community guides to meet certain scorecard elements (e.g. employment equity, skills development, preferential procurement, etc.)

� All aspects of the scorecard are applicable to tourism businesses with a turnover over R35 million

� Only the largest tour operators and accommodation providers in avitourism fall within this category

� Partnership opportunities exist with smaller operators for skills transfer

2.2.2 Environmental policy and legislation Environmental conservation and biodiversity is a major concern for avitourism given its status as a nature-based tourism niche. South Africa has an extensive policy and legislative framework – its implications for avitourism are discussed in more detail below:

Table 7: South African policy and legislative framework for environmental conservation

South African Policy and Legislation for Environmen tal Conservation Policy documents Overview Relevance for avitourism National Environment Management Act (NEMA), No. 107 of 1998

� Creates the legal framework to protect the environmental rights guaranteed in section 24 of the Constitution

� Sets out the fundamental principles that apply to environmental decision making, the core environmental principle being the promotion of ecological sustainable development

� Promotes the principles of Integrated Environmental Management (IEM) as an approach to ensuring that environmental considerations are fully integrated into all stages of development

� Makes provision for the Environmental Impact Assessment process for identified activities as a procedural and regulatory mechanism for the implementation of IEM

� Makes provision for the regulations regarding the procedure to be

� Provides for the protection of bird habitats such as wetlands and vegetation

� The development of infrastructure for avitourism, e.g. access roads, accommodation, boardwalks, etc. may require either a basic assessment or scoping and full impact assessments

10

South African Policy and Legislation for Environmen tal Conservation Policy documents Overview Relevance for avitourism

followed and the report to be prepared in investigating, assessing and communicating potential impacts

� Provides for regulations regarding: – Activities which may not be

commenced without prior authorisation from the Minister or Member of the Executive Council (MEC)

– Geographical areas in which specified activities may not be commenced without prior authorisation from the minister or MEC and specify such activities

National Environmental Management Amendment Act (NEMAA), No. 62 of 2008

� In addition to the new or substitute definitions, NEMAA empowers the minister of mineral resources to implement environmental matters in terms of the NEMA, 1998

� Aligns environmental requirements in the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002, with the NEMA, 1998

� Provides for financial provision for the remediation of environmental damage related to mining and prospecting

� Environmental impact assessments and authorisations for mining and prospecting activity should consider the potential detrimental impacts on the tourism value of bird habitats

� Financial provisions for the remediation of mining sites could potentially establish new bird habitats, and provision should be made for birding infrastructure as relevant

Biodiversity Act, No.10 of 2004

� Provides for: – The conservation and sustainable

use of South Africa’s biodiversity – The protection of species and

ecosystems that warrant national protection

– The sustainable use of indigenous biological resources

– The equitable sharing of benefits derived from this use

� Protects bird habitats, and hence avitourism potential through provisions for: – Establishment and

management of national botanical gardens

– Protected of threatened or protected ecosystems and species

– Bioregional plans and biodiversity management plans

– Control over species and organisms posing potential threat to biodiversity

National Environmental Management Protected Areas Act, No. 57 of 2003 (as amended),

� Provides for the protection and conservation of ecologically viable areas representative of South Africa’s biological diversity and its natural landscapes and seascapes

� Protects bird habitats, and hence avitourism potential, through: – Provisions for

establishment and management of a national system of protected areas, as, inter alia, destinations for nature-based tourism

Marine Living Resources Act 1998

� Provides for: – The conservation of the marine

ecosystem, – The long-term sustainable

utilisation of marine living resources

� Provides for the protection of coastal bird habitats by: – Establishing and managing

marine protected areas – Controlling activities and

development within such

11

South African Policy and Legislation for Environmen tal Conservation Policy documents Overview Relevance for avitourism

– The utilisation and protection of certain marine living resources

areas

Coastal Zone Management Bill 2007

� Establishes a system of integrated coastal and estuarine management in the Republic, including norms, standards and policies, in order to: – Promote the conservation of the

coastal environment – Maintain the natural attributes of

coastal landscapes and seascapes – Ensure that development and the

use of natural resources within the coastal zone is socially and economically justifiable and ecologically sustainable

� Provides for the protection of coastal bird habitats, e.g. coastal wetlands, islands, estuaries, and hence avitourism potential

� Provides for public access to the coastal zone, and hence facilitates visitation to coastal bird habitats

Responsible tourism guidelines (identified in the 1996 White Paper on the Development and Promotion of Tourism in South Africa) Responsible Tourism Guidelines in 2002 Please refer to Appendix H for more detailed information.

The key elements of responsible tourism are to:15 � Ensure communities are involved in

and benefit from tourism � Market tourism that is responsible,

respecting local, natural and cultural environments

� Involve the local community in planning and decision-making

� Use local resources sustainably � Be sensitive to the host culture � Maintain and encourage natural,

economic, social and cultural diversity

� Assessment of environmental, social and economic impacts as a prerequisite to developing tourism.

� Address the triple bottom line of sustainable development (economic, environmental, and social sustainability)

� Responsible Tourism and the Tourism Sector Codes are closely linked

� At least four of the seven key indicators on the scorecard (skills development, preferential procurement and enterprise development, and social involvement) are also central elements of Responsible Tourism

Please refer to Appendix I for an overview of the international conventions and agreements that South Africa is party to and their implications for avitourism. 2.2.3 Wider economic policy with implications for tourism

South Africa’s overarching economic framework for the past few years has been the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (Asgi SA). Tourism has been identified as one of AsgiSA’s priority sectors, with the potential to contribute to overall economic growth (potential to contribute up to about 12% of GDP), job creation (400 000 new jobs), achieving B-BBEE, and small business development. Strong government/private sector partnerships are also noted as a strength of the South African tourism industry. The development of avitourism could potentially relate to all of these focus areas. This is discussed in more detail below: 15 DEAT, 1996: section 3.4.

12

Table 8: The implications of AsgiSA for avitourism

AsgiSA Relevance for Avitourism � Proposed interventions to support tourism

include: – Support for SMMEs – Customised incentives – Improved safety and security for tourists

� Better co-ordinated and resourced support for avitourism SMMEs (including those in outlying areas) because of AsgiSA’s reliance on cross-governmental infrastructure and funding for implementation of all its programmes

� Potential to introduce incentives tailored specifically for avitourism

� Tourism Safety and Security Forums, in collaboration with the South African Police Service (SAPS), have been proposed for the Western Cape, Gauteng and Mpumalanga, among the most popular avitourism destinations in South Africa

� Previously, The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and the Tourism and Hospitality Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) have jointly developed a skills profile and skills-development strategy to support growth and transformation.

� Similar mechanisms could be employed to conduct a skills audit and skills development strategy for the avitourism sector under AsgiSA

� Emphasises tourism’s potential to increase earnings by attracting foreign visitors

� Implies need for more focused and consistent efforts to grow South Africa’s international avitourism market

The National Industrial Policy Framework is largely aimed at providing guidance on industrially-oriented goods and services. However, it does provide some key principles which also relate to supporting tourism sector sub-segments. These include: � More effective co-ordination of skills development in alignment with industry needs; � Increasing the cost-competitiveness of the operating base for companies in South Africa; � Viewing transformation and empowerment as a source of growth and competitiveness; � Ensuring that government support to the economy is focused on high impact areas, is based

on sound evidence, and is effective, given the limitations in resources available to government – For sector strategies, in particular, consideration needs to be given to its relative size and

growth prospects, potential impact on employment, value-addition, diversification of production and exports, technology development and broad-based empowerment, as well as identification of the key obstacles to growth and the risks to removing them. There also needs to be a readiness for the private sector to commit, invest, and provide leadership in sector development efforts.

� The impact of support needs to be measured and evaluated; and � Inter-governmental co-ordination needs to be managed to enable coherent implementation

across spheres of government and line departments. The implications for avitourism are discussed below.

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Table 9: Implications of the National Industrial Po licy Framework for avitourism

National Industrial Policy Framework Relevance for avitourism � Prioritises economic diversification away from

traditional sectors such as mining and manufacturing

� Tourism is recognised as one of the non-traditional sectors that has performed consistently well, hence avitourism could contribute to the continued success of the sector

� Prioritises financing for non-traditional goods and services in high-potential economic sub-sectors

� Potential for overlap with industries in the avitourism value chain

� Promotes knowledge and technology intensive activities

� Some aspects of avitourism are highly specialised and knowledge intensive

� Avitourists tend to be heavy technology users (e.g. equipment and accessories, research for trip planning) requiring marketing activities and service providers to also make use of technology

� Identifies need for greater integration and alignment between sector strategies and SETA programmes

� More prominent role for Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Education and Training Authority in avitourism skills development

� Need for closer policy and institutional alignment between Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Education and Training and the dti ’s Tourism CSP (and any future avitourism studies and strategies, including this project)

� Identifies need to leverage public expenditure in infrastructure to catalyse economic growth and development

� Investment in tourism infrastructure, particularly transport (e.g. road and air) and telecommunications will improve accessibility and marketability of avitourism destinations in South Africa

� Recognises small enterprise support (including finance and technical skills

� Potential for government-sponsored SMME programmes to include an avitourism component

(Note: The policy assessment for this project was completed prior to the Industrial Policy Action 2010/11 – 2012/13 Plan or IPAP 2.) The proposed Regional Industrial Policy Framework also enables refinement of approaches to economic development based on the competitive advantages and objectives of each region. Whilst most of the proposed initiatives are more relevant to manufacturing, the suggested ‘regional growth coalitions’ across public, private and community stakeholders might be relevant to tourism development. Key findings on policy and strategy: potential impl ications for avitourism in South Africa

� General tourism is a priority sector at the national level, potentially putting avitourism in a good

position to compete for scarce resource to develop this niche segment � Avitourism tour operators may find opportunities by working with community guides,

accommodation and transport providers to meet certain scorecard elements (e.g. employment equity, skills development, preferential procurement, etc.)

� Existing policy and guidelines emphasise linking avitourism to wider local economic development planning, including development of complementary tourism products and services

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3. Why avitourism? This section presents an industry profile of birding and avitourism in South Africa as it is currently structured. The material presented in this section is based on interviews with birder-friendly accommodation providers, tour operators, industry associations, guides, partners, and others as well as secondary sources.

3.1 Definition There is an active debate surrounding the exact definition of avitourism. On the most inclusive end of the spectrum are those definitions that capture virtually all forms of bird-watching, including in one’s own garden or an aviary. On the more restrictive end of the spectrum, there are others who consider only overnight travel to a given location with the exclusive purpose of observing birds in their natural environment as avitourism. From a practical standpoint, this report places avitourism somewhere between these two extremes. Avitourism is centred on components of the natural environment, i.e. birds and their habitats, and is therefore a sub-category of nature-based tourism . Figure 4 below defines nature-based tourism (including an overview of its sub-categories), and eco-tourism.

Figure 4: Avitourism and other types of nature-based tourism16

As can be seen from the figure above, eco-tourism differs from nature-based tourism in its emphasis on sustainability (global experience has shown tourism that takes place in nature is not synonymous with sustainability). It is therefore also possible to classify avitourism as ecotourism provided the principles of sustainability are adhered to.

16 Source: Keyser, H., 2009; The Nature Conservancy, 2009 (www.nature.org).

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Bird-watchers form the largest and fastest-growing group of nature-based tourists. Travel by bird-watchers, domestically and internationally, to observe and identify birds in their natural habitats is referred to as ‘avitourism’. For the purposes of this report, avitourism is trav el outside one’s usual environment for the purpose of viewing birds in their natural habitats. 17 The box below highlights other countries’ approaches to defining avitourism International approaches to conceptualising avitour ism Industry role-players around the world have developed their own understandings of what constitutes avitourism, even referring to avitourism by different names, e.g. in some countries it is known as ‘birding tourism’ and in others ‘bird-watching tourism’. Some of the definitions that accompany these different terminologies are given below. “From an economic perspective, bird-watchers become bird-watching tourists when they embark on travel that takes them away from the locations they know well and where time limitations (primarily) restrict the amount of time available. Bird-watching tourism products will therefore attract international clients more readily than locals but will Australian bird-watchers who are far from home.” (Source: DN Jones and R Buckley, 2001, Birdwatching tourism in Australia) “To be counted as a birder, an individual must have either taken a trip a mile or more from home for the primary purpose of observing birds and/or closely observed or tried to observe birds around the home.” (Source: United States Fish and Wildlife Services, 2001) In keeping with United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) conventions for the classification of tourists, two categories of avitourists can be defined: � International avitourists are residents of foreign countries who participate in bird-watching

activities while visiting South Africa. They may not have travelled to South Africa exclusively to observe birds in their natural habitats, but do so while they are in the country.

� Domestic avitourists are residents of South Africa who travel within the country to participate in birding activities. Their trips may be day trips or overnight.18

This report’s definition of avitourism excludes hunting. Although bird hunting is an important source of tourism revenue for certain portions of South Africa and hunters, in many instances, share conservation and habitat preservation goals with avitourists, birders, the majority of whom keep lists of the birds they sight, require the birds to be alive for viewing. Key findings: Avitourism defined � Avitourism is travel outside of one’s usual environment to view birds in their natural habitats. � This definition applies to both domestic and international avitourists in South Africa. � Does not include hunting tourism.

17 For the purposes of this report, ‘one’s usual environment’ is defined as an area within a 40 kilometre radius of home. The choice of 40 kilometres is intended to be consistent with ‘Tourism definitions used in South Africa’, DEAT, Tourism South Africa (2008) 18 Consistent with ’Tourism definitions used in South Africa’, DEAT, Tourism South Africa (2008), for the purposes of this report, 40km is used as a differentiator between avitourists and birders (i.e. those who view birds in their gardens are birders; those who travel more than 40km on day trips or longer trips to view birds are avitourists)

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3.2 Estimated economic impact Research conducted for this report suggests that the total size of South Africa’s current avitourism market is between 21 000 and 40 000 avit ourists annually . Of this total, the number of active and potential domestic avitourists in South Africa ranges between 13 000 and 24 000 consumers. The number of international avitourists ranges between 8 000 and 16 000. Collectively, these avitourists spend an estimated R789 million (m) to R1,520 billion (bn) on birding trips, support services and equipment annually.19 Using a conservative multiplier effect of 1,3, avitourism’s potential contribution to GDP is in th e range of R1,025bn to R1,975bn annually .20 Avitourism shares much of its industry infrastructure with other segments of the overall tourism market. For example, avitourists use many of the same accommodations used by other tourists, and visit the same national parks and protected areas. No centralised source of information on avitourist-specific companies currently exists. For these reasons, it is not possible to isolate the employment uniquely attributable to avitourism. Furthermore, in the case of avitourism community guides and small operators, the economic benefit is more likely to be livelihood support and enterprise development rather than employment. In terms of impact at the local level, the ‘Bird Island project’ in Lamberts Bay, South Africa began as a poverty relief initiative and employed 80 people and is expected to create more than 300 jobs in the future. The African penguin colony at Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town attracted 396 095 visitors between January and September 2008, and 356 865 visitors over the same period in 2009.21 Recent data on revenues at Simon’s Town are not available. Given the size and characteristics of this niche market, avitourism’s current and potential socio-economic impact is wide-ranging across a number of sectors (e.g. accommodation providers, guides, and equipment retailers) and geographies (e.g. in urban and rural areas throughout the country). This is illustrated by international experience:

Avitourism’s potential impact in South Africa within each of the National Tourism Growth Strategy’s six objectives is discussed in more detail below.

19 Including spend on trips outside South Africa. 20 These figures are conservative estimates based on the surveys conducted in 1998 and 2009. Because of the inherent limitations of surveys (e.g. sample sizes may be statistically significant but do not accurately reflect actual number of avitourists) and the overall lack of avitourism data in South Africa, it is likely that avitourist numbers are significantly higher and their economic impact greater than is depicted in this report. 21 Cape Town Routes Unlimited, Western Cape Tourism Satellite Barometer: Q1, Q2, Q3 (2008, 2009). 22. Turpie & Ryan (1998). 23 Ibid.

The economic impact of avitourism in North America The USA is one of the larger global markets for avitourism – in 2001, there were 46 million birders and birding was the fastest-growing outdoor recreational activity.22 More than 18 million of the 46 million birders travel away from home to watch birds, and annual expenditure on bird-watching in the USA in 2001 was an estimated US$32bn.23 Avitourism in Canada is credited with creating over 86 000 jobs and generated more than US$870m in tax revenue.

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i. Grow volumes

South Africa contains a strong birding asset and infrastructure base for avitourism, making it a competitive international destination. However, of the 3 million trips undertaken by avitourists around the world annually, research suggests that South Africa is capturing only 8 000 to 16 000 international avitourists. Additionally, the relatively low number of South Africans participating in domestic avitourism activities, between 13 000 and 24 000 annually, suggests that there is significant scope to grow volumes (internationally and domestically) within this niche segment.

ii. Increase tourist spend

Domestic avitourists are more affluent than the typical South African tourist – 35% have household incomes in excess of R40 000 per month. An additional 21% have incomes of between R25 000 and R39 999 per month. Research indicates that both domestic and international avitourists spend between R789m and R1,250bn on trips and equipment annually. Expenditure includes items such as accommodation, food and beverages, transport, and guide fees through to binoculars, camera equipment, birder books and magazines and telescopes. The greater the level of avidity of the avitourists, the greater the aggregate level of spend, suggesting that efforts to increase interest in birding (and the avidity of birders) may yield even greater revenues across a broad range of sectors.

iii. Increase length of stay Avitourism presents an opportunity for increasing length of stay, not just for dedicated avitourists but for general tourists as well. At present, international avitourists take an average of about 14 day trips, four trips of between one and three nights, and 13 longer holidays (greater than three nights) annually for the purposes of birding. More broadly, these same tourists spend about 15 day trips, five trips of between one and three nights, and 17 longer holidays (greater than three nights) for general leisure purposes annually. So, although the majority of their time is spent birding, some of it is devoted to other activities. Marketing additional non-birding attractions to avitourists may therefore increase their length of stay in South Africa; similarly, marketing birding attractions to non-avitourists may lengthen their stay.

iv. Improve seasonality Pelagics (birds that live on the ocean) represent an opportunity to improve the seasonality of international and domestic avitourism. The best time for viewing pelagics in South Africa occurs during the southern hemisphere’s winter. Since the infrastructure used for pelagic touring is often dual purpose (e.g. used for whale-watching, shark cage diving, and fishing), promoting pelagic touring in particular can improve uptake of other tourism activities during the off-peak season. Moreover, from a domestic avitourism perspective, opportunities for viewing bird spectacles, vagrants, and pelagics, for example, occur throughout the year.

v. Improve geographic spread Among those that responded to the survey, domestic avitourists (excluding those that responded via email groups which were heavily biased towards the Western Cape and Gauteng) spent the largest amount of their birding time in KwaZulu-Natal (21%), the Western Cape (19%), Mpumalanga (18%), Limpopo (14%) and Gauteng (10%). These tourists spent less than 10% of

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their time in the Eastern Cape, North West, Northern Cape and Free State (the least popular birding destination at less than 2% of time). International birders followed a similar pattern, except that Mpumalanga was higher than the rest (26%), probably due mainly to visiting Kruger National Park. 19%, 18% and 13% of time was spent in KZN, Western Cape and Limpopo, respectively, and less than 10% of time was spent in each of the remaining provinces. vi. Promote transformation Research conducted for this report suggests that South Africa’s domestic and international avitourists spend R221 – 432 million annually on South African guided tours (in or out of the country). The majority of these avitourists reported a preference for birding in small groups (groups of one to four people). This preference lends itself particularly well to the use of small tour operators and community guides, rather than larger tour operators. Use of community guides is desirable because they have been proven to be effective environmental stewards, yet only 34% of birders surveyed currently report using community guides. Given the current size of the overall spend on tour guides, and underuse of community guides, expanding the use of community guides carries the potential for significant economic benefit to previously disadvantaged people and communities, in particular in terms of support for livelihoods (e.g. increased incomes), enterprise development, capacity building, and a sense of empowerment and self-worth.24 Opportunities also exist in the provision of B-BBEE-owned and managed accommodation, particularly in areas that are currently underserved.

Moreover, bird route development has a positive impact on local communities by creating socio-economic wealth and environmental conservation (e.g. through the creation of, or increase in, birding facilities, small nature reserves, walking trails, bed and breakfasts and hotels. Birding has also encouraged community-based avitourism projects in South Africa.25

3.3 Environmental and conservation issues Avitourism can provide environmental benefits to communities. It can also help to educate locals about the value of biodiversity and incentivise successful protection and preservation of natural areas. Avitourists form the largest group of nature-based tourists, and nature-based tourism can fuel community-based conservation.26 Eco-tourism differs from nature-based tourism in its emphasis on sustainability (global experience has shown tourism that takes place in nature is not synonymous with sustainability).27 By emphasising environmental and conservation issues (i.e. sustainability), avitourism can also be classified as eco-tourism. “Birdwatching is becoming the most rapidly growing and most environmentally conscious segment of ecotourism and provides economic hope for many threatened natural areas around the world.” This is due, in part, to the characteristics of avitourists. Like ecotourists, they are typically highly educated, have high levels of ecological knowledge, and higher awareness of conservation issues.28 There is also a documented high level of overlap between membership in conservation and birding organisations.29 Consequently, avitourists are expected to try to reduce their 24 Biggs (2006). 25 Vorona & Rodrigo (2007). 26 Source: Sekercioglue, C. (2002). Impacts of birdwatching on human and avian communities, Environmental Conservation, 29 (3): 282. 27 Ecotourism is defined as “environmentally responsible travel to natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature and accompanying cultural features, that promotes conservation, has a low visitor impact, and provides for the beneficial active socio-economic involvement of local peoples”; nature-based tourism is defined as “tourism that takes place mainly in natural environments, with the specific purpose of viewing and experiencing the natural features of a destination.” 28 Source: Cordell, H.K. & Herbert, N.G. (2002) The popularity of birding is still growing. Birding 34: 54 – 59. 29 Source: Dickinson, R. & Edmondson, B. (1996) Golden wings. American Demographics 18: 47 – 49.

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environmental impact, understand the difference in ecosystems, and pay protected-area fees while travelling.

There is also a likelihood that avitourism will lead to the protection of more natural areas. The migratory patterns of birds do not necessarily correlate with the designated boundaries of protected land. However, avid avitourists will seek them out in non-protected areas, thus creating an incentive for locals to preserve these areas.

Avitourism can also contribute to wider conservation knowledge. It is necessary for guides to be trained who can guide bird-watching tourists on their expeditions. The guides have a financial incentive to preserve the environment may encourage others to engage in conservation of bird habitats. In addition, voluntary bird counts can contribute significantly to ornithological knowledge, particularly where there are few researchers.

When compared to other outdoor activities that fall under the auspices of nature-based tourism, avitourism has a lower environmental impact.30 The expectations of avitourists (that they will see a variety of species) also provide a direct link between avian biodiversity and local income.

However, there are possible environmental and conservation downsides to avitourism. There is little research into the environmental impact of avitourism. Nature-based tourism (and consequently, avitourism) is vulnerable to criticism for potentially incentivising encroachment on natural areas, polluting, disturbing wildlife, and causing the destruction habitat. Competition and fear of profit loss can drive operators to disregard sustainability standards. However, this can be mitigated by focusing on the distinctiveness of bird communities, reducing competition by levelling the global playing field between countries.

Most birds that have been studied are most sensitive to disturbance during breeding. It is harmful to birds for bird-watchers to play calls of secretive species to ‘lure them out of their hiding places.’ 31 This may stress birds and leave nests vulnerable to predators. Even when birds are not breeding, flushing them out can have harmful effects, even death. However, there are ways these harmful behaviours can be curbed. Rigorous training, certification, and regulation of guides by governments and bird-watching companies can help minimise disturbances.

The high incomes of avitourists can have an adverse impact on the environment because they may demand more luxurious accommodation than other nature-based tourists. Tourist locations can also become contaminated by waste and construction can result in damage to habitats.

Despite the drawbacks, avitourism compares favourably to “land clearing, hunting and other exploitative, unsustainable activities.” 32

Table 10: Summary of potential environmental impacts of avitourism33

Positive impacts of avitourism Negative impacts of avitourism Recommendations for optimal avitourism

� A link between avian diversity and local income

� A financial incentive to conserve wildlife

� Disturbing birds by playing tapes and by approaching nests

� Increased nest predation and nest abandonment

� Adhere to and insist on ethical birding conduct

� Avoid nests and young as much as possible

30 Sources: Weaver, D.B. (1998) Ecotourism in the Less Developed World. Wallington, UK: Oxon International and Page, S.J. & Dowling, R.K. (2002) Ecotourism. Essex, UK: Pearson Education Limited. 31 Source: Götmark, F. (1992) The effects of investigator disturbance on nesting birds. In: Current Ornithology, Volume 9, ed. D.M. Power, pp. 63 – 104. New York, USA: Plenum Press. 32 Ibid. 33 Source: Sekercioglue, C. (2002). Impacts of birdwatching on human and avian communities, Environmental Conservation, 29 (3): 282 – 289.

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Positive impacts of avitourism Negative impacts of avitourism Recommendations for optimal avitourism

� Less impact and more income than typical tourism

� Increased local control because of unique bird species

� Visitation of areas outside traditional tourist itineraries

� Protection of unprotected areas with desired species

� Valuation of local natural history knowledge

� Education and employment of local guides

� Generation of funds for bird conservation

� Contribution to ornithological knowledge

� Increased disturbance of birds that are rare or threatened

� Visitor-related pollution and habitat destruction

� Cash leaks from local communities

� Resentment by excluded locals � Cultural degradation associated

with tourism

� Show particular care with threatened and rare species

� Minimise tape use and try to minimise being seen

� Use established roads/trails/ walkways

� Use scopes for observation and photography

� Educate locals about birds and their financial benefits

� Support local and low-impact establishments

� Contribute to NGOs active in bird conservation

� Birds provide indirect value and services to the ecosystem such as pollination. They also

provide existence value to those that are willing to pay just to know that they are well conserved, and an option value to those who are willing to pay for the option of using (seeing) them in the future

� Bird routing has a positive impact on the community by creating socio-economic wealth and environmental conservation (e.g. through the creation of, or increase in, birding facilities, small nature reserves, walking trails, bed and breakfasts and hotels). Birding has also encouraged community-based avitourism projects in South Africa.34

� The preservation and maintenance of endangered areas and bird species in an area also adds to inhabitants’ experiences of the area (‘existence value’).35

Key findings: Economic impact of avitourism in Sout h Africa � Domestic and international avitourists in South Africa have a significant economic impact,

spending an estimated R927m to R1,725bn per annum. � However, there are still opportunities to enhance the economic impact of avitourism given:

– The economic impact of avitourism in other countries has been significant (e.g. US$32bn was spent on bird-watching in the United States in 2001).

– South Africa’s low market share of total global avitourism – South Africa captures only 8 000 to 16 000 international avitourists each year (out of a total of three million trips undertaken world-wide).

– Low numbers of domestic birders – there an estimated 13 000 to 24 000 local avitourists (compared to 46 million in the United States).

– Pelagic tourism in SA is a relatively underdeveloped and underexplored market. – Figures on the jobs created and sustained by avitourism in South Africa as a whole are not

available. – However, in Canada avitourism is estimated to have created 86 000 jobs directly,

indicating potential for similar or greater employment impact in South Africa.

34 Vorona & Rodrigo (2007). 35 Carver and Caudill (2007) ‘The economic benefits to local communities of national wildlife refuge visitation’.

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3.4 Assessment of base assets for avitourism The attractiveness and potential for expansion of birding and avitourism in South Africa is dependent to a large extent on the base assets available to domestic birders and international visitors. These assets include the natural characteristics of the country (e.g., species diversity, richness, and endemism) as well as the advanced tourism infrastructure (physical and informational), both general (e.g. complementary wildlife attractions, accommodations and transportation amenities) and birding specific (e.g. Important Bird Areas, infrastructure such as boardwalks, hides, and interpretation centres, and birding routes) in place to support birding-specific tourists. The relative importance of South Africa’s base birding assets to international and domestic tourists varies. Although the preferences, behaviour, and characteristics of these and other segments of the avitourism market are considered later in this report (please refer to Section 4), some context is provided within this section to help build an understanding of not only what South Africa’s assets are, but why they are considered as such. For example, for birders from other continents choosing to venture into Africa for the first time, the choice of destination country will be driven primarily by a combination of:

� Ecological conditions that affect return to effort (e.g. aggregations);

� Rare or range-restricted species;

� Species richness;

� Bird spectacles and aggregations (i.e. large concentrations of birds in a given location);

� Presence of other wildlife, scenic and cultural attractions;

� Infrastructure, facilities and services that affect return to effort; and

� Personal safety.

From an international perspective, South Africa’s birding assets need to be seen in the context of birders from elsewhere in the world who are seeking to expand their bird lists. These birders will tend to be attracted to areas where the fauna is the most different from that of their own region, and where they can see as many new species as possible in a limited period of time. Bird spectacles add value to this pursuit and may tip the balance between two comparable areas. For example, African destinations might be more attractive to American birders than to European birders, because the continent shares more birds in common with Europe than America. Nevertheless, the diversity of birds is so much higher in Africa that the pull is still strong for both groups. Within Africa, would-be travellers have many countries and regions to choose from, and it is important to understand what makes South Africa stand out as a choice. For South African avitourists, many of these items are certainly assets, but are not as significant an asset as they may be for international visitors who will not have encountered them within their home regions. South Africa’s most significant base birding assets, beginning with the birds themselves, are equally important to both groups.

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3.4.1 Species diversity Internationally, South Africa is seen as an attractive birding destination because of the large number of endemic species (i.e. species that can only be found in South Africa). There are almost 9 900 species of birds in the world, though the exact figure is in a constant state of flux as species are redefined though morphological and genetic analysis and, more rarely, as new species are discovered or known species become extinct. Africa hosts some 23% of the world’s bird species. Furthermore, 20 of the world’s 142 bird families and 18% of the world’s species are only found in Africa.

Table 11: Bird species endemic to Africa36

Family name Common name

Struthionidae Ostrich

Scopidae Hamerkop

Balaenicipitidae Shoebill

Sagittariidae Secretary Bird

Numididae Guineafowl

Mesitornithidae Mesites

Musophagidae Turacos, Go-away Birds, Plantain-eaters

Coliidae Mousebirds

Brachypteraciidae Ground-Rollers

Leptosomidae Cuckoo-Roller

Phoeniculidae Wood-hoopoes, Scimitarbills

Capitonidae African Barbets

Philepittidae Asities

Platyseiridae Wattle-eyes, Batis

Picathartidae Picathartes

Promeropidae Sugarbirds

Malaconotidae Bush-Shrikes, Boubous, Gonoleks, Tchagras

Prionopidae Helmet-Shrikes

Vangidae Vangas

Viduidae Indigobirds, Whydahs

Regional bird guides focus on Southern Africa rather than South Africa, with most birders in South Africa keeping lists of sightings within the region rather than the country. For that reason, the following discussion of South Africa’s birding assets is situated within a broader regional context. Over 900 bird species have been recorded in Souther n Africa , of which about 820 are resident or regular visitors. The remainder are vagrants that turn up occasionally outside their usual range. The periodic presence of these vagrants, though an asset for domestic avitourists, is generally not 36 Source: www.africanbirdclub.org

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considered an asset for the purposes of attracting international visitors because they are unpredictable. Put in perspective, about 35% of Africa’s bird species can be seen in Souther n Africa , and 134 species, or 1,4% of the world’s species, are found nowhere else . Thirty-three (33) of these species are particularly restricted in their ranges to less than 50 000km2 and therefore extremely sought-after targets for birders. While African endemic species are most numerous in the tropics, South Africa features strongly in terms of the presence of range-restricted African endemics. This is illustrated in the table below:

Table 12: Range-restricted endemic bird species37

Total number of

species

Number of

biome-

restricted

species

Total number of

range-restricted

species

(<50 000km 2)

Endemic

species

(confined to the

area) (or near-

endemic)

World 9 856 3 775 2 635 N/A (all)

Africa 2 313 956 - 1800

Southern African sub-

region ~820 120 33 160

South Africa ~725 77 27 50

In terms of both species richness and numbers of range-restricted species, South Africa has more to offer than Namibia and Botswana, but ranks lower than other significant competing countries such as Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. While most of the species occurring in Southern Africa also occur in South Africa, far fewer species are endemic to South Africa alone. This is because the Southern African region encompasses most of Africa’s south-west Arid Region, which is a centre of endemism at the continental scale. Most of these regions’ endemics do occur in South Africa, and are associated with the country’s unique biomes – grassland, fynbos and karoo. Six of the world’s Endemic Bird Areas (EBAs) occur wholly or partly within Southern Africa. However, the latter are based on range-restricted species only, which is why the relatively large south-west arid area of endemism does not show up as an Endemic Bird Area. In addition to range-restricted rarity, species that are more widespread but happen to be particularly rare (naturally or because of people-related causes) are also sought after by birders. Thus it is useful to consider the numbers of endangered species that are found in South Africa. Globally, about one in eight bird species is threatened with extinction, with about 190 species being critically endangered.

South Africa is home to 45 globally-threatened or n ear-threatened bird species. South Africa also contains a number of EBAs that are potential avitourism draw cards. “An Endemic Bird Area (EBA) is defined as an area that encompasses the overlapping breeding ranges of two or more restricted-range land birds, such that the complete ranges of at least two 37 Source: Animal Demography Unit, University of Cape Town.

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species fall entirely within the boundary of the EBA. Following this simple definition, a total of 218 EBAs have been identified across the world, covering the ranges of 93% of restricted-range birds (2 451 species). The majority of EBAs (77%) are in the tropics and subtropics. There are about equal numbers of island EBAs (105) and mainland EBAs (113). Of the island EBAs, 70% are on oceanic islands and 30% on continental-shelf islands, while for the mainland ones, 42% are largely in montane areas, 35% in lowland areas and 24% span both. The predominant natural habitat in most EBAs (about 80%) is forest, especially tropical lowland and montane moist forest. The number of restricted-range land birds occurring in EBAs varies from two to over 50 (the richest EBAs are the Solomon Islands, the Chocó in Colombia and Ecuador and the Atlantic Forest lowlands in Brazil).”38

Table 13: Endemic Bird Areas in Southern Africa39

EBA Number Name

079 Tristan Islands

080 Gough Island

087 Western Angola

088 Cape fynbos

089 South African forests

090 Lesotho highlands

091 South African grasslands

092 South-east African coast

3.4.2 Spatial patterns in avifaunal distribution an d aggregations or spectacles Within South Africa, the attractiveness of different areas for birding is strongly influenced by spatial patterns of bird diversity, endemism and aggregations or birding ‘spectacles’. Patterns of species richness and endemism Detailed digital data exist on the presence/absence and relative abundance of each species in each quarter-degree square of South Africa, but these have not been collated into summary maps suitable for use in this report. In general, species richness is relatively low in the arid western half of the country, apart from the south-western Cape, and increases from the south-west to the north-east of the country. Species endemic to Southern Africa are mostly found in the fynbos biome, the western and southern coast, grasslands, and the Karoo (Figure 5). The following map illustrates the vegetation biomes of South Africa.

38 www.biodiversityinfo.org/sowb 39 Animal Demography Unit, University of Cape Town.

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Figure 5: Vegetation biomes of South Africa 40

Pelagic birding South Africa has several breeding seabird colonies. These are mainly located on the country’s 17 offshore rocky islands around the coast from Bird Island in Lambert’s Bay on the West Coast to the Algoa Bay Islands off Port Elizabeth. The majority of the global populations of six seabird species breed on these offshore islands: African Penguin Spheniscus demersus; Cape Gannet Sula capensis; Cape Cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis; Bank Cormorant P. neglectus; Crowned Cormorant P. coronatus; and Hartlaub’s Gull Larus hartlaubii. In addition, South Africa’s sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands support large populations of breeding penguin, albatross and petrel species.41 On the mainland coast, there are breeding colonies of African Penguin at Simon’s Town and Betty’s Bay and of Kelp Gulls at Macassar (all near Cape Town). A popular colony of Cape Gannet at Lambert’s Bay disappeared at one stage after the birds’ nesting area had been disturbed by seals, but has since been re-established. Many of the country’s larger coastal lagoons and estuaries provide impressive aggregations of waterbirds, dominated by migratory waders in summer. The most important of these are Langebaan Lagoon, St Lucia and the Berg estuary. Bird spectacles are also found at inland sites, typically large seasonal wetlands that attract significant aggregations of waterfowl during the wet season. These include wetlands such as Nylsvley. There are also several colonies of Cape Vulture Gyps coprotheres which draw a wide variety of birders.

40 Source: BirdLife South Africa. 41 Source: www.africanbirdclub.org

BiomesForestFynbosGrasslandNama KarooSavannaSucculent KarooThicket

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Challenges to the development of pelagic tourism in South Africa

One of the main difficulties encountered with pelagic birding off the coast of Cape Town is the

strong winds with prevailing North-westerly winds during winter and South-westerly winds during

summer. This is the main cause behind numerous cancellations of trips, in particular during

summer when the South Easter blows almost constantly.

What limits the growth of the pelagic industry at p resent?

The pelagic industry is limited by three related factors. The first is the size and quality of the

vessels available. Although safety is never compromised clients find it very uncomfortable to travel

long distances (80km round trip) in small vessels which are very bumpy in even slightly rough and

choppy seas, common during the winter months. The reason for the lack of larger and more

suitable vessels for the pelagic industry relates to the profit margins of the business which is

limited by the regulations of the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) and permits

from Marine and Coastal Management (MCM).

SAMSA’s strict regulations limit the number of PAX (clients/passengers) on board a vessel to 12.

To register more people puts the vessels into a different category in terms of regulations and

permits which are not related to the activities being carried out. The result is that the long travelling

distances required for pelagic seabird viewing are barely profitable, with only 12PAX, based on

wear and tear of the boat and petrol costs. For these reasons, there are no vessels dedicated to

pelagic birding. Two of the three main pelagic birding operators in Cape Town have set up

contracts with boat operators that run other boat-based tourist activities as their main business.

The vessels used for pelagic birding come from shark- and game-fishing businesses which

operate close to shore at much higher profit margins. The pelagic industry is run as a side

business when shark- and game-fishing seasons are low. The third operator seemingly has a

dedicated boat for pelagic fishing but its profits are derived from its dominant market position as

the sole licensed provider of tanker-maintenance services in False Bay. During these times all

pelagic birding trips are cancelled.

The difficulty in obtaining a permit from MCM for pelagic birding or any of the related activities,

shark diving, whale-watching, etc. is another general deterrent which determines the type of

vessels a boat operator ultimately invests in, because the time and money invested in obtaining a

permit dictates what the boat will be used for and pelagic birding is not prioritised.

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Vessels for the pelagic birding industry should ideally be fast and large enough to take between

12PAX and 30PAX to make a reasonable profit during the peak season. They need to be

dedicated to pelagic birding with large deck space for photography and general viewing, silent so

that guides can communicate with clients regarding sightings, furnished with comfortable indoor

cabins to avoid excessive sea spray during the long commute, and ideally have a toilet because

the trips depart at 06h00 and return at 15h00.

Another major constraint is that pelagic tour companies have been operating for several years,

and the local South African market is getting saturated. There are limited numbers of birds to see,

and once these have been ticked off there is little incentive to go out again, especially if the first

experience was a rough and uncomfortable one.

Marketing

The marketing of pelagic birding trips has, up until now, been carried out via the Internet, and

birding operators marketing their trips at various international and national bird fairs. A Google

search of ‘Pelagic birding South Africa’ brings up two of the main operators in the first three search

results. They provide excellent websites with links and information relating to the trips and other

related birding activities. Recently more regular trips have commenced in Port Elizabeth and

Durban, and although the birding there is less impressive, it caters to local markets and some

international birders.

3.4.3 Important Bird Areas The Important Bird Areas (IBAs) programme was initiated by BirdLife International “in order to identify and protect a network of sites, at a biogeographic scale, critical for the long-term viability of naturally occurring bird populations, across the range of those bird species for which a site-based approach is appropriate”.42 The Important Bird Areas of South Africa were identified based on the presence of: � Globally threatened species (global IBAs); � Nationally threatened species (sub-regional IBAs); � Restricted-range species (global IBAs); � Biome-restricted assemblages (global IBAs); � Congregations significant in respect of global populations (global IBAs); and � Congregations significant in respect of regional populations (sub-regional IBAs).

42 Source: www.birdlife.org.za

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A total of 122 IBAs have been identified in South Africa. Although delineated for conservation purposes, the criteria used to select IBAs are similar to some of those that are important to birders. It follows then, that IBAs are also important birding areas . This is true to an extent, but some IBAs are more attractive than others from a birder’s perspective, e.g. some IBAs will receive more attention from domestic birders than from international birders because locals tend to explore the local area more thoroughly.

3.4.4 Birding hotspots Birding by domestic respondents in the 2009 survey (excluding those that responded via email groups, which were heavily biased towards the Western Cape and Gauteng) was mostly spent in KwaZulu-Natal (21%), the Western Cape (19%), Mpumalanga (18%), Limpopo (14%) and Gauteng (10%). The least-popular birding destination among domestic respondents was the Free State (2% of birding time). International birders followed a similar pattern, except that Mpumalanga was higher than the rest (26%), probably due mainly to visiting the Kruger National Park. Table 14: Time Spent by Avitourists per Province Domestic International

KwaZulu-Natal 21 19

Western Cape 19 18

Mpumalanga 18 26

Limpopo 14 13

Gauteng 10 9

Eastern Cape 7 7

North West 6 6

Northern Cape 4 2

Free State 2 1

Serious international birders, either on self-drive tours or organised birding tours, tend to try and maximise the number of African or Southern African endemic species seen in a trip. Their itinerary will also be influenced by other factors, such as other wildlife attractions and accessibility. Domestic and regional birders, on the other hand, will be influenced by proximity and other factors (e.g. wanting to see new places). In other words, different types of birders focus on ‘hotspots’ to different extents. Bird tours of South Africa designed to cater to the needs of serious international birders normally focus on either the east or the west of the country, and often provide the opportunity to combine both by scheduling them back-to-back. The east of the country offers exceptionally high diversity, spectacular forest, grassland and high-altitude environments and the world-famous Kruger National Park. Because of its high diversity, it is generally more attractive to first-time visitors. The west of the country is known for high fynbos and Karoo endemicity, world-class pelagic birding and the remote Kalahari Desert. This is attractive to those wanting to add more range-restricted endemics to their lists.

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Figure 6: Birding hotspots for international birders43

Eastern South Africa This region has much to offer birders, with good facilities and significant diversity of habitats resulting in one of the most species-rich birding areas in the country. Mkhuze Game Reserve on the coastal plain is one of South Africa’s principal birding destinations, with high endemicity of subtropical birds, and a bird list numbering over 450 species. The Dlinza and Entumeni forests in Eshowe is another key hotspot in the region, with excellent forest birding. Elusive forest birds such as the Spotted Ground-Thrush (known as ‘specials’ because they are so hard to come by), are accessible, and birding is facilitated by a forest canopy walkway. Close by, the Ongoye Forest also features on many itineraries. It has an impressive selection of forest birds and is the only place in South Africa to see Woodward’s Barbet. The Ndumo Game Reserve is renowned for exceptional bird diversity, and offers birders the chance to see species otherwise restricted to Mozambique. Lake St Lucia also features on most itineraries, because it is the most important breeding area for waterbirds in South Africa. Birders are drawn by the large numbers of terns, pelicans and flamingoes, and the accessibility of the littoral endemics. Lake St Lucia and the Mkhuze Game Reserve have now been incorporated into the vast Greater St Lucia Wetland Park. On the border of this park is the popular private

43 BirdLife South Africa

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Bonamanzi Game Reserve , which hosts a selection of sought-after east-coast littoral species, and allows visitors to bird on foot and unescorted. Despite being the most heavily developed area in South Africa, Gauteng offers excellent birding with high diversity and easy access from Johannesburg, the main gateway to South Africa. For birders with limited time, a popular site is the Marievale Bird Sanctuary , which is part of the Blesbokspruit, a large high-altitude wetland featuring regular rarities such as the Slaty Egret. Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve is another hotspot, with thornveld, wooded valleys and grassland highveld habitats resulting in high bird diversity. The reserve is particularly important for highveld grassland species. The edge of the Great Escarpment attracts birders with a variety of endemic and range-restricted species, and this area is usually included in birding tours through the east of the country. Wakkerstroom is South Africa's prime hotspot for highveld endemics and rarities such as the Rudd’s and Botha’s Larks, and offers well-developed facilities. To the south of Wakkerstroom and with similar habitats, the Memel area is now also considered a top highland birding site, drawing birders because of its populations of the Wattled Crane and White-winged Flufftail. The key site for birders in search of high altitude endemics is the accessible Sani Pass in the Drakensberg Mountains, with many scarce and sought-after species easily seen in the summer. Many tours to this spectacular mountain region also venture into Lesotho. The Limpopo River is a popular frontier birding area, with a mix of species from east and central Africa reaching the southern edge of their range. Magoebaskloof draws birders with excellent forest birding in pristine Afromontane forest patches, and is the best place in South Africa to see the Black-fronted Bush-Shrike and Bat Hawk. Kruger National Park is South Africa’s prime tourist destination, famous for its high mammal diversity, but also with great appeal for birders. The vast park has a bird list of over 500 species, and is a key site for large birds such as the Saddle-billed Stork, and numerous vulture species. The habitat in Kruger is predominantly lowland and woodland savanna, and longer birding tours often combine a visit to Kruger with other sites to ensure a representative South African list. A common stop for birders en route to Kruger National Park is the Strijdom Tunnel , which is the only accessible site in South Africa for the extremely rare Taita Falcon.

Western South Africa The Western Cape is the most important endemic bird area in Africa, and as such is very attractive to international birders. Even short tours can cover many of the key sites, with many in the vicinity of Cape Town. Many longer tours spend several days in the city. Featuring on most tours, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens offers good year-round birding of forest and fynbos species, and the opportunity to see several endemics at close range, including the Cape Sugarbird and Orange-breasted Sunbird. The large Strandfontein Sewage Works is also popular, because it is the best water bird site close to the city. It offers excellent birding for both beginners and serious birders, with the potential to see more than 80 species on a summer day. Boulders Beach is renowned for its easily accessible and flourishing African Penguin colony, and is often combined with a trip to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve . While the density of birdlife at the reserve is generally low, this is a key site for several local specials such as the Hottentot Buttonquail and Cape Siskin. The reserve also offers good land-based seabird-watching, particularly from the cliffs above the Cape of Good Hope car park. In addition, the Cape has a world-class abundance and diversity of seabirds, especially during the winter, and pelagic tours from Cape Town cater for those keen to see large numbers of albatrosses, shearwaters, petrels and storm-petrels.

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The West Coast offers superb birding, with most tours heading for the West Coast National Park , which has large numbers of waders in summer, and excellent strandveld birding. While celebrated for its shorebirds and seabirds, the park also has a rich diversity of terrestrial species. The diversity of habitats and well-positioned bird hides, as well as easy accessibility from Cape Town make this a popular destination. Local birders are attracted by the high potential of finding rarities in the park. Further north, Lambert’s Bay is also a popular site, famous for its endemic Cape Gannet colony as well as a variety of other sea and shore birds. To the west of Cape Town, many birding tours head for the Agulhas Plain region. As the wheatbelt of South Africa, the area offers some extremely localised endemics and easy sightings of the Blue Crane, Secretary bird and Denham’s Bustard. Within this region, the De Hoop Nature Reserve is botanically diverse, with habitats including lowland fynbos, coastal dunes, brackish lagoons and a low mountain. Tours visit the reserve to see the Western Cape’s last breeding colony of Cape Vulture, endemics such as the Southern Tchagra and Knysna Woodpecker, and the large numbers of waterbirds that congregate when water levels in the lagoons are optimal. Further inland, the Tanqua Karoo hosts a number of Karoo endemics, with Skitterykloof (also known as Katbakkies) a key site from which to see these. It is the most accessible place to see the endemic Cinnamon-breasted Warbler, and is popular because it also offers a wide selection of other typical Succulent Karoo species. In the hot, arid western Karoo, Bushmanland hosts a number of desirable endemics and an especially high diversity of larks. The area surrounding Brandvlei has emerged as a key birding area, hosting the sought-after Red and Sclater’s Larks. Easily accessible from Springbok, the Goegap Nature Reserve is also very popular with birding tours. This large Namaqualand reserve is known for the Karoo Eremomela, as well as beautiful scenery and world-famous flowers. For longer tours from Cape Town, the remote Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a key site for birders exploring the vast and sparsely populated Kalahari Desert. The park offers an outstanding diversity and abundance of raptors, especially after summer rains, and a selection of dry woodland birds, and birders usually devote several days to exploring the area. Also included on most itineraries to the Kalahari is the Augrabies Falls National Park , which features both Karoo and Kalahari birds.

3.4.5 Marketed birding routes In addition to the Important Bird Areas and other naturally occurring birding sites throughout the country, several ‘birding routes’ have been devised in South Africa as a marketing mechanism to promote bird tourism and stimulate local economic development and empowerment in rural communities. These routes, which together cover most of the country, include:

� Greater Limpopo Birding Route;

� Gauteng Birding Route;

� Mpumalanga Birding Route;

� Zululand Birding Route;

� Southern KwaZulu-Natal Birding Route;

� Eastern Cape Birding Route;

� Western Cape Birding Route; and

� Diamond Route.

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Information on these routes and their facilities is available in many forms, including the Internet, brochures and booklets. Geared towards the self-drive tourist, these routes are ideal for local and regional birders or others wanting to explore an area in detail because they focus on species richness and general nature experience, rather than rarity and efficiency in building life-lists (important for international birders). International birders would be more likely to sample a selection of spots within these different areas, but there is no ‘SA birding routes’ equivalent for this market. The booklets on each of the birding routes provide practical information on routes, accommodation and facilities as well as checklists.

3.4.6 Birding facilities and access In addition to its natural amenities, South Africa has man-made birding infrastructure which, collectively, forms an important asset. This is because birders and birding tour operators may be attracted by the presence of facilities and their accessibility, in addition to the birds themselves. In general, protected areas are more attractive than unprotected areas because they are likely to contain higher diversity and abundance of birds than surrounding areas, and also because they are accessible and are considered safer (from a crime perspective). Smaller nature reserves that do not contain high densities of dangerous wild animals are attractive in that they allow unguided walking. Nevertheless, bird-watching is still extremely popular in protected areas in which it is not possible to get out of the car except at designated spots. Campsites and picnic sites are often primary areas for birding in protected areas. For example, over 325 species have been recorded at Pafuri picnic site in Kruger National Park. These are, therefore, considered to be important assets. In these protected areas, bird hides are important facilities that are typically in abundant supply. Most protected areas that contain wetlands have bird hides and information on birds, and some reserves in or near urban areas have interpretive centres used for environmental education (e.g. Rondevlei Bird Sanctuary in Cape Town). However, it must be noted that not all birding requires bird hides. Hides are usually used to provide viewing opportunities for shy waterbirds and for viewing bird colonies up close. In the Drakensberg, bird hides are used to watch vultures feeding at a ‘vulture restaurant’. Other facilities that make birding easier include trails and boardwalks. Boardwalks are particularly useful where the terrain is rocky or marshy, or where visitor activities need to be managed. For example, a boardwalk was constructed for easy viewing of the penguins at Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town. Boardwalks and hides have the added advantage for managers of facilitating the management of human impacts. Sewage works, due to their importance as feeding sites for bird species, are often attractive for birders, but not all provide easy access (e.g. some require bird club membership). Information boards on the biology of birds and for their identification also add value when they do not intrude on the aesthetics of an area (e.g. placed in hides and at appropriate places along trails).

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Key findings: South Africa’s base birding assets

� Of the more than 900 bird species in Southern Africa, most occur in South Africa.

� South Africa has an estimated 725 bird species, with most of the endemics occurring in the

country’s unique biomes – namely grassland, fynbos and karoo.

There is increasing species richness from the south west to the north-east of the country.

� South Africa has 122 Important Bird Areas.

� South Africa is home to 45 globally-threatened or near-threatened bird species.

� The country has birding spectacles of seabirds and waterbirds located on offshore rocky

islands, as well as on South Africa’s mainland coastline and inland wetlands.

� There are numerous birding routes, including eight major routes developed by BirdLife SA.

� South Africa has extensive man-made birding infrastructure with good birding opportunities,

e.g. picnic and camp sites, and bird hides.

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3.5 Profile of role-players in South Africa’s avitouris m industry In addition to South Africa’s base birding assets, the country has an established avitourism industry encompassing information providers, tour operators and guides, accommodation providers, and support organisations. These industry groups are discussed in turn below.

3.5.1 Information Information influences decisions in favour of locations for which more such data are available. Avitourists require good field guides, as well as information on birding spots, including their access and facilities, and bird lists. Although avitourists are thought to be resourceful in acquiring such information, and trip accounts and species information are readily shared on the Internet, the availability of published information makes its acquisition considerably easier. Field guides and information on birds South Africa has a wealth of high-quality field guides and numerous popular publications on birds of the region. Anecdotal evidence from industry players and birders suggests that the two most popular field guides in use are:

� Sasol Birds of Southern Africa; and

� Newman’s Birds of Southern Africa.

Other field guides available include Collins Field Guide: Birds of Southern Africa, Roberts Bird Guide and The Complete Photographic Guide: Birds of Southern Africa. In addition, there are numerous books covering the birds of specific areas, such as The Birds of Kruger National Park and Wakkerstroom Bird and Nature Guide. The field guides are augmented by detailed information available in the Atlas of Southern African Birds and the latest edition of Roberts Birds of Southern Africa, though both of these publications are too large for use when travelling. Another useful resource is Roberts Multimedia Birds of Southern Africa. Comprehensive bird call data are also available for Southern Africa in Southern African Birdsounds, by Gibbons, and several electronic products are available for identification of birds and calls in the field. Information on where to go birding A map has been published on birding spots in Southern Africa. It is the Sasol Birding Map of Southern Africa, by Ian Sinclair and Trevor Hardaker. This map features over 200 of South Africa’s top birding sites, and provides details of each site, including descriptions of habitat, and the type of bird to be found there. Several other books are available that guide birders to good birding spots locally and nationally. These include:

� Southern African Birdfinder;

� Top birding spots in Southern Africa;

� Where to watch birds in Southern Africa;

� Birds of the south-western Cape and where to watch them; and

� Where to watch birds in the Orange Free State.

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Internet fora and online portals are also an important source of information for birders and avitourists. Some of the commonly used ones in South Africa are shown in the following table.

Table 15: Some of the online sources of avitourism information in South Africa

Website Description URL

BirdLife SA Avitourism

� Provides information on avitourism destinations, events, bird clubs, birding tour operators and accommodation-service providers

� Also has research reports on avitourism, biodiversity and conservation

www.birdingroutes.co.za

Simply Birding

� Provides information on avitourism destinations, events, bird clubs, guides and accommodation-service providers

� Features forum to interact with other birders � Also has resources to facilitate trip planning, e.g. Google

Earth maps, online store

www.simplybirding.co.za

Southern African Birding

� Provides very good birding location guides with one section for each of South Africa’s major provinces with birding activity

� For each such province, detailed listings of bird varieties are available for each of its birding hotspots

� Lists each area’s draw card(s), map, accommodation and tourist information centres

www.sabirding.co.za/birdspot/

Birding Spots � Offers the best birding spots for Southern Africa—which

includes South Africa—and endemics � Site also links to similar sites

www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/4074/4saspots.htm

Fatbirder’s South African Birding Guide

� An extensive offer of resources: birding sites, birding travel resources and reports

� Offers information on various birding agencies and organisations

www.fatbirder.com/links_geo/africa/south_africa.html

Indicator Birding

� Provides birding information for routes situated in and around Pretoria and Johannesburg

� Provides birding news to its users

www.birding.co.za/indicator/info.htm

Cape Town Pelagics

� Offers trip reports, bird seasonality news on a monthly basis and more

� Professional birding tour services � Focuses mostly on Cape Town and its environs � Links to other relevant birding sites

www.capetownpelagics.com/

Avian Demography Unit (UCT)

� Developed and maintained by the University of Cape Town’s Avian Demography Unit

� Extensive catalogue of seabirds and shorebirds and their locations

� Useful source of information for avitourism planning � Links to other sites

http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/stats/adu/seabirds.htm

EREMOMELA Birding

� A personal website with very detailed information on the birds of Kruger National Park and their locations

� Links to other websites of interest to its users

www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Cove/2873/kruger/kruger.htm

World of Birds � The largest bird (and small animals) park in Africa � Catalogues a select number of popular birds living in its

aviaries (near Cape Town)

www.worldofbirds.org.za/html/birds.html

Birds, Birding and Conservation in South Africa

� Offers a checklist of South African birds watched by users in South Africa

� Also offers a list of field guides and bird-sound books, conservation news in SA, and an extensive list of birding areas

www.africanbirdclub.org/countries/SouthAfrica/introduction.html

Surfbird South Africa

� Birding resources for pelagic birds � Tour-guide information for a variety of pelagic birding

destinations in SA, and recommended birding guides � The site also runs an online site for its users to exchange

their SA birding experiences.

www.surfbirds.com/Pelagic/southaf.html www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/SABIRDNET

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All of these sources of information are particularly important to avitourists who are making their own travel arrangements (e.g. self-drivers, both foreign and domestic). For those who are not, tour operators and guides are important.

This is confirmed to some extent by the 2009 birding survey undertaken for this project – books on top birding spots were the most highly relied upon source of information on birding in South Africa, followed by online birding forums, general Internet, birding magazines, and other birders (excluding online forums). Interestingly, the least-used sources of information were travel agents and tourism-marketing associations.

3.5.2 Birding tour operators and guides There are currently over 20 South African companies that offer bird tours in South Africa catering to different needs and requirements, e.g. Birding Ecotours offers birding tours for disabled persons. Most are small companies located throughout South Africa, but are primarily based in the Cape Town and Durban areas. These operators tend to work mainly in their local area and focus on either the western or eastern half of the country. Despite this geographic concentration, most do offer tours throughout the country. Several companies specialise in pelagic tours, but usually partner with land-based birding tour operators. Several overseas companies also offer bird tours with fixed departure dates for South Africa, with most tours departing during the southern spring. Several of the overseas companies make use of local guides. Many companies also advertise custom tours without fixed itineraries or departure dates (e.g. Bellbird Safaris, Fish Eagle Safaris, Wildlife Worldwide, etc.). The following table provides information about some of the tour operators mentioned most frequently by stakeholders consulted for this project – please note that this is not an exhaustive list and is merely an indicator of tour operator activity in avitourism.

Table 16: Sample of specialist birding tour operators active in South Africa

Home Base Company Website Description

LOCAL

Cape Town, Western Cape

Anne Albatross annealbatross.co.za Runs pelagic birding trips out of Cape Town.

Durban, KZN Athol Marchant Pelagics

sabirding.co.za Specialises in running pelagic trips out of Durban Harbour.


Avian Leisure avianleisure.com Offers birding and more general wildlife and cultural tours in Southern Africa. Fully guided and self-drive customised trips are organised for both serious and leisure birders, and short tours are arranged around Cape Town where Avian Leisure is based. Longer tours taking 15 – 18 days are run along the Garden Route, to Kruger, the Limpopo Valley and bushveld, the Drakensberg, KZN or the Kalahari, with a 28 day Antarctic cruise also on offer.

Durban, KZN Birds Africa Tours

birdsafrica.co.za Runs customised birding and mixed-interest safaris for all group sizes throughout Southern Africa. Bob

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Rickards owns the organisation and guides most tours.

Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape

Bird Tours birdtours.co.za Operated by Dr Paul Martin, runs day tours visiting some of the bird-watching places and nature reserves in the Port Elizabeth area.


Birding Africa birding-africa.com Works with several other top international tour companies to run trips across Africa for birders of different levels. Run by a group of biologists, conservationists and bird-book authors, Birding Africa specialises in set and customised tours around Cape Town and western South Africa for small groups.


Birding Eco-Tours

birdingecotours.co.za Offers set or customised birding trips on all continents, as well as botanical and mammal ecotours. Three guides in South Africa run a variety of birding tours, from day trips around Cape Town and Johannesburg to month-long trips around the country to cover all endemic species. Tours are generally based in the east or west of South Africa, focusing on the Western Cape, Namaqualand, the eastern Highveld and subtropics, Zululand and Kruger, as well as more remote regions.

Western Cape BirdWatch Cape birdwatch.co.za Specialises in the western part of the country, but also offers tours throughout South Africa, from half-day to 17 days.


Brian’s Birding [email protected]

Sole operator running bird tours in the Western Cape area.

Creighton, KZN Button Birding buttonbirding.com Run and guided by Malcolm Gemmell, and offers tailor-made tours for small groups. Button Birding specialises in the Creighton region, but also runs tours to destinations such as Kruger National Park, the Wild Coast and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.


Cape Eco-Tours cape-ecotours.co.za Specialises in wildlife, scenic and cultural day tours around the Western Cape. Run by Mariana Delport, tours are limited to groups of seven.

Cape Town Cape Town Pelagics

capetownpelagics.com

Owned by Callum Cohen and linked to Birding Africa, runs regular pelagic trips out of Cape Town throughout the year.

Durban, KZN David Allan Pelagics

sabirding.co.za Specialises in running pelagic trips out of Durban Harbour.

Richard’s Bay, KZN

Destination RSA destinationrsa.co.za Runs 12-day birding tours to KwaZulu- Natal or Limpopo, as well as more general tours in South Africa, Lesotho

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and Europe.

Pretoria Indicator Birding birding.co.za Owned by Etienne Marais, offers both scheduled and customised bird tours from 1 to 21 days in Southern Africa, specialising in the eastern part of South Africa.


Indwa Birding indwabirding.co.za Offers a range of tailor-made birding trips. Run and guided by Mark Harrington, day trips or extended tours are focused on the endemic-rich Western and Northern Capes, and bushveld birding in Kruger National Park.

Nelspruit, Mpumalanga

Lawson’s Birding and Wildlife Tours

lawsons.co.za A family business based in Nelspruit, and offers self-drive, day trips and longer tailor-made birding and mammal tours in Southern Africa. Both experienced and beginner birders are catered for in activities including birding courses. Areas visited regularly in South Africa include Kruger, Wakkerstroom, Zululand, the Limpopo Valley and Mpumalanga Highlands, the Cape Province and the Garden Route.

Pietermaritzburg, KZN

Rockjumper Birding Tours

rockjumper.co.za Runs tours world-wide, generally geared towards enthusiastic and fanatical birders. The company runs both standard and custom tours. Within South Africa, Rockjumper runs a number of tours, based in the east or the west. The most popular route combines the two, spending two weeks in the east of the country, with six days in the Cape. In addition, the 24 day endemics tour takes in the whole country, and targets all 146 regionally endemic bird species.


Safari Wise birdwatching.co.za Offers birding safaris in the Western Cape to organised groups, family groups and specialist groups with an emphasis on the endemic birds of the region. Birding and general safaris are also offered for the rest of Southern Africa (e.g. Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique).

Johannesburg Shoebill Tours shoebill.co.za Specialises in tailor-made birding tours in Southern Africa, including the Bangweulu swamps in Zambia.

KZN The Safari Company

thesafaricompany.co.za

Offers a variety of general and special-interest tours throughout Southern Africa. Currently runs a 13-day birding safari which covers key birding areas south of the Zambezi, including the Ndumo Game Reserve and Cape Town.

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Trips and Trails www.africa-za.com Managed and owned by Hilary and Robin du Plessis. Specialises in tours of the Western Cape and the Garden Route.


Tropical Birding tropicalbirding.com Offers tours to all parts of Africa and the rest of the world.


Zest for Birds zestforbirds.co.za Offers pelagic trips out of Cape Town guided by owners Trevor Hardaker and John Graham.

INTERNATIONAL (Not exhaustive)

UK Honeyguide honeyguide.co.uk Offers all-round natural-history holidays to destinations around the world, including the Western Cape.

UK Sunbird sunbirdtours.co.uk A major UK-based company running bird-watching tours world-wide. It runs a 15-day South Africa tour, taking in the Kalahari, Bushmanland, the Karoo and the Cape.

UK Birdfinders birdfinders.co.uk Birdfinders is another major UK-based company offering world-wide bird-watching holidays. The two-week Cape endemics tour to South Africa focuses on Cape Town, the Aghulas Plains, Bushmanland, the Karoo, Augrabies Falls and the West Coast National Park.

UK BirdQuest birdquest.co.uk BirdQuest is one of the largest bird-tour companies world-wide and is based in the UK. It runs a 19-day trip from Cape Town, including the Overberg, Tanqua Karoo, KwaZulu-Natal, Drakensberg, St Lucia, Mkhuze and the Limpopo province, with a possible nine-day extension to the Northern Cape.

USA Victor Emmanuel Nature Tours (VENT)

ventbird.com The American-based Victor Emanuel Nature Tours is the largest company in the world specialising in birding tours, with over 100 destinations. The three-week tour of South Africa aims to find almost 450 species, and goes from Cape Town to the Karoo, West Coast, Sani Pass, KwaZulu-Natal, Dlinza, Ongoye, St Lucia, Bonamanzi and Wakkerstroom, with a possible eight-day extension to Kruger. Also runs oceanic cruises out of Cape Town.

USA Nestling Tours nestlingtours.com Nestling Tours is an American company, running birding tours world-wide for keen birders and for families. Their two-week tour of South Africa

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includes Cape Town, Langebaan, the Cedarberg, the Karoo, the Aghulas Plains, Wilderness and Kruger. A five-day extension includes the Drankensberg and Johannesburg regions.

Switzerland

Liberty Bird

liberty-bird.com

Founded in 1985, Liberty Bird is a Swiss tour company offering tours to South Africa for French and German speakers that work with BirdLife Switzerland.

There are also some companies that offer tours to neighbouring countries such as Namibia, but do not offer tours to South Africa (e.g. Terra-Unica, based in Germany). In addition to paid tours offered by tour companies, the Birding Pal website (birdingpal.org) offers names and contact details of numerous bird-watchers in South Africa who are prepared to take visitors birding free of charge except perhaps a donation to fuel costs. This is not necessarily a threat to the tourism industry, but rather improves the attractiveness of South Africa as a birding destination by creating a sense of community and spirit of goodwill. This type of informal assistance should be supported because the avitourism industry is heavily reliant on word-of-mouth recommendations. A number of community guides have been trained over the past few years as the result of programmes run by BirdLife and other stakeholders, e.g. Sasol has provided financial assistance for the training of more than 200 local bird guides since 2001.44 According to the 2009 survey, some 69% of domestic avitourists use some form of guidance on birding trips, with community guides being used by 44% of these. In contrast, although the majority (90%) of international avitourists use some form of guidance on birding trips, only 26% of these use community guides. There is therefore potentially high market demand for well-trained community guides from both domestic and international avitourists, and more resources should be devoted to their skills development and capacity building. According to the 2006 Biggs study on community-based avitourism in South Africa, seven of the guides who participated in the study reported “excellent progress in furthering his/her birding, guiding, business development and conservation skills.”45 Many of the local guides also noted a significant increase in their sense of possible achievement. On an economic level, those who became guides experienced an average increase in monthly income of R1 642. Since the average number of dependents per guide in the Biggs study was roughly six, this benefit reached a wide range of people. Some of the key challenges undermining the development of community guides in South Africa include:46 � Lack of an entrepreneurial mindset by the local guides; � Local guides tend to live in communities afflicted with a high incidence of social problems (e.g.

family problems), distracting the guides and leaving them unable to focus and commit fully to business-related issues;

44 BirdLife SA (www.birdingroutes.co.za); Sasol (www.sasol.co.za). 45 Biggs, D., 2006. The Economics, Institutions and Conservation Benefits of Community-Based Avitourism in South Africa, p. 69. 46 Ibid.

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� Community guides come from backgrounds with limited exposure to the business environment and the principles of commerce;

� Cultural differences in communication styles, etc. also play a role; � Community guides lack financial resources to cover basic operational costs such as transport to

meet clients; � Processes of assessing and registering local guides are lengthy, bureaucratic and expensive;

and � Usually, only guides who are connected to bigger projects or support organisations can cover

the costs and successfully register. Interventions that have been identified to improve the success rate of guide-training programmes include: � Longer-term support to ensure the guides survive the crucial early years of self-employment; � The implications of this include bigger programme budgets, and employing paid dedicated staff

instead of relying on volunteers; � Stricter screening process to select strong candidates for training and development; � The presence of ornithological researchers on-site to raise awareness of birds and conservation;

and � Partnerships with the private sector to support guides, e.g. marketing support.

The potential role and impact of community guides is discussed in more detail in section 6 of this document.

3.5.3 Bird clubs and birding events BirdLife South Africa and the numerous affiliated and other bird clubs around South Africa organise regular birding events, ranging from weekly local outings to organised bird counts and competitive events such as Big Birding Day, where teams compete to record the most birds within a 24-hour period. Information on these events is available from the clubs, and some post the information on websites such as simplybirding.com. These events are generally more tailored to the domestic birding community at present, but could be more of a draw card for international visitors. For example, there is an annual wader festival lasting several days at a small village on Vancouver Island, which coincides with the migratory passage of waders and draws international birders. Many countries have recently started to stage international Bird Festivals, e.g. in Borneo, Monterey Bay and Rio Grande Valley, USA. These birding events, and some of the larger bird fairs held internationally,47 present an opportunity to increase participation in birding by the general public and increase interest in avitourism among more casual birders. They are a potentially important marketing channel and source of corporate sponsorship for the industry. The table below presents a sampling of the birding events held in South Africa.

47 Major international events include the annual British Birdwatching Fair and the Dutch Bird Fair.

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Table 17: Examples of birding events in South Africa

Event Name Province Venue Duration

Event date

Aim of the

event

� Bird photography competitions: – BirdLife

SA/Canon Photographic Seabird Competition

– Nikon Birds of the Magaliesburg Photographic Challenge 2009

� Western Cape

� National

� Two Oceans Aquarium

� National

� Not available

� 2009 � Bird awareness

� Glendower Wader Bash

� Western Cape

� West Coast National Park

� 48 hours � 28th – 30th March 2009

� Birding awareness

� Glendower Gardening for Birds Course

� KZN � Gauten

g � Free

State � Western

Cape

� KZN Botanical Gardens

� Pretoria National Gardens

� Free State Botanical Gardens

� Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens

� 24 hours � 19th September 2009

� August 2009 � October

2009 � November

2009

� Education on gardening techniques to support bird habitats

� Glendower Venda 4x4 bird trip

� Limpopo

� Venda � 4 days � 23rd – 27th September 2009

� To record birds in rural Venda

� Honorary Ranger Birding Weekends

� Various � Various � 48 hours � Year-round � Education

� International Vulture Awareness Day

� Various � Various � 24 hours � 5th September

� Conservation awareness

� National Bird Week � National � Various � 6 days � 4th – 10th May

� Bird awareness

� Sappi BirdLife SA Birding Big Day

� Various � Various � 24 hours � November 2009

� Fundraising

� Sasol Birds and Birding Fair

� Gauteng

� Johannesburg � 2 days � 2nd – 4th May 2009

� Bird Awareness

� Save our Seabirds Festival

� Western Cape

� Two Oceans Aquarium

� 6 days � 12th – 17th October 2009

� Fundraising and awareness

� Stanford Glendower Bird Fair

� Western Cape

� Overberg � 4 days � 1st – 4th October 2009

� Avitourism awareness

� South African Owl Awards

� N/A � Not Available � 1 day � 5th June 2009

� Conservation Awards

� The Fast and the Featherless (Birding and biking initiative)

� KwaZulu-Natal

� Not Available � Not Available

� November 2009

� Fundraising and Bird Awareness

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There are also some major international events of interest to the more fanatical birders and avitourists, as well as to agencies responsible for marketing avitourism in their home countries. The British Birdwatching Fair is held in August every year in Rutland and was introduced in 1989. Its aims are to encourage the celebration of birds by bird-watchers, to develop a commercial forum for the bird-watching industry (e.g. businesses in ecotourism, optical equipment, birdfeed products, wildlife books), and to raise funds for international conservation projects for birds and their habitats in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. As one of the biggest bird fairs in the world, it is attended by more than 20 000 visitors and over 300 exhibitors. The Dutch Bird Fair was introduced in 2004 and was an annual event between 2004 and 2008. The Fair was not held in 2009 because it is currently being reconceptualised, and it will be relaunched in 2010: planned activities include youth activities, day trips, nature art and lectures. The organisations involved in planning and hosting the event are Vogelbescherming Nederland, SOVON Vogelonderzoek Nederland, and Staatsbosbeheer. The United States also hosts a number of birding events. The Ohio Bird Fair has been running for over 10 years, and moves between three cities (Youngstown, Cleveland and Columbus) throughout the year. Activities at the fair include the sale of hand-raised birds and breeding birds. The Texas Bird Fair is run by the Texas Bird Breeders and Fanciers Association (TBBFA), which uses bird shows primarily to educate breeders and pet owners about bird care and the desired qualities of bird species kept in aviculture. The Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival is held annually in Titusville, Florida. Florida is a key stopover point for a number of migrating waterfowl, shorebirds, passerines and raptors, with more than 330 species of birds sighted. The size of the festival has grown significantly, from 200 participants in 1997 to more than 3 000 in 2007. Exhibitors include crafts people, educators and artists, as well as organisations, businesses and government agencies involved in nature, wildlife and bird-watching. Other examples of birding events in the USA include:

� The Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival (RGVBF) which has been running for 16 years. The festival combines field trips to birding hotspots through the Valley (the Valley boasts the biggest concentration of tropical species and birds not found anywhere else in the USA), seminars and keynote lectures by internationally renowned birding experts, and educational programmes for children. The funds raised are used for conservation, local awareness and youth involvement.

� The Oklahoma Avicultural Society sponsors two annual bird fairs – the Spring Fling Bird Fair and the Indian Summer Bird Fair. Both are the region's largest fairs and attract local and national vendors and bird breeders. Income generated by the bird fairs is used to support avian research and conservation.

� An interesting example of a pelagic birding event is the annual Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival in California which will be in its 14th year in 2010. The festival is a four-day event featuring over 100 individual activities, including pelagic cruises, boat rides and kayaking in the Bay (Morro Bay is a designated Important Birding Area (IBA)). All-day and half-day tours take participants to a wide variety of habitats, including deep-water pelagic, oak woodland and riparian, and wetland and estuary.

3.5.4 Accommodation servicing avitourists According to the 2009 survey conducted for this project.48 By far the most important factors influencing a domestic avitourist’s choice of accommodation are the availability of guiding services and the Tourism Grading Council rating of the establishment. Proximity to birding sites and price are the least important selection criteria. For international avitourists, quality is the most important factor when selecting accommodation, followed by the availability of guiding services. International 48 Please note: The 2009 survey referred to here is different from the interviews conducted with accommodation service providers.

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avitourists regard proximity to birding sites and price as the least-important selection criteria for accommodation. All categories of domestic avitourists regard the status of accommodation as a birder-friendly establishment as relatively important (though not most important). Information on international avitourists’ relative prioritisation of an establishment’s ‘birder-friendly’ status is not available.

In addition to the survey, 114 accommodation establishments were interviewed to elicit their impressions of birders who use their facilities (please refer to Appendix A for more information). These establishments are either self-identified as ‘birder-friendly’ or are part of BirdLife SA’s birder-friendly accommodations programme. According to BirdLife South Africa, birder-friendly establishments are ones that are committed to the following:

Catering to the needs of birders;

� Already have, or are in the process of implementing, an environmental management plan;

� Supporting local communities through their procurement, employment and operating protocols; and

� Implementing the principles of Responsible Tourism which is in line with BirdLife South Africa’s vision for tourism in South Africa.

They therefore offer useful lessons for other establishments that may wish to attract avitourists.

Accommodation survey findings Services offered by birder-friendly establishments

Most of the establishments interviewed offered bird-watching as an additional outdoor nature tourism activity. Below are examples of some of the other activities that the lodges offered in addition to birding: � Hiking, � Big-five game watching, and � Whale-watching. In-house versus outsourced guiding services About half of the establishments said they themselves guide while the remainder indicated that they either outsource to guide operators or provide information to self-guiding visitors. The main reason given for doing in-house bird guiding was the presence of an owner who considered him/herself an expert on birding. The establishments that sourced to external guides said that the margins generated by birding were not enough to sustain a permanent bird guide. Some of the respondents said that their bird guides were also guides for game watching and other activities. Trained guides who serviced local establishments were also interviewed. Some started their own companies and began working as independent entities after working for the birding establishments.

Source markets for birding tourists

The establishments contacted did not collect information on their domestic birding visitors. The most commonly cited countries of origin for international tourists , in descending order, were: � United Kingdom;

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� United States; � Germany; � The Netherlands; � Sweden; � Philippines; � India; � Indonesia; and � Czech Republic. These findings are consistent with overall patterns for international tourism to South Africa. The UK, the USA, Germany, the Netherlands and France are the country’s top five overseas source markets for general tourism. Marketing and promotional activities to reach birders and wider audiences

Most of the establishments indicated that referrals and general advertising through BirdLife South Africa played a key role in drawing birders. Other important marketing channels that were identified (not specific to birders) were the Internet (own website, and links on key accommodation portals such as www.wheretostay.co.za), and word of mouth.

Impact of registration with the Tourism Grading Council

A number of respondents indicated that tourists become dissuaded by the five-star ranking because they associate it with high price, whereas others stated that sometimes tourists are misled by the grading system as they expect establishments which have the same grading (e.g. four-star) to have the same facilities but find that this is not always the case.

Relationship with BirdLife SA

Some respondents were dissatisfied with the cost of being associated with BirdLife South Africa. These respondents were mainly small establishments that believed high membership costs to BirdLife South Africa are a significant barrier to entry, and therefore only medium to large establishments are likely to benefit from what BirdLife SA has to offer.

Views on bird conservation and nature-based tourism

Most of the establishments interviewed to date believe that conservation of South African bird species is key to growing and sustaining the bird-watching industry. Some establishments also believe that more can be done in terms of not only putting the responsibility for bird conservation in the hands of the establishments but also in the hands of other non-birding industry players such as farmers, industry and members of the community.

Suggested improvements to make accommodation establishments more birder friendly Most of the respondents suggested the following potential areas of improvement to make themselves more birder friendly: � Having their bird trails graded; � Having their establishments graded by the Tourism Grading Council to ensure quality

accommodation; � Publishing bird lists to assist tourists to identify local bird species; � Allowing bird tours to form part of heritage-history tours through the communities; � Working with local birding societies or clubs; � Working closely with scientific research bodies that deal with birds and bird research; � Employing local people; and � Getting schools involved in conservancy programmes.

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The map below provides an initial indication of areas potentially underserved by accommodation providers based on the number of accommodations graded by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) and within 20 kilometres of a base birding asset (e.g. IBAs, EBAs).

Figure 7: Accommodation gaps in avitourism areas49

As can be seen from Figure 7 above, the areas with the biggest shortfalls in accommodation for avitourists occur in the Northern Cape and KZN. The areas with the highest density of accommodation for avitourists are located in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the Western Cape. Improving the availability of accommodation in areas with the greatest need may therefore result in a more even distribution of avitourists around the country.

49 Source: BirdLife South Africa.

Graded accommodation withi n 20km of birding assets

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3.5.5 Organisations and initiatives serving the bir ding community Beyond the tour operators and accommodations who serve the avitourism community, South Africa has a number of organisations directly and indirectly involved in various aspects of birding (e.g. tourism, product development and marketing, research and education). A sampling of these organisations is profiled below:

Table 18: Sample of key institutional role-players in South Africa's avitourism sector

Organisation name Description Website Bird conservation and avitourism

BirdLife South Africa

Background � BirdLife SA is a non-governmental organisation whose

mandate is the conservation of bird species, the improvement of bird habitats, and the integration of bird conservation into sustainable livelihood generation.

Key programmes and initiatives � Avitourism development, e.g. assisting in the establishment of

bird trails, establishment of ‘BirdLife Travel’, a specialist travel agency which plans itineraries that specifically link up Important Bird Areas, ‘Birder Friendly Accommodation Establishments’ and Local Bird Guides

� Training programmes for bird guides � Bird-conservation programmes Key partnerships � BirdLife International � Tony and Lisette Lewis Foundation � Private sector

www.birdlife.org.za

Endangered Wildlife Trust

Background The Endangered Wildlife Trust is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the conservation of threatened species and ecosystems in Southern Africa. Key programmes and initiatives � Birds of Prey Working Group

– Publishes information on vultures and raptors – Urban Raptor Conservation Project to protect raptors in

Gauteng and Magaliesburg – Nashua Central Owl Project – bird-feeding programme (on

nearby farmland) to reduce owl mortality on the N17 because of grain spillage

– Sasol Vulture Monitoring Project – nationwide programme to monitor Cape Griffon colonies

� Blue Swallow Working Group – Conducts research on Blue Swallows and their habitats – Provides people with opportunities to see the Blue

Swallows and other animal species found in their habitat – Creates opportunities for employment related to Blue

Swallows and their habitats � Wildlife and Energy Interaction Group

– Eskom Powerlines Strategic Partnership to minimise negative interactions between wildlife and Eskom’s’ infrastructure in South Africa.

Key partnerships � Private sector

www.ewt.org.za

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Organisation name Description Website

Kalahari Raptor Centre

Background � Situated on a 600-hectare private game reserve, the KRC’s

function is to care for injured and orphaned birds of prey and small mammals. It is part of the Kalahari Raptor Route (the Kalahari is home to 40 raptor and vulture species, and seven owl species)

Key programmes and initiatives � Schools outreach programme � KRC Education Centre – discusses the five major threats to

birds of prey, and features a demonstration of how Eskom renders its power lines birder-friendly

Key partnerships � Not available

www.africanconservation.org/component/option,com_mtree/task,viewlink/link_id,182/Itemid,3/

South African National Parks

Background � The network of national parks has numerous birding

opportunities, e.g. Kruger National Park has more than 500 bird species. There are also several birding routes that incorporate Sanparks, e.g. Mpumalanga Birding Route, Soutpansberg–Limpopo Birding Route, Kruger to Canyons Birding Route, Waterberg–Nylsvley Birding Route.

Key programmes and initiatives � A dedicated birding section of the SANParks website provides

information on birding opportunities in the various parks, an online discussion forum, updates on birding events, a photo gallery, and links to birding websites.

� Poster project – input from members of the public on sightings of birds specified on SANparks’ list (primarily aimed at the online birding community)

� Honorary Rangers – these are members of the public involved in organising different SANParks activities, including birding: – Birding Weekends – hosted at various parks around the

country, activities include data collection on bird species, and networking between novice and experienced birders.

� Big 6 Birds of Kruger – aimed at novice birders, this is a grouping of the six most sought-after bird species at Kruger National Park (Ground Hornbill, Lappet-faced Vulture, Martial Eagle, Saddle-billed Stork, Kori Bustard, Pel’s Fishing Owl).

Key partnerships � BirdLife SA � Endangered Wildlife Trust � Stiffnecks Bird Club 1. Private sector (e.g. Sasol, Glendower Whisky)

www.sanparks.org

Research and education on birds and birding

Animal Demography Unit (University of Cape Town)

Background � The ADU is a research unit in the University’s Department of

Zoology which focuses on bird population dynamics and conservation.

Key programmes and initiatives � Birds in Reserves Project – collection of bird-occurrence data

in protected areas in South Africa � Southern African Bird Atlas Project 2 – quantitative description

of all birds in Southern Africa � South African Bird Ringing Unit - provision of ringing

equipment and national training courses, and curation of ringing data

Key partnerships � BirdLife South Africa � South African National Biodiversity Institute

http://adu.org.za

Ornithology Department – Background www.nasmus.co.za/orni

49

Organisation name Description Website National Museum

� Established in the early 1970s to study the avifauna of South Africa and to disseminate information through publications and educational activities

Key programmes and initiatives � Research and publications on different bird species � Collections of avian ecto-, endo- and blood parasites;

skeletons; eggs and nests; and study skins Key partnerships Free State Bird Club (affiliated with BirdLife SA)

thol/orn1.htm

Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology

(University of Cape Town)

Background � The Institute is housed within the University’s Department of

Zoology and is dedicated to the scientific study of birds with a focus on biological diversity and sustainability.

Key programmes and initiatives � Research programmes on gamebirds, seabirds, and raptors � Roberts Birds of Southern Africa – handbook on Afrotropical

birds, includes searchable electronic database � Niven Library – the most comprehensive ornithology collection

in South Africa Key partnerships BirdLife SA

http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/fitzpatrick/

Transvaal Natural History Museum

Background � Completed in 1892, the Museum features exhibits of marine

life, mammals, insects, and precious and semi-precious stones.

Key programmes and initiatives � Austin Roberts Birds Hall features a collection of 870 bird

species Key partnerships Not available

www.gauteng.com/content.php?page=Transvaal%20Museum www.wheretostay.co.za/information/topic/665

Wider Tourism

International Marketing Council (IMC)

Background � Complements SAT’s efforts to market the country as a

destination Key programmes and initiatives � The IMC’s website replicates some SAT articles, but also

provides a wealth of birding-related information collated from various other sources and links to online birding forums and specialist birding tour operators.

Key partnerships � Not available

www.imc.org.za

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Organisation name Description Website

SAT

Background � SAT markets the country as one of the world’s top birding

destinations. The focus of birding-related marketing material is the large number, density and variety of bird species, as well as the good tourism infrastructure and transport systems in South Africa.

Key programmes and initiatives � SAT’s website includes various birding-related features, such

as ‘Best birding spots’, information about birding routes and birding hotspots, and links to birding organisations such as BirdLife South Africa.

� SAT’s key strategy documents, The Tourism Growth Strategy and Global Competitiveness Programme, contain detailed market-segment consumer portraits that are a good basis for the development of an avitourism marketing strategy.

Key partnerships � BirdLife SA

www.southafrica.net

3.5.6 Bird clubs Previous research indicates that the majority of birders are not members of bird clubs. Nevertheless, these clubs, of which there are more than 50 nation-wide, serve as an important source of information for the birding and avitourism communities as a whole. The websites and online discussion forums for birders hosted on these websites are an important source of information and a vehicle for reaching the broader market. The 2009 survey of birders found on-line birding forums, many of which have close links to one or more birding clubs, to be among the most frequently consulted sources of information for birders, both domestic and international, planning trips. These clubs have the potential to serve as an important source of market information, and as a means of communicating with domestic and international birders. Some of South Africa’s bird clubs are listed below:

Table 19: Bird clubs in South Africa

BirdLife SA branches Bird clubs affiliated with

BirdLife SA

Bird clubs not affiliated with

BirdLife SA

� BirdLife Border

� BirdLife Eastern Cape

� BirdLife Free State

� BirdLife Vaal Dam

� BirdLife Inkwazi

� BirdLife Northern Gauteng

� BirdLife President Ridge

� BirdLife Sandton

� BirdLife Soweto

� East Rand Bird Club

� Barkley East Bird Club

� Diaz Cross Bird Club

� East Griqualand Bird Club

� Magaliesberg Bird Club

� Dolphin Coast Bird Club

� Eshowe Bird Club

� Mount Edgecombe Bird Club

� Bosveld Voëlklub

� Naboomspruit Bird Club

� Somerset West Bird Club

� Beaufort West Bird Club

� Cape St Francis Bird Club

� Goldfields Bird Club

� Graaf-Reinet Bird Club

� Grassveld Bird Club

� Hartenbos Bird Club

� Hermanus Bird Club

� Kenton-on-Sea Bird Club

� Kleinmond Bird Club

� Nylstroom Bird Club

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BirdLife SA branches Bird clubs affiliated with

BirdLife SA

Bird clubs not affiliated with

BirdLife SA

� Rand Barbet Bird Club

� West Rand Bird Club

� Witwatersrand Bird Club

� BirdLife KZN Midlands

� BirdLife Northern Natal

� BirdLife Port Natal

� BirdLife Sisonke

� BirdLife Trogons

� BirdLife Zululand

� Vryheid Bird Club

� BirdLife Polokwane

� BirdLife Soutpansberg

� BirdLife Venda

� Phalaborwa Bird Club

� Barberton Bird Club

� BirdLife Highveld

� BirdLife Lowveld

� Groblersdal Bird Club

� Wakkerstroom Bird Club

� BirdLife Feather Friends

� BirdLife Rustenburg

� BirdLife Westvaal

� BirdLife Overberg

� BirdLife Plettenberg Bay

� BirdLife Stellenbosch

� BirdLife Walker Bay

� BirdLife Worcester

� Cape Bird Club

� Cape Agulhas

� The Lakes Bird Club

� Tygerberg Bird Club

� West Coast Bird Club

� Witzenburg Bird Club � Queenstown Bird Club

� Sasolburg Bird Club

� Standerton Bird Club

� Stutterheim Bird Club

� Vryheid Bird Club

� WESSA

� Witbank Birding Club

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3.5.7 Partners and funders Key partners in the private sector include Glendower, De Beers, Eskom, Rio Tinto, Sappi and Sasol. Their respective roles with respect to birds and avitourism are discussed in more detail below. Glendower is affiliated with BirdLife SA and is a major sponsor of a variety of birding events and programmes throughout the country. Glendower’s partnership with BirdLife is a model of the type of corporate sponsorship which avitourism may attract. The demographics of birders (discussed in detail in Section 3.2) may be aligned with certain lifestyle products offered by companies such as Glendower. De Beers’ participation in South Africa’s avitourism sector is primarily through its ownership and management of The Diamond Route. The Diamond Route links eight sites across the northern part of South Africa in a tourism route, covering Namaqualand, Kimberley, the Kalahari, Johannesburg, Ezemvelo Nature Reserve and the Venetia Limpopo reserve (a total of 250 000ha of ecologically sensitive land is available to the public). De Beers key activities in relation to the Diamond Route include: � Facilitating land access; � Marketing the Diamond Route; and � Providing financial support for training programmes, including training of community guides (in

areas such as birding, trekking and hunting), and commercial training in services and products linked to the Diamond Route (e.g. fence building).

It is a major birding route which is home to more than half of Southern Africa’s bird species, with two Diamond Route properties listed as Important Bird Areas. Other attractions include mammals, insects, archaeological sites, recreational activities such as mountain biking and hiking, fly-fishing and hunting. In addition to tourist activity, the properties are also used for research and conservation. Key research partners include BirdLife South Africa, the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of Ornithology, and the Hawk Conservancy Trust. The Diamond Route also hosts 20 to 30 school visits per year to expose school children to wildlife and stimulate interest in careers in conservation. Eskom provides financial support for the following initiatives:50 The vulture enclosure research project

– The research project studies mitigation methodologies to prevent vultures and other birds from being electrocuted on power lines.

– It also allows rehabilitated vultures to recuperate before being released back into the wild. Eskom’s partners are Rhino and Lion Wildlife Conservation NPO.

� Conservation activities (especially for White-winge d Flufftails) in areas around Eskom’s Ingula and Braamhoek pumped-storage schemes. Eskom’s partners are BirdLife South Africa and the Middelpunt Wetland Trust.

Rio Tinto partners with BirdLife South Africa in the following ways:51 Establishing the Zululand Birding Route ; � Establishing the Richards Bay Avitourism Programme to promote this route, built

associated infrastructure (bird-watching hides and visitor centres); � Establishing the Kruger-to-Canyons Birding Route in the Limpopo Province. This

integrates community development and nature conservation by training birding guides,

50 Eskom Holdings, 2008, “Limited Annual Report 2008”. 51 BirdLife International, 2008, BirdLife International Rio Tinto Partnership; Harry Kenyon Stanley, 2008, Speech given in London on Rio Tinto’s partnership with BirdLife International.

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establishing partnerships with the Kruger National Park, developing a local raptor conservancy and other infrastructure planning; and

� Promoting interest in birds as a gateway to wider interest in the environment by hosting bird-watching events at its South African sites.

Sappi partners the birding community in the following ways52: � Establishing the Sappi–WWF Tree Routes Partnership to support community-owned

ecotourism projects. These projects aim to protect sensitive biomes, and establish sustainable business ventures for local communities. Main Partner is World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) South Africa;

� Establishing the Wakkerstroom (wetland) birding cen tre in Mpumalanga, now Wakkerstroom Wetland Reserve and Training Centre. Wakkerstroom is home to the largest number of species of threatened birds in South Africa, and the centre trains birding guides who are self employed or those who found employment with the partnership’s Dlinza Aerial Boardwalk;

� Establishing the Ogonye Forest Birding Camp in KZN ; � Establishing the southern KZN Birding Route . The route project aims to replicate the Rio

Tinto–BLSA success with the Zululand Birding Route project. � Establishing the Karkloof Crane and Conservation Ce ntre near Howick in KZN. Sasol supports the avitourism sector by:53 � Providing funding for Sasol South Africa Bird Guide Training Programme which trains

birding guides; � Providing funding for the Sasol’s Birds of Southern Africa publication which is popular

with bird-avid and amateur bird watchers; � Providing funding for bird hides, birdcall recordin gs, and birding weekends at both the

Kruger National Park and Marakele; and � Providing funding for the Endangered Wildlife Trust ’s vulture study group and the

hornbill project , which aim to create enthusiasm and preservation of South Africa’s bird resources.

There appear to be two main motivating factors driving these organisations’ involvement in the avitourism industry. The first is compliance with legislative obligations (i.e. mitigation of actual and perceived adverse environmental and communities impacts resulting from their core operations). The second is corporate social investment and marketing opportunities (particularly to the high-income, well-educated consumers who meet the birder profile).

52 Sappi, 2008, “Corporate Social Responsibility report”; SappiWWF TreeRoutes Partnership, www.treeroutes.co.za/ 53 Sasol, www.sasol.com

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Key findings: Industry activity

� There are several role-players in academia, and the private and public sectors in South

Africa’s avitourism industry providing research, funding, marketing and other support.

� The private sector includes key service providers, bird clubs, and corporate sponsors.

� There are more than 30 local and international specialist birding-tour operators, hundreds of

birder-friendly accommodation establishments, and more than 50 bird clubs.

� Avitourism also enjoys corporate sponsorship from some of the biggest companies in the

country who provide funding for a wide range of activities including bird-guide training and

community nature-based tourism projects.

� In terms of academic research, UCT’s Animal Demography Unit and Percy FitzPatrick Institute

of Ornithology play key roles in bird-related data collection and analysis to inform avitourism

and bird conservation.

� There are also numerous local and international online and print sources of information

suitable for all levels of birders and bird enthusiasts.

3.6 Comparison of South Africa with other avitourism de stinations

3.6.1 Background to the analysis Competitive set

A set of birding destinations regarded as potential competitors for South Africa was selected for the analysis. The set comprised some of the countries in SAT’s competitive set for general tourism54 (which also offer birding), other destinations viewed as prominent global birding destinations and neighbouring destinations that could offer complementary or competitive birding experiences. The birding competitive set and their base indicators of international tourism arrivals and international tourism receipts are shown below.

Note that although Rwanda was originally selected to be part of the competitive set, data for most of the indicators could not be sourced, and hence the country is excluded from the analysis.

54 South Africa’s core competitive set for general tourism comprises Australia, Brazil, Kenya, and Thailand.

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Table 20: Birding competitive-set key statistics55

Destination International tourism arrivals (2007)

International tourism receipts (US$ millions) (2007)

Receipts per arrival (US$) (2007)

Thailand 14 464 228 15 573 1 077

South Africa 9 091 000 8 418 926

Australia 5 644 300 22 298 3 951

Brazil 4 617 000 4 953 1 073

Kenya 1 800 000 911 506

Botswana 1 675 000 Not available -

Namibia 928 914 434 467

Tanzania 692 000 1 037 1 499

Uganda 641 743 356 555

Notes: Botswana figures are for 2005. South Africa received about 9 million international arrivals during 2007, significantly lower than the scoreboard leader Thailand, but leading Australia, Brazil and all other African countries. However, about 75% of South Africa’s arrivals are from other African countries – as a result, South Africa’s ranking in terms of market share of the main global birding source markets is significantly lower (as will be shown later). Australia, Brazil and Tanzania extract more value from each tourist arrival than South Africa, with the leader in this respect being Australia. Again, this is related to the main source markets of the destinations but also the type of tourism experiences offered. For example, much of Tanzania’s tourism experiences are high-end safari experiences based on luxury lodges and guided tours with relatively high price tags. Indicators The various destinations included in the competitive set were evaluated against a set of indicators consisting of two main categories, i.e. conservation and birding indicators and general tourism indicators. These are described in more detail below.

55 Source: WEF Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2009, UNWTO Tourism Barometer.

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Table 21: Indicators used for competitor analysis

Conservation and birding indicators Tourism indicators

General biodiversity

� Total known species

Status of conservation activity

� Environmental treaty ratification

� Protected areas as a percentage of total land area

Bird- species diversity/richness

� Total species of birds

� Total endemic species of birds

� Trip expectation (no. of species in a three-week

trip)

� Number of EBAs

� Number of globally-threatened or near-threatened

bird species

Birding infrastructure

� Number of Ramsar sites

� Number of Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

� Number of clearly defined birding routes

� Number of birding routes with maps and checklists

� Destination's birding-tourism resources featured

on National Tourism Ortganisation (NTO) website

Destination accessibility and connectivity

� Connectivity with destination's source markets

� General visa requirements

� Visa requirements for major birding source

markets

Transport infrastructure

� Seat kilometres (international)

� Departures per 1000 population

� Airport density

� Number of operating airlines

� Road density

Tourism infrastructure

� Hotel rooms

� Presence of major car rental companies

Market position

� Total tourism arrivals (2007)

� Market share of global tourism (2007)

� Market share of major birding source markets

(2007)

Marketing presence

� Perceived effectiveness of marketing

� NTO offices in source market

Travel and Tourism (T&T) prioritisation

� T&T government expenditure

� T&T fair attendance

The definition of each of the indicators is provided in Appendix G. Data sources

Data for the competitiveness analysis were drawn from three main sources, namely the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report (TTCR)56 of the World Economic Forum, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) market data, and destination websites.

56 The 2009 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report (TTCR) ranks 133 countries on a number of indicators as measured by the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI).

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3.6.2 Analysis

An overview of how South Africa compares to other destinations is discussed in more detail below.

General biodiversity

Compared with the other eight destinations, South Africa is in the bottom three in terms of its biodiversity or more specifically the total known species (mammals, birds, amphibians) in the country. In terms of actual data, Brazil is ranked first globally, followed by Tanzania (12th in terms of ranking against 133 countries) and Kenya (14th in terms of ranking against 133 countries). South Africa is placed 24th in the world. This ranking out of 133 countries is not a weak position, however in relation to its avitourism competitors South Africa’s biodiversity supply of known species is relatively weak.

Bird-species richness

Birders’ destination selection is influenced by the overall number of bird species, number of endemic species and number of threatened species, and by the number of species that may be seen during a trip. Because of its diversity of habitats South Africa hosts over 800 bird species. South Africa does not, however, rank high in terms of the total number of bird species when compared with its competitors. It is placed seventh out of the nine comparator countries, followed by Namibia and Botswana. Brazil, Kenya and Tanzania rank in the top three with over 1000 bird species. The number of endemic species of birds that South Africa is home to places it higher in the comparative rankings. South Africa has the fourth-largest total with 27 endemic species compared with Australia which is ranked first with over 380 species, Brazil has 207 (second) and on the African continent, South Africa closely trails Tanzania (third) with 29 species. South Africa has 45 globally-threatened or near-threatened species of birds placing it fifth behind first-placed Brazil’s 123 and second-placed Australia’s 48. Tanzania is ranked third with 41 threatened species.

Visitors to South Africa can expect to see on average around 500 bird species on a three-week trip. Kenya offers the highest number of expected birds at 650 per trip followed by Brazil (600 birds), Uganda (600 birds) and Tanzania (550 birds).57

Endemic Bird Areas (EBAs) , defined by BirdLife International, are geographic areas home to at least two endemic bird species whose ranges are restricted to a relatively small area. South Africa is rated fifth with 6 EBAs alongside Uganda but trailing Brazil which has 24 EBAs (first), Australia’s 15 (second), Botswana’s 9 (third) and Kenya with eight EBAs (fourth).

Birding infrastructure The state of a country’s birding infrastructure has a direct bearing on its attractiveness as a birding destination. The more officially declared areas of birding significance, the greater the marketability and attractiveness of the area as a birding destination. All Ramsar sites are major birds and wildlife areas and thus of key importance to the birding market as a birding attraction. Ramsar sites are officially recognised world-wide as areas of important wildlife and environmental significance. Australia has 65 Ramsar sites, followed by

57 Adam Riley, Rock Jumper Birding Tours.

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South Africa with 19 sites, Uganda with 12 declared sites and Thailand with 10 sites. This is a relative strength for South Africa. An Important Bird Area (IBA) is an area recognised as being a globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. According to BirdLife International some 11 000 sites in 200 countries and territories have been identified as IBAs. The IBA programme identifies and works to conserve a network of sites critical for the long-term survival of species that: are globally threatened, have a restricted range, and are restricted to specific biomes/vegetation types. A fourth category is for sites that have significant populations; for example, they have 20 000 waterbirds or 10 000 pairs of seabirds of one or more species.58 South Africa is the top African country with 102 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) and is placed third after Australia’s 289 IBAs (first) and Brazil’s 234 IBAs (second).59 The existence of clearly defined birding routes and availability of maps and checklists are important elements in a destination’s birding experience. South Africa leads the way in developing birding routes. Few countries have successfully identified or named birding routes on their national tourism websites or conservation agency websites. No countries apart from South Africa and Australia have combined birding routes with checklists or maps; however, even these two countries are weak in terms of providing clear maps and route information. This element of a birding destination is essential if a country wants to position itself as a key player in avitourism.

Status of conservation activity

The number of environmental treaties ratified by a country is an indication of that countries commitment to the protection and survival of its own unique environments, and there are 25 such treaties. The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report (TTCR) 2009 ranks 133 countries; this depends on the total number of international treaties of which a country is a signatory. South Africa, having ratified 20 international treaties, is ranked fourth together with Tanzania among birding destinations. Australia is signatory to 23 treaties, placing it second in the world and first in the comparative destination ranking. Kenya follows with 10 signed treaties, and third is Brazil with 21 treaties.

The percentage of total land which is deemed ‘protected ’ is a further indication of the status of conservation activity in the birding destinations and thus of the commitment of the governments to conservation and the protection of their bird populations. South Africa ranks 86th out of 133 countries with 6% of its total (publicly-owned) land area under conservation. This ranking places South Africa last relative to the other birding destinations in the competitive set. Tanzania ranks highest in the set (and fifth out of 133 countries) with nearly 38% of its land area declared protected. Botswana is ranked second in the set with 30% (13th out of 133), and Brazil third with 29% protected. Australia is placed fourth in the set with 16% protected (and ranked 31st in the world).

Destination accessibility and connectivity

Destination accessibility is indicated by the availability of flights between the destination and source markets and the visa requirements for source markets. Compared with its competitors, South Africa is favourably positioned in that it has good air-transport connections to major source markets that make the country easily accessible from anywhere in the world. South Africa

58 www.birdlife.org/action/science/sites/ 59 Note that because of differences in capacity for data collection and overall avitourism development, some countries may not have the resources to fully explore the number of IBAs and EBAs; there is therefore potential for under-reporting of these indicators. Comparisons of these statistics should consequently be regarded as merely indicative (and potentially incorrect).

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is ranked 12th in the TTCR and first compared to other birding destinations. Australia is second followed by Thailand and then Namibia. This is an extremely positive factor that is important when attracting a growing avitourism market.

In a survey of flights from leading birding source markets to the major birding destinations, South Africa ranked the highest in terms of number of flights (on average 40) followed by Thailand (38). On average 14 airlines serviced the routes between the source markets and South Africa placing it second with Australia and behind Thailand with an average of 20 airlines. Thailand has the highest number of direct flights (on average eight) from its source markets followed by South Africa (on average five).

Another factor determining destination accessibility is the travelling or flight times between source markets and destination. Uganda, Thailand and Tanzania are the most favourable positions with average flight times of 10 hours followed by Kenya second (11 hours) and then the Southern African states including South Africa, Namibia and Botswana (12 hours). Brazil and Australia are furthest from major source markets with the longest flights of on average 13 hours and 17 hours respectively. Australia is further disadvantaged in that it is located in entirely different time zones than most of the major source markets.

Airfares also play a role in increasing a destination’s attractiveness and accessibility. Thailand has the lowest airfares, followed by Kenya and then South Africa.

Another facilitating factor for strengthening inbound tourism is ease of entry into a country, i.e. the country’s visa requirements. Compared with other birding destination countries South Africa ranks fourth, after Botswana (third), Namibia (second) and Thailand (first) which requires none of its visitors to be in possession of an entry visa (provided visits are 30 – 90 days long). Australia, Kenya and Uganda are all ranked seventh on this aspect.

Transport infrastructure

Quality air-transport infrastructure provides ease of access to and from countries, as well as movement to destinations within countries (World Economic Forum, 2009). The quantity and quality of air transport is measured by the available seat kilometres, the number of departures, airport density, and the number of operating airlines. These factors are important for a growing tourism industry because they are the key means for visitors to arrive in a country.

Flight capacity can prove either a hindrance or an opportunity for a country’s tourism industry. South Africa’s performance in this area is average compared to its competitors. Thailand, Australia and Brazil rank higher than South Africa (fourth) on international seat kilometres originating in the country (in millions). South Africa’s airlines have a higher passenger-carrying capacity than other African countries under review.

An analysis of the number of departures per 1000 population indicates that South Africa has 3,1 departures per 1000 compared to Australia’s 17 departures (departures are the number of international take-offs of air carriers per year registered in the country). South Africa is ranked fourth behind Australia in first position. Botswana and Namibia are ranked higher than South Africa – however, this may be skewed by the small population sizes of these countries.

South Africa’s commercial-airport density (number of airports per million population with at least one scheduled flight) is low compared to other countries. Australia, Namibia, Botswana, Brazil and Thailand have higher densities than South Africa. However, when analysing the number of operating airlines South Africa achieves a higher ranking, at third position behind Australia (second) and Thailand (first). This is a strong performance because these two countries also have the highest share of the birding source markets and airlines are the most obvious link to a country’s source markets.

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What happens on the ground is also important to a growing tourism industry – access within a destination is critical for markets with a high tendency to travel by road to access remoter locations. The ground transport infrastructure indicator takes into account the quality of roads, railroads, and ports, as well as the extent to which the national transport network as a whole offers efficient, accessible transportation to key business centres and tourist attractions within the country. South Africa has the highest ranking for road density out of the birding destination countries, followed by Uganda, Brazil and Thailand.

Tourism infrastructure

This section of the analysis looks at the country’s capacity to host tourists (number of hotels) and move them through to visiting the destination’s attractions (the presence of major car rental companies). Australia has the highest number of hotel rooms per 100 population followed by Thailand, Botswana, Namibia and then South Africa (fifth). This may be an area of concern because a scarcity of beds can constrain visitor numbers. However, this is dependent on market accommodation preferences. For example, some niche markets such as backpackers and avitourists tend not to stay in hotels, but rather in more-affordable types of accommodation that suit their independent travelling styles. South Africa and Australia have the highest number of major car rental companies .

Market position

In 2007 South Africa attracted the second highest number of international tourist arrivals (general tourism) compared to other birding destinations (over 9 million arrivals), after Thailand (over 14 million) and ahead of Australia (over 5 million). However, the country’s market share of the major birding source markets (UK, Germany, USA, France and China) is not the highest. Thailand ranks first, followed by Australia and Brazil. However, South Africa is ranked first among the other African countries, followed by Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, Uganda and Botswana in descending order.

Marketing presence

An obvious factor in attracting tourists to a country is the degree to which the country carries out effective marketing and branding. For the indicator measuring the effectiveness of marketing and branding campaigns, Australia is ranked fourth, South Africa third and Thailand second out of the nine comparison countries. Kenya is ranked first.

The presence of offices of a destination’s national tourism organisation in a source market will make a difference to the destination’s efforts to attract more visitors. South Africa and Thailand both have the highest number of National Tourism Organisation offices located in birding source markets, followed by Australia (eight), Kenya and Brazil (six).

Travel and tourism prioritisation

Prioritisation of tourism by a country is indicated by a government’s overall expenditure on travel and tourism (expenditure as a percentage of total budget). Out of the nine comparison countries, South Africa spends the least on tourism (0,5% of total budget), compared to Kenya ranked in first place with an expenditure of 6,9%. Interestingly, it is other African countries (namely Botswana and Tanzania) that are ranked second and third respectively in tourism expenditure.

An analysis of presence at 13 major Travel and Tourism fairs shows that Thailand has prioritised this form of expenditure and marketing, attending nine fairs. South Africa in comparison

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only attended six, placing it in joint third position with Australia. This is therefore an area of opportunity for South Africa.

Overall rankings from comparative assessment

The below table is a visual representation of the discussion in section 3.5.2.

Table 22: Summary table showing South Africa’s rank ing (out of nine) against competitor birding destinations 60


South Africa


Total known species

7 3 4 1 5 6 8 9 2

Total species of birds

7 2 4 1 5 6 8 9 3

Total endemic species of birds

4 6 9 2 5 1 7 8 3

Trip expectation (no. of species in a three-week trip)

4 1 2 2 4 6 5 6 3

No. of endemic bird areas

5 4 5 1 6 2 7 3 8

No. of Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

3 5 6 2 5 1 7 8 4

No. of globally-threatened or near-threatened bird species

5 6 8 1 4 2 7 9 3

No. of Ramsar sites

2 6 3 5 4 1 7 8 7

No. of clearly-defined birding routes

1 9 9 9 9 2 9 9 9

Destination’s birding tourism resources featured on New Trends and Outlooks (NTO) website

9 9 9 1 1 9 9 9 9

Destination’s birding

1 1 1 1 9 9 9 9 9

60 Analysis based on data in the WEF Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2009, UNWTO Tourism Barometer.

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South Africa


tourism resources featured on national conservation agency website Environmental treaty ratification

4 2 6 3 7 1 5 7 4

Protected areas as a % of total land area

9 8 4 3 5 6 7 2 1

Total Score: Avitourism

61 62 70 32 69 52 95 96 65

Rank: Avitourism


Connectivity 1 5 9 6 3 2 4 7 8 Visa requirements

4 7 7 5 1 7 2 3 6

Seat kilometres (international)

4 5 6 3 1 2 8 9 7

Departures per 1 000 population

4 7 9 5 6 1 3 2 8

Airport density

6 8 9 4 5 1 2 3 7

Number of operating airlines

3 5 7 4 1 2 8 9 6

Road density 1 5 2 3 4 6 8 9 7 Presence of major car rental companies

1 4 2 3 3 1 4 4 5

Hotel rooms 5 7 8 0 2 1 4 3 6 % World market share

2 7 6 3 1 3 4 8 5

Marketing presence in major source markets

3 1 7 9 2 4 5 6 8

Market share of birding source markets

4 5 9 3 1 2 8 7 6

Travel and Tourism (T&T) government expenditure

9 1 8 7 6 4 5 2 3

T&T fair attendance

3 2 5 2 1 3 4 4 2

Total Score: General Tourism

50 69 94 57 37 39 69 76 84

Rank: General 3rd 5th 9th 4th 1st 2nd 5th 7th 8th

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South Africa


Tourism

Weighted Overall Score

(Avitourism, 65%; General tourism, 35%)

116.1 130.3 158.0 81.7 118.1 96.5 174.8 180.9 144.5

Weighted Overall Rank


Note: Highlighted cells indicate the countries ranked in the ‘top three’ for avitourism and general tourism respectively. South Africa is compared to eight other countries against two categories of indicators – those related to avitourism, and those related to general tourism.61 The TTCR rankings per indicator are added up to give a total number of points for ‘avitourism’ and ‘general tourism’ respectively. The lower the total score, the higher the ranking for that category (i.e. the closer to a total score of 13 or 14, which is what a country would score if it was ranked first for every indicator by the TTCR). Brazil is ranked first with respect to birding tourism, followed by Australia (second) and South Africa (third). In terms of general tourism, Thailand and Australia are ranked first and second respectively, followed by South Africa in third place. Overall (i.e. birding tourism and general tourism combined),62 Brazil is ranked first, Australia second, South Africa third and Thailand fourth. Based on these overall rankings, Brazil, Australia and Thailand are therefore among South Africa’s main avitourism competitors. It is important to note, however, that according to the Fatbirder website63 (the premier web resource about birds, birding and avitourism), “South Africa’s attraction as a birding destination par excellence has to be one of the world’s best-kept secrets.”

61 Note: The definition of these categories, as well as the selection of indicators which fall under them, were those incorporated in the dti Avitourism in South Africa study. 62 A weighted scoring system was developed in the dti Avitourism in South Africa study, to calculate the overall rankings – more emphasis was placed on avitourism indicators (weighting of 65%) than on general tourism indicators (weighting of 35%). 63 www.fatbirder.com

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Key findings from competitor analysis � Compared to other birding destinations, South Africa performs best on:

– General tourism infrastructure – in particular, air transport connectivity and accessibility,

density of road network, and presence of car rental companies; – Marketing for general tourism and avitourism – including avitourism resources featured on

conservation-agency websites, attendance at travel and tourism fairs, and presence in major (general) tourism source markets; and

– Birding infrastructure – number of Ramsar sites and IBAs (ranked second and third respectively), birding routes, and information resources (e.g. maps and checklists).

� Compared to other birding destinations, South Africa’s weakest points are:

– Core birding assets – South Africa is ranked seventh out of 9 in terms of total number of bird

species in, and joint fifth (with Uganda) in terms of EBAs; – General biodiversity of birds, mammals, and amphibians – South Africa is ranked seventh out

of 9; and – Government expenditure on travel and tourism – South Africa spends the least compared to

its competitors (0,5% of total budget on travel and tourism, compared to Kenya’s 6,9%). –

The above findings from the competitor analysis are reinforced by the following quotes from survey respondents on what they think are South Africa’s strongest selling points as an avitourism destination:

Selected quotes from survey respondents on why they would consider visiting South Africa 64

� Well established birding routes which are very well appointed with good road networks.

� The amazing variety of terrain as well as variety of birds in each habitat.

� Variety of species and well developed birding network of trails and accommodation resulting in ease of access.

� Ability to combine birding with other family-oriented activities.

� 11% of the world’s population of birds is in the Kruger Park alone even before you take in the rest.

� The country is vibrant and full of wonderful colour and texture. The bird life is so different from New Zealand birdlife in New Zealand is ‘in your face’ whereas we found that birds we saw are a little more timid. The animal life is awesome too.

� Huge variety of birds and birding areas and different bird clubs around [that are] always happy to accommodate visiting birder.

� The avian diversity, good infrastructure, affordable accommodation, community birding projects, friendly people.

� Excellent field guides, infrastructure, and diversity of birds. The availability of excellent bird guides is also very important.

64 Source: the dti Avitourism in South Africa study, 2009.

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4. Market Profiling and Assessment The following sections profile and assess the avitourism market in South Africa by segmenting the market into its international and domestic components and profiling the varying behaviour between and within the segments.

4.1 Introduction to the birding and avitourism markets Birding is a popular and fast-growing outdoor activity. Since the 1960s, advancements in books, equipment, and the social aspects of birding have led to an explosive growth in interest in bird-watching. In the United States for example birding is now the fastest-growing outdoor recreational activity, with the number of participants increasing by 24% between 1995 and 2000. In the past 18 years, birding in the USA has been grown faster than the population, increasing 232% to an estimated 70,4 million people. However, it should be noted that the number of the ‘most-active participants’ putting in 25 days or more of birding per year grew more modestly from 22,2 to 24 million over the same period.65

An estimated three million international trips are taken each year for the purpose of bird-watching by avitourists globally.66 The main source markets are the United States, the United Kingdom, continental Europe, and Australia. The main international birding destinations for Americans are other locations in the Americas (Mexico and Columbia). International locations of birding interest for Europeans are in Africa, with Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Botswana, and Namibia as the leading destinations.67 The number of bird-watching tourism destinations is also growing. In the United States, an increasing number of localities are exploring ways to attract birders. They are motivated by the knowledge that birders spend money on a wide array of things as they travel, generating income for local businesses.68 This study estimates that there are between 13 000 and 24 000 active birders in South Africa . Based on changes in BirdLife SA membership and circulation figures for Africa: Birds & Birding magazine, this number has been fairly stable over a long period, with only about 16% growth over the past 12 years. Twelve years ago the numbers of foreign birders visiting South Africa was estimated to be between 750 and 1500 per year. Data from pelagic tours suggest that numbers of foreigner birders have increased by more than 20% per year between 1998 and 2009, thus we estimate that between 8 000 and 16 000 foreigner birders visit So uth Africa per year . Foreign birders visiting South Africa is perhaps one of the most important areas with potential for growth . South Africa is a premier destination because of its large diversity of birds, large number of endemic species and full complement of major bird habitats in Africa.69 Internationally, many birders start birding as a consequence of their outdoor activities and their general interest in nature and conservation. Just as many are introduced to the hobby by others, some are stimulated by sightings of particular birds or by watching their garden birds.70 South African birders are similar in this regard, with most indicating that a general interest in nature and wildlife led to their participation in birding.71

65 US Fish & Wildlife Service. (2001). Birding in the United States: A demographic and economic analysis report. 66 US Fish & Widlife Service. (2001). 67 Turpie, J.K. & Ryan, P.G. (1998). The nature and value of birding in South Africa. BirdLife South Africa Research Series 1. 41pp. 68 US Fish & Wildlife Service. (2001). Birding in the United States: A demographic and economic analysis report. 69 Source: Allan, D. (1995). Ecotourism and birding in South Africa. EWT Vision 1995: 126-141. 70 Turpie, J.K. & Ryan, P.G. (1998). The nature and value of birding in South Africa. BirdLife South Africa Research Series 1. 41pp. 71 the dti Avitourism in South Africa study, 2009.

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As birders become more experienced, they tend to expand their birding range, and as they become more serious, many begin attempting to see as many of their region’s species as possible. In South Africa, most birders keep a Southern Africa list (rather than a South Africa list). In this context, Southern Africa is defined as the area south of the Kunene and Zambezi rivers, encompassing Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland and southern and central Mozambique, as well as oceanic waters within 200 nautical miles of the coast, and this also corresponds to the area covered by the field guides for the area.72 As their regional lists grow, interest in seeing the birds of other areas begins to grow, and birders start to undertake trips to other regions and start developing a ‘world list’. Even among non-listers, the attraction of expanding one’s horizons to see new species and families is ever present and birders often find themselves increasingly ‘addicted’ to seeing new species. Key findings: International trends in avitourism � More than three million trips are undertaken internationally each year for birding purposes. � The main source countries for birders are the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and

Australia.

4.2 Profiling birders A birder is anyone who enjoys bird-watching from time to time or on a regular basis. Large numbers of people enjoy birding, some more frequently and enthusiastically than others. Whereas it is easy to identify birders at the more avid end of the hobbyist scale, the critical threshold at which someone is sufficiently involved in the hobby to be classified as a birder is a somewhat more difficult boundary to define. Studies of birders distinguish between committed, or ‘active’, birders, and passive birders. Active birders take frequent birding trips, attend courses, and invest in equipment, whereas passive birders are defined as people that are able to identify common birds in their neighbourhood, feed birds or take a passing interest when travelling. Active or ‘committed’ birders are defined as being able to identify 40 or more species, and passive, or ‘casual’ birders are defined as being able to identify 10 or more species. Using this definition, researchers have found that only 3% of birders were committed birders. Other researchers have differentiated birders on the basis of their change in behaviour with experience: novice birders concentrate on identifying birds, at the next stage birders emphasise the number of species listed, and following this there is increasing emphasis on observation, sounds, understanding of habitat preferences, etc. Studies have found that advanced birders tend to be motivated by achievement, whereas casual birders are more appreciative of birds. In our surveys we recognised four categories of birders in South Africa:

• Very casual birders, corresponding to the ‘passive/casual’ categories of the American studies;

• Casual birders; • Enthusiastic birders; and • Fanatical birders.

The latter three categories all fit into the ‘active/committed’ category of the American studies, and were the subject of our surveys. The composition of birders in terms of these three studies has remained relatively stable, with the majority of birders falling within the enthusiastic category, and those wildly fanatical types making up only about 8 – 10% of us (see the table below).

72 Allan, D. (1995). Ecotourism and birding in South Africa. EWT Vision 1995: 126-141; Barnes, K.N. (1998).The Important Bird Areas of Southern Africa (BirdLife South Africa and Avian Demography Unit).

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Table 23: Composition of birder categories based on surveys in 1998 and 2009

1998 2009

Casual 29% 33%

Enthusiastic 63% 57%

Fanatical 8% 10%

Profile of domestic birders Most of the South Africans that responded to our survey were over forty, with the majority falling into the 31 – 65 age group. We had relatively few young respondents, and not so many retirees. The average age of our sample, 49, was similar to that in 1998 (50). However, whereas two-thirds were male in 1998, this proportion has now grown to 75%. Birders are relatively wealthy, with the majority having household incomes of more than R20 000 per month. In terms of the profiling of tourism market segments in South Africa, domestic birders fit mainly into the ‘Golden Active Couples’, the over 50s who tend to travel frequently. They also include ‘Well-off Homely Couples’, who are characterised as mainly aged 30 – 50, the majority without children, and highly educated, and ‘Independent Young Couples and Families’. All of these categories prefer self-catering accommodation.

Figure 8: Age and income profiles of South African birders

According to the survey findings, 83% of all domestic birders keep lists with the proportion increasing with the degree of avidity. Nearly all birders were aware of roughly how many birds they had identified in Southern Africa. Predictably, the more fanatical birders tend to have seen the most birds, and are prepared to go to greater lengths to track down rare birds and vagrants.

0.00

5.00

10.00

15.00

20.00

25.00

30.00

35.00

40.00

45.00

<30 31-50 51-65 66+

>R40 000

R20 - 40 000

R10 - 20 000

Under R10 000

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Table 24: Characteristics of domestic birders responding to s urvey

Domestic

Casual

Domestic

Enthusiastic

Domestic

Fanatical

Number of respondents* 176 307 54

Proportion that keep lists 69% 87% 93%

Average years of experience 21 22 24

Typical (modal) number of Southern

African birds seen 200 – 300 500 – 600 > 700

Modal distance willing to travel to see a

vagrant < 50km 50 – 200km > 1000km*

*An additional 142 respondents did not specify their level of interest. Source: the dti Avitourism in South Africa study. Overall, active South African birders spend about 38 days a year birding, two-thirds of which are on overnight trips. Fanatical birders manage to devote 50% more time than this to their hobby. Some 40% of birding activity takes place within the home province. Casual birders tend to stay within South Africa, whereas fanatical birders devote more time to travelling further afield. On average, South Africans spend 77% of their time birding in South Africa, 12% elsewhere in Southern Africa, 5% in the rest of Africa and 10% overseas. Within South Africa, some 57% of birding time is spent within protected areas. This proportion has increased substantially since 1998, possibly because of personal safety issues. Areas targeted within South Africa are discussed further below. Table 25: Birding travel Domestic

Casual

Domestic

Enthusiastic

Domestic

Fanatical

Total days on day-trips/days birding 9/6 12/10 22/23

Total days on longer trips/days birding 24/14 24/20 31/34

% time in protected areas 56% 61% 52%

Source: the dti Avitourism in South Africa survey. Overall, self-catering accommodation was preferred by the majority of domestic avitourists, irrespective of type, followed by staying with friends and family, and camping and caravanning. International avitourists also favour self-catering accommodation, but are more likely to stay in hotels, guesthouses and game lodges than South African birders (Figure 9). As a general rule, the more fanatical the birder, the less is spent per night on accommodation and food. Nevertheless, the latter group spent more overall, because they spent more time in the field. This somewhat cost-conscious tendency is reflected in the independent nature of South African birders. Figure 9: Estimated percentage of nights booked by domestic and international birders in different types of accommodation

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Table 26: Average spending ZAR per domestic avitourist in South Africa (per annum)

Domestic

Casual

Domestic

Enthusiastic

Domestic

Fanatical

Binoculars 1 039 1 616 2 243

Telescopes and tripods 199 864 1 228

Recorders and microphones 37 152 360

Camera equipment (x % used for birding) 2 037 5 207 6 326

Bird books and magazines 394 581 1 514

Bird tapes videos and computer software 168 344 911

Bird feeders and food for wild birds 353 351 445

Other birding equipment 117 308 809

Subtotal 4 344 9 424 13 835

Club subscriptions 96 170 287

Courses 347 360 607

Subtotal 442 530 893

Transport 3 841 5 774 9 859

Accommodation 5 019 6 697 7 725

Food and beverages 2 079 3 211 4152

Entry fees 512 580 748

Guide fees 71 523 663

Subtotal 11 522 16 786 23 146

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35%

nigh

ts

Domestic

International

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Pelagic trips 165 292 888

South African tours 488 1 220 711

SA-based tours elsewhere 0 3 951 8 595

Foreign tours elsewhere 0 2 333 1 995

Subtotal 653 5 463 10 194

AVERAGE ANNUAL EXPENDITURE ZAR 16 961 32 203 48 068

Source: the dti Avitourism in South Africa survey. About 95% of domestic avitourists surveyed organised their own tours, compared to 66% of international avitourists. International avitourists expressed a high degree of preference for specialist birding-tour operators, and are less inclined to use travel agencies and general tour operators to organise their trips. In contrast, only 4% of domestic avitourists surveyed used specialised birding-tour operators. Bird clubs and birding-pal groups also seem to play an important, though occasional, role for domestic avitourists: 33% of domestic avitourists have ever been on organised commercial bird tours, with participation increasingly markedly with avidity (e.g. more than 50% of fanatical birders have been on commercial bird tours compared to 11% of casual birders). Among those who had never been on a bird tour, the most commonly cited constraints were the preference to go bird-watching independently and the high cost of bird tours. About 18% of domestic avitourists surveyed went on pelagic birding trips in South Africa or elsewhere between 2007 and 2009. Statistics for international avitourists‘ ‘consumption’ of pelagic birding trips are not available. Profile of international birders visiting South Africa

Note: Because of the small sample size of international respondents in the 2009 survey, the findings on international avitourists should be regarded as merely indicative.

The responses by international avitourists to the survey provide some sense of their profile, behaviour and spending patterns, as set out in the series of tables below.

Table 27: Characteristics of international birders responding to survey International avitourists

Number of respondents 32

Proportion that keep lists 88%

Average years of experience 26

Typical (modal) number of Southern African birds

seen

300 – 400

Modal distance willing to travel to see a vagrant 50 – 200km

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Table 28: Travel patterns of international avitourists responding to the survey

International avitourists Total days on day-trips/days birding 15/14 Total days on longer trips/days birding 22/17 % time in protected areas 60% Table 29: Average spending (R) per avitourist in South Africa (per annum) Casual Enthusiastic Fanatical International

Birding equipment and paraphernalia Binoculars 1 039 1 616 2 243 1 130 Telescopes and tripods 199 864 1 228 1 952 Recorders and microphones 37 152 360 97 Camera equipment (x % used for birding) 2 037 5 207 6 326 4 745 Bird books and magazines 394 581 1514 1014 Bird tapes, videos and computer software 168 344 911 294 Bird feeders and food for wild birds 353 351 445 555 Other birding equipment 117 308 809 558 Sub-total 4 344 9 424 13 835 10 345

Clubs and courses Club subscriptions 96 170 287 422 Courses 347 360 607 281 Sub-total 442 530 893 704

Self-guided birding trips Transport 3 841 5 774 9 859 6 966 Accommodation 5 019 6 697 7 725 7967 Food and beverages 2 079 3 211 4 152 4 117 Entry fees 512 580 748 569 Guide fees 71 523 663 626 Sub-total 11 522 16 786 23 146 20 245

Organised bird tours Pelagic trips 165 292 888 467 South African tours 488 1 220 711 1 219 SA-based tours elsewhere 0 3 951 8 595 18 800 Foreign tours elsewhere 0 2 333 1 995 21 960 Sub-total 653 5 463 10 194 20 485 AVERAGE ANNUAL EXPENDITURE (R) 16 961 32 203 48 068 51 779 Source: the dti Avitourism in South Africa survey. Of the international avitourists visiting South Africa, 86% had been on dedicated birding trips. The remainder had combined birding with business trips, family visits, and other types of tourism. International birders visiting South Africa spent an average of 21 days in the country, irrespective of whether they were on an organised or a self-drive tour. Of the international avitourists, 65% organised their own trips. International avitourists expressed a high degree of preference for specialist birding tour operators (about 33% used specialist birding-tour operators), and are less inclined to use travel agencies and general tour operators to organise their trips. International avitourists are more likely to engage in birding either alone or with one other person (52%), but also have the highest tendency among all categories of birders to bird in groups of up to eight people (15%).

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About a third of international birders participated in guided tours. Average group size on tours was 9,4, compared with 2,4 for independent tourists, although the former reflects tour-group size rather than the size of the booking group. Those on tour spent significantly more per person per day, but also saw more bird species on their trip (average 375 compared with 322). The number of birds seen was positively correlated with trip length, with return on effort dropping off after about 30 days. In terms of accommodation, self catering is also the most popular among international respondents, followed by game lodges and hotels. As could be expected given their tendency to travel to relatively distant places, a smaller portion of international respondents (15%) regularly stay with friends and family when birding (50% regularly or sometimes). Backpacker lodges and camping and caravanning are used least frequently (never or rarely) by international respondents. Almost two-thirds of international birders visiting South Africa were from Europe. Visitors from North America had a greater propensity to join tours compared to visitors from elsewhere in the world. Only 22% of these visitors combined their visit with a trip to a neighbouring country. Most international birders visited South Africa in spring (September to November), and visits were lowest in April to July. The most common reason cited for choosing South Africa as a birding destination was the quality of birds, with many mentioning specific bird groups or the large numbers of endemic species. This was consistent in both the 1998 and 2009 surveys. After birds, the key contributing factors were wildlife and the excellent national park system, favourable infrastructure, and the quality of birding information and products. Other attractions were the spectacular scenery, diverse flora, cultural and historical aspects, favourable safety and health conditions relative to other African destinations, and value for money.

4.3 Birding within the wider market segment priorities for tourism in South Africa The National Tourism Growth Strategy sets out a range of priority market segments for domestic and international markets. In order to gain an understanding of the scale of the potential birding market for South Africa, the characteristics of birders in the various market segments have been mapped. Table 30: Potential target markets for avitourism – domestic markets73 General domestic tourism market profile – 2008 (200 7) � 32,9 million trips (2007: 35,9 million trips) � 47% of South African adults took at least one trip in 2008 � 13,9 million domestic tourists (2007: 13 million) � average of 2,4 domestic trips per domestic tourist � LSM: 87% within LSM groups 5 – 10, 56% in groups 5 – 8, 31% in groups 9 – 10 � Composition (based on 2004 profile)

– Young and upcoming: 28,9% market share, 17% value – Independent young families and couples: 5,3% market share, 37,5% value – Striving families: 3% market share, 11% value – Well-off homely couples: 6,1% market share, 18% val ue – Home based low income couples: 3% market share, 7,7% value – Basic needs older families: 42% market share, 1,7% value – Golden active couples: 1,5% market share, 11,6% val ue

� Average length of stay: 4,5 nights (4,4 nights)

73 Sources: SAARF AMPS 2008a, SAT 2004, SAT 2009.

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� Purpose of trip: 71,4% VFR, 15,7% holiday � Top source markets: Gauteng (30%), KZN (26%), Eastern Cape (16%) � Top destinations: KZN (32%), Eastern Cape (17%), Gauteng (14%), Western Cape (12%) � Majority of trips intra-provincial – Gauteng, Limpopo, Free State and North West are net trip generators � Seasonality mirrors school holidays � Average spend per trip: R780 (2007: R550) � Spending breakdown: 31% transport, 18% food and beverages, 17% accommodation, 16% leisure and

entertainment � Accommodation type: 81% friends and relatives, followed by hotels (4%) and self-catering (4%) � Activities: unpaid social activities and shopping dominant; only 7% visited natural attractions or viewed

wildlife Domestic avitourism target segments Avitourist profiles Corresponding tourism market segments SA domestic avitourists, 1997 Demographics � Home province: Gauteng 39%, KZN 24%, Western

Cape 20% � Gender: 2/3 male � Age: average 50 years, 49% between 40 and 60,

22% retired (65+) � Education: average 15 years, i.e. higher-education

level � Employment: 70% professional � Household income: average R13 500, about 20%

> R20 000 Travel behaviour � Group size: majority couples � Accommodation preferences (commercial):

camping, self-catering chalets and B&Bs � Trip length: 15 – 42 days SA domestic avitourists, 2009 � Home province: Gauteng 38%, Western Cape

27%, KZN 14% � Gender: 71% male � Age: average 51 years, 13.2% < 30, 34,7%

between 30 and 50, 41,3% between 51 and 65, 10,8% retired (65+)

� Household size: 74% no children in household � Education: 53% university; 14% matric only � Household income: 72% > R20 000,

35% > R 40 000, 28% < R20 000 � LSM: 9 – 10 Travel behaviour � 27 days per annum on overnight leisure trips, 23

days spent birding � Birding destinations: Western Cape, Mpumalanga,

KZN, Limpopo � Mainly inter-provincial on overnight stays � Group size: equal split between couples and small

groups (~40% each) � Accommodation preferences (commercial): self-

catering, camping and caravans � Information sources: birding books, birding/nature

magazines, Internet � Travel arrangements: self-organised (95%),

Primary segments Golden active couples � Home province: Gauteng 46%, KZN 11% � Gender: 45% male, 55% female � Age: majority 50+, 83% children older than 21

years � Education: 40% matric, 28,1% higher-education

level � Household income: Primarily R5 000 to R20 000 � LSM: 9 – 10 Travel behaviour � Average trip length: 13 nights � Trips per year: three per person � Average days travelling per year: 39 � Destinations: KZN 27%, Western Cape 23%,

Mpumalanga 8% � Group size: majority couples � Accommodation preferences: self-catering,

camping and guesthouses � Seasonality: December 16%, April 14% Secondary segments Well-off homely couples � Home province: KZN 31%, Western Cape 29%,

Eastern Cape 17% � Gender: 57% male, 43% female � Age: majority 30 – 50, majority have no children � Education: 39,1% matric, 33,7% higher-education

level � Household income: primarily between R10 000

and R20 000 � LSM: 8 – 10 Travel behaviour � Trip length: 7,5 nights � Trips per year: 4,1 per person � Average days travelling per year: 31 � Destinations: KZN 31%, Western Cape 29%,

Eastern Cape 17% � Group size: majority couples � Accommodation preferences: self-catering,

camping and hotels � Seasonality: December 20%, April 14%

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specialist operators (4%)

Independent young couples and families � Home province: Gauteng 59%, Western Cape 9%:

KZN 8% � Age: majority 30 – 50, majority have children of

primary and high-school age � Gender: 45% male, 55% female � Education: 36% matric, 43% higher education � Household income: primarily between

R10 000 and R25 000 Travel behaviour � Trip length: 10 nights � Trips per year: 2,2 per person � Average days travelling per year: 22 � Destinations: KZN 37%, Gauteng/ Western

Cape/Eastern Cape 10% each � Group size: majority couples � Accommodation preferences (commercial): self-

catering, hotels and camping � Seasonality: 33% December, 11% April

Please refer to Appendix E for a more detailed domestic avitourist profile. There appears to be a close correlation between domestic birders and golden active couples in terms of home province, age, group size and accommodation preferences. However, a higher proportion of domestic birders live in the Western Cape, and they are more affluent with higher levels of education than the average member of the Golden Active Couples segment. Well-off Homely Couples tend to reside in coastal provinces, especially the key birding provinces of KZN and the Western Cape, and there is a close correlation with domestic birders in terms of other characteristics such as group size and accommodation preferences. In general, Well-off Homely Couples and Independent young couples and families, with a slightly younger age profile, are most likely secondary birding markets. However, their characteristics point to a likelihood of maturing to Golden Active Couples. Hence, these markets should be targets for creating awareness of birding as an activity and promoting birding destinations throughout South Africa. Table 31 details the characteristics of the US birder market, and indicates the corresponding SAT market segments. The response rate of international birders to the 2009 birder survey has been very low, and does not support the development of segment profiles. However, using the characteristics of US birders as a base, we have also indicated the likely target segments in other source markets.

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Table 31: Potential target markets for avitourism – international markets

General international tourism market profile (2008) � 9 591 828 total international arrivals � Composition

– African land and air arrivals: 22% – Europe, 14,7%; Americas, 4,2%; USA primary source market – Australasia and Asia, 3,7%

� Most common length of stay: 6 nights � Purpose of trip: 57,7% leisure, 25,1% VFR � Top source markets: UK, Germany, Netherlands, France, USA � Top destinations: Gauteng (46,6%), W Cape (17%), Mpumalanga (13,4%) � Average spend per trip: R8 100 � Spending breakdown: shopping for resale, shopping for personal use, accommodation; spend breakdown

is influenced by high prevalence of African markets � Accommodation type: friends and relatives, followed by hotels and self-catering � Activities: shopping, nightlife and social activities (activities normally undertaken by most foreign tourists

globally), visiting natural attractions, cultural and historic sites, beaches and wildlife International avitourism target segments

Avitourism profiles Corresponding tourism market segments US birders � Origin: California, Pennsylvania, New York State � Gender: 54% female � Age: average 49 years, 58% between 45 and 65,

19% > 65+ � Education: 65% higher education � Household income: 49% > US$50 000; � 28% > $75 000 � Marital status: 72% married

United States Primary segment Next Stop South Africa (NSSA) Demographics � Gender: 50:50 � Age: 57% between 41 and 65, 43% 65+ � Education: 78% higher education � Household income: 54% > US$60 000 –

$120 000 � Marital status: 71% married/living with partner Travel behaviour � Average trip length: 2 – 3 weeks � Trips per year: three � Past travel: Western Europe > 80%, Caribbean

and North Africa and Asia < 80% � Future travel: Western Europe 48%, Caribbean

37%, Australia / New Zealand 33%, Asia 26%, South America 24%

� Information sources: travel agency 29%, Internet travel agency 17%, travel guides 13%, other Internet 11%

� Travel companions: 73% significant other � Destination expectations: variety of activities,

ease of getting around, safety, and availability of good restaurants; travelling for education and culture

� Accommodation preferences: quality more important than price; prefer hotels

Possible secondary segments � Wanderlusters

International birding visitors to SA, 1997 � Origin: USA, UK, rest of Europe � Demographic information: none available � Trip length: 21 days � 1/3 FIT, 2/3 guided tours

Likely primary segments* Germany, France, Netherlands, Australia NSSA Senior Explorers United Kingdom

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General international tourism market profile (2008) International birders, 2009 survey Demographics � Origin: Europe (60%), Africa (24%), USA (8%) � Gender: 82% male � Age: average 53 years, 87% between 41 and 65, 4%

> 65+ � Education: 61% higher-education level � Household income: unknown � Marital status: unknown Travel behaviour � Average days travelling per year: 20 days on

overnight trips � Information sources: Internet; birding books, birding

and nature magazines and other birders � Travel arrangements: 2/3 self organised, 1/3

specialist birding-tour operators � Travel companions: more than half (52%) in pairs,

16% in groups of up to eight � Destination expectations: species diversity and

rare/endemic species most important factors, followed by overall number of birds; other attractions/things to do relatively important

� Accommodation preferences: self-catering most popular, followed by hotels and game lodges

NSSA Possible secondary segments � Wanderlusters (UK, Germany, France,

Australia) � Experienced Wanderlusters (UK)

Please refer to Appendices E and F for more detailed international avitourism consumer and segment profiles.

5. Benchmarking of avitourism

5.1 Overview of approach to benchmarking The purpose of this section is to present findings on how other countries have approached the development of their avitourism sectors, in order to inform strategic planning processes in South Africa going forward. The topics covered in the benchmarking exercise include: � Approach to product development for avitourism; � Marketing strategies for avitourism; � Institutional arrangements and industry partnerships; � Approaches to maximising the economic-development impact of avitourism, particularly at the

community levels; � Techniques for statistical data collection and analysis on the birding industry; and � Key successes and challenges encountered in developing and promoting avitourism.

the dti Avitourism in South Africa study benchmarked Kenya, Australia, the United States, and Namibia. These countries have been chosen on the basis that they are strong emerging birding markets, they are geographically representative, and secondary research showed them to be good case studies in at least one of the topics or subject areas identified above. The research methodology for the benchmarking exercise consisted of desktop research and telephonic interviews.

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5.2 Kenya 74 Overview of the avitourism market in Kenya There are 60 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Kenya. The major source markets for in-bound birding tourists are Asia, the United States and Europe (particularly the UK). Approach to avitourism product development Nature Kenya is currently in the process of develop ing a formal avitourism strategy for Kenya. Nature Kenya is a non-governmental organisation whose mandate is to promote biodiversity conservation in Kenya. It plays the lead role in promoting and developing avitourism in Kenya. Nature Kenya is funded through membership fees, donors, and sales of self-produced publications. Importantly, Nature Kenya works with formally registered Communi ty-Based Organisations (CBOs) that are active in the field of environmental conservation to develop avitourism. The relationship includes: � Involving the CBOs in developing and maintaining birding trails and hotspots; � Encouraging local communities to develop heritage/cultural tourism products to complement

wildlife tourism in their areas, hence attracting more visitors; � Assisting CBOs with identifying, planning and commercialising income-generating projects in

nature-based tourism (e.g. birding), agri-processing (e.g. honey production) and other high opportunity sectors; – Nature Kenya also provides these organisations with the relevant training to get their

ventures off the ground, e.g. training on avitourism, training in business management, marketing.

Marketing activities to promote avitourism Nature Kenya participates in major international industry events such as the bir d fairs in the UK and the Netherlands . Nature Kenya also produces a specialist birding magazine Kenya Birding, which is distributed through BirdLife International’s networks and at the bird fairs that Nature Kenya attends. Locally, Nature Kenya sponsors a weekly bird walk that is open to the general members of the public and takes place every Wednesday. Key partnerships with the public sector Nature Kenya has built strong working relationships with the following government departments : � Ministry of Tourism; � Ministry of Conservation and Environment; � Ministry of National Planning; and � Ministry of Education. These partnerships have been crucial in mainstreaming tourism and conservation into budget lines, district development plans, and education curricula. 74 Source: Paul Matiku, CEO, Nature Kenya.

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Key successes in promoting and developing avitourism Nature Kenya’s most notable successes in avitourism have been in the area of skills development and capacity-building . Interventions such as a training programme, sponsored by the European Union (EU) for bird guiding, and implemented by Nature Kenya, have resulted in Kenya having an adequate pool of well-trained bird guides to cater to the needs of the industry. Nature Kenya’s focus is now on increasing the number of specialist bird guides who establish and run their own companies instead of working for other people. Another important development is that training colleges include birding in their curricula, ensuring the industry receives exposure as a career option.

Key challenges in promoting and developing avitourism

Overall , avitourism in Kenya faces constraints such as: � Poor-quality accommodation at birding hotspots; � Birding is a low-profile niche market that does not receive much marketing support – Kenya

Tourism aggressively markets the Big Five in Kenya, and Nature Kenya is currently lobbying for the inclusion of avitourism in Kenya Tourism’s product portfolio; and

� Lack of co-ordination within the wider tourism industry (private sector) negatively impacts on Nature Kenya’s efforts to promote avitourism, e.g. Nature Kenya struggles to get key stakeholders such as the Kenya Tourism Federation and the Kenya Association of Tour Operators to work with each other on birding and wider tourism issues.

In addition, Nature Kenya faces internal organisational challeng es. The most pressing of these is being under-resourced, financially and in staffing. Nature Kenya operates on a limited annual budget and has few revenue streams, hence the allocation for avitourism as a programme area is also negatively affected. Another issue is that Nature Kenya has 53 staff across 17 locations and so is stretched in terms of human resources. Key lessons on avitourism from Kenya � Developing the avitourism industry is a multi-stakeholder effort, and it is crucial for lead

institutions to build relationships with, and ensure the active participation of, key role-players in the public and private sectors.

� In particular, local community structures such as CBOs can play an important strategic role in supporting the development of avitourism because they have an ‘on the ground’ presence – their contributions can include:

� – Developing and maintaining bird-specific infrastructure, e.g. birding routes; – Conserving birdlife and habitats; – Developing other tourism products, e.g. cultural/heritage tourism, to complement

avitourism and help attract a more diverse demographic to an area; � From the perspective of the lead institution, avitourism development is resource-intensive,

requiring significant and long-term financial commitments to attract and retain skilled personnel and ensure that programmes are multi-faceted (e.g. covering marketing and promotional activities, and creating linkages to wider local economic-development initiatives); – Selection criteria for delivery and implementation partners should therefore include

contributions to long-term sustainability.

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5.3 Tropical North Queensland (Australia) Overview of the avitourism market in Tropical North Queensland Australia accounts for only 8% of the world’s total bird species (compared to South America’s 32%, and Africa’s 24%) but has very high levels of endemism – there are 313 endemic species, exceeded only by Indonesia, which has 338.75 The country has nine internationally recognised EBAs. Far North Queensland (also known as Tropical North Queensland) is Australia’s biggest bird-watching tourism destination . About 20% of all visitors to North Queensland engage in bird-watching (about 400 000 visitors in 2002), and the region has the largest number of bird guides and birding-oriented lodges and establishments in the country.76 November and December are the most active months for birding, and most birders who come to the area are focused on the birds and show limited interest in other wildlife. The major source markets for in-bound birding visitors are: � Established markets – Europe, particularly the UK; and � Emerging markets – Japan. In addition to bird-watching, other popular attractions in the region include the Great Barrier Reef and the World Heritage Wet Tropics Rainforest.77 Approach to avitourism product development78 Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) is a private company whose mandate is to promote the entire Tropical North Queensland region as a tourism destination. As a private company, TNQ has 500 members drawn from across the tourism industry, e.g. tour operators, accommodation establishments, and retailers. It is funded by its members. Because of the popularity of birding, this is a strong stand-alone product for TNQ. Tourism North Queensland’s focus has been on identifying and impl ementing specific projects that create opportunities for avitourism, and on marketing the region as a birding destination . However, there is no formal avitourism strategy in place at TNQ (or at the state and national tourism authorities, Tourism Queensland and Tourism Australia). Birds Australia is currently in the process of developing an overall avitourism str ategy for the country. Marketing activities to promote avitourism in Tropical North Queensland Tourism Tropical North Queensland participates in key industry events in the UK and U SA, e.g. the UK Bird Fair. TNQ also conducts direct marketing through birder networks such as birding magazines and websites, and by word of mouth. Tourism Tropical North Queensland has a dedicated birding website which is aimed at people with a general interest in nature, as well as bird lovers. It contains information such as key birding routes and species, maps, and details of accommodation establishments in the different areas. The region also hosts birding events such as the Cape York Bird Week and the Tropical North Queensland BirdFest.79

75 ‘Birdwatching Tourism in Australia’, Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Center (2001). 76 ‘Birdwatching Tourism in North Queensland’, Tourism Queensland (2002). 77 ‘Birdwatching Tourism in Australia’, Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Center (2001). 78 Source: Based on telephonic interview with John McIntyre, Director Destination Development: Tourism Tropical North Queensland. 79 ‘Profiles and motivations of nature-based tourists visiting Australia’ , Bureau of Tourism Research Australia (1998).

80

Challenges faced by Tourism Tropical North Queensland in developing avitourism80 Tourism Tropical North Queensland deals with the following key issues on an on-going basis: � Advanced birders already have firm ideas about what birds they want to see and where they

want to go to find them, hence it is difficult to influence and grow this market segment. � There is limited availability of historical data on avitourism, and difficulty in collecting statistics

on a day-to-day basis, e.g. the number of tourists, the proportion of domestic vs foreign birders; in some instances Tourism North Queensland extrapolates data from the UK and the USA where birding-related information is more readily available.

� Birding events in Australia, e.g. the annual Australian Bird Fair, and the Birds Australia Congress are not well attended, particularly when compared to equivalent events in the UK and the USA.

� There is lack of co-operation and cohesion within the industry: −−−− The smaller birding-tour operators in particular do not understand the benefits of networking

and collaborating with their counterparts. −−−− The different states do not support each others’ tourism sectors, e.g. opportunities for co-

branding, referrals, etc. are not explored.

Key lessons learnt by Tourism Tropical North Queensland81 TNQ has learnt that in order to maximise the overall economic benefits of avitourism, emphasis should be placed on developing a strong core-birding product, e.g. birding routes, specialist guides, equipment, and transport, because this is where most birders spend their money. Accommodation is not a priority for most birders in terms of expenditure. Finally, less-avid birders are a more appropriate focus for marketing spend because they are easier to influence. Key lessons on avitourism from Australia � Casual and novice birders may represent a higher-potential growth market than advanced

birders – it is therefore important for each region to develop a tailored, long-term-oriented approach to avitourism to avoid focusing on the wrong target demographic.

� Avitourism development should not be undertaken in isolation from wider tourism planning at the national and regional level because certain key issues, e.g. lack of co-operation and co-ordination within and across the public and private sectors, are cross-cutting and need to be dealt with centrally.

� It is important to be able to distinguish between ‘core’ and ‘peripheral’ birding product and service offerings in order to allocate resources efficiently and excel in areas of importance to birders – birders prioritise birding routes, transport, and equipment.

� From a marketing perspective, it may be difficult for domestic events such as bird fairs to be of the same scale and stature in the short to medium as established events in the UK and the Netherlands – regions may be better off focusing on ‘bang for buck’ activities such as dedicated birding websites and direct marketing or networking because these can be easier and cheaper to plan and implement.

80 Source: Based on telephonic interview with John McIntyre, Director Destination Development: Tourism Tropical North Queensland. 81 Source: Based on telephonic interview with John McIntyre, Director Destination Development: Tourism Tropical North Queensland.

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5.4 United States of America Overview of the avitourism market in the United States The major source markets for in-bound birding visitors to the United States are the UK and Japan. Domestically, the most-visited states by avitourists include Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, New Hampshire, Wyoming, Vermont and Montana (all of which had more than 40% of their avitourists coming from other states in the USA).82 Backyard birding is the most prevalent form of bird ing with 88% of participants watching birds from home. However, 40% of birders travel more than a mile from home to bird, visiting a variety of habitats on both private and public lands. Of the 18 million Americans who travelled away from home to watch birds, public land (parks, wildlife refuges) rather than private land was visited more frequently, although many visited both. Outdoor recreationists spent an estimated US$47 bil lion on all wildlife-watching, including bird-watching, in 2006 . This estimate includes money spent for binoculars, field guides, bird food, bird houses, camping gear, and big-ticket items such as boats. It also includes travel-related costs such as food and transportation costs, guide fees, etc.83 Approach to avitourism product development84 The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is an agency within the Department of the Interior whose mission is ”to work with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.” Together with the United States Forest Service, the FWS plays a lead role nationally in promoting and developing avitourism in the United States.

The FWS focuses on birding conservation to create oppor tunities for avitourism , and is not directly involved in developing birding-specific products. For instance, the FWS manages 548 wildlife refuges in the United States which support recreational activities such as birding, hunting and fishing. In addition, the FWS works closely with local commu nities to educate them about the value of birds and the importance of bird-related conservation and tourism, and these communities then assume responsibility for lobbying politicians about relevant changes to policy, funding, etc. In terms of skills development for guides and other key service providers, funding is available from conservation-oriented private and public agencies which are usually willing to support nature-based tourism. Training and educational grants or sponsorships are not part of the FWS’ mandate.

Approach to data collection for avitourism The United States is regarded as having one of the best data-management systems for avitourism. The FWS collects statistics on wildlife watching in general , with bird-watching as a sub-category of that. The focus is on avitourism that takes place within the USA, not outbound (i.e. US citizens travelling abroad for bird-watching). The FWS covers topics such as profiles of birders (age, income, education levels, avidity), economic impact of birding (total amounts spent and items/services purchased), travel patterns

82 Source: Based on telephonic interview with John McIntyre, Director Destination Development: Tourism Tropical North Queensland. 83 ‘2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation’, US Fish & Wildlife Service (2006). 84 Source: Based on telephonic interview with Kevin Kilcullen, US Fish & Wildlife Services.

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(proportion of birders who are local vs from out of town, states of origin and destination), the setting in which bird-watching takes place (e.g. backyard bird-watching, visits to conservancies, etc), and the most-viewed bird species. To get the necessary information, the FWS surveys its field managers, as well as drawing on United States Census Bureau information, and other economic data sources at the state, county and local levels. Telephone and face-to-face surveys are also conducted with the general public, with the United States Census Bureau taking a lead role in conducting the interviews on behalf of the FWS. In designing the surveys, the FWS consults with state and federal agencies and non-governmental organisations such as the Wildlife Management Institute and American Sportfishing Association to determine survey content. Input is also obtained from other sportspersons’ organisations and conservation groups, industry representatives, and researchers. All the data gathered are then analysed by a team within the FWS (which includes economists), and national projections made regarding indicators such as spend by travellers, tax revenues, and jobs created. Key publications by the FWS to capture the research outputs (updated every few years) include: � The ‘Banking on Nature’ study, which examines the economic benefits to local communities

created by visitors to FWS’ national wildlife refuges – the study includes an assessment of the economic benefits of key birding locations throughout the United States.

� The ‘National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation’ which gathers nationwide information about wildlife-associated recreationists – the survey includes a breakdown of birding-relating activities and expenditures.

Marketing activities to promote avitourism in the USA The FWS participates in international tourism conferences , e.g. the British Birdwatching Fair. There is also a dedicated birding web page on the FWS website . Launched in 2008, the web page educates the general public on how to safely feed birds, and the birding opportunities available at national wildlife refuges in the country, and invites visitors to the website to submit information on birds they have observed (external links to ornithological research institutions are provided). Challenges with the web page include the time and effort required to keep it current, to link it to other organisations’ web pages, and to market it.

Partnerships for marketing and product development for avitourism85

At the national level, the US Fish and Wildlife Services works with the following entities to promote and develop avitourism: � Tourism Industry Association; � American Birding Association; � Ecotourism organisations, e.g. National Geographic Society; and � Non-profit organisations with backyard bird habitats, e.g. the University of Cornell Lab of

Ornithology.

At the local level, branch offices of the FWS work with state tourism and wildlife agencies. Key successes in promoting and developing avitourism86

85 Source: Based on telephonic interview with Kevin Kilcullen, US Fish & Wildlife Services.

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The US Fish and Wildlife Services has been able to put together a national team of experts to advise it on different issues relating to avitourism and conservation. The advisory team includes the National Audubon Society, birding conservation agencies, and birding-related retail outlets. Key challenges in promoting and developing avitourism87 The FWS’ main challenges with regard to its work in the avitourism sector are: � Communication and co-ordination across all the different stakeholders involved in

implementing the different aspects of avitourism; � Avitourism is still a small market, hence it is difficult to get funding and marketing support from

key national government departments, e.g.: −−−− The FWS has approached the US Department of Commerce but has not been able to

secure funding and marketing support because birding is not sufficiently high yield to warrant resources that could be allocated to other more significant activities.

Key lessons on avitourism from the United States � In the United States (as is the case in Kenya, Namibia and South Africa), birding is considered a

niche market and struggles to compete for marketing and financial support at the national government level – there may therefore be a case for other regions to adopt a model in which a well-resourced and independent private sector (for-profit and non-profit) leads avitourism development.

� There are strong linkages between avitourism and conservation activities – avitourism development should therefore be based on a sound grasp of conservation priorities and activities in a region and where possible seek to create synergies between birding and conservation.

� In terms of data collection and analysis: – It seems to be difficult and impractical to collect birding-only information, hence regions could

opt to collect wildlife/nature-based tourism data and include birding as a distinct sub-category – Ensuring sufficient internal institutional capacity is crucial, particularly at the data analysis and

interpretation stage to ensure that there is a comprehensive understanding of birder behaviour.

– It is important to enlist key organisations whose resources can be leveraged as active partners to make data collection processes more manageable, e.g. national statistics body, industry associations, bird clubs.

– It is important to conduct periodic reviews to ensure data are up-to-date and includes relevant indicators – this is particularly applicable in instances where modelling and forecasting informs strategic planning.

86 Ibid. 87 Ibid.

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5.5 Namibia 88 Overview of avitourism in Namibia Birding is a growing segment with significant potential in Namibia’s tourism sector. Namibia hosts 660 bird species, including 25 endemic and near-endemic species. Relative to other destinations however (e.g. Kenya, South Africa), avitourism in Namibia is under-developed – few international bird-tour operators include Namibia in their packages, and most birders who go to Namibia are independent travellers. In terms of the domestic market, Namibia has an estimated 200 committed birders. Other activities undertaken by visitors to Namibia include sports fishing, hunting, and visits to the national parks and desert landscapes. At present, there is no formal avitourism strategy, but plans have been proposed to focus on developing and promoting pelagic avitourism in the country’s Central Coastal Region. Proposed approaches to pelagic avitourism in Namibia Namibia has the following natural resources to form the basis of pelagic avitourism in the Central Coastal Region: � A good variety of seabirds, including albatrosses, gannets, giant-petrels, and shearwaters; � In addition to endemic species, millions of migrant birds winter and breed on the coast (e.g.

palaearctic shorebirds ) some which are otherwise difficult to see in Southern Africa; � In summer, there are more than 200 000 birds present on the coast, including shorebirds,

terns and flamingos; � Walvis Bay Lagoon is classified as a globally Important Bird Area, and has been declared a

Ramsar Convention of Wetlands reserve (Sandwich Harbour on the Namibian coast is also a Ramsar Convention of Wetlands reserve); and

� There are three accessible seabird-observation points on the coast. The following have been proposed as potential measures to develop pelagic avitourism: � Encouraging joint packaging of bird-watching and dolphin cruises, e.g. existing activity in

Walvis Bay includes short day cruises in the Bay of Whales to observe dolphins, seals and birds (sea birds that can be viewed in Walvis Bay include White Pelicans, Kelp Gulls, Pomarine and Cape Cormorants);

� Promoting Namibia as a location for commercial courses in bird and nature photography; � Introduction of new infrastructure to facilitate the viewing experience, e.g. purchasing

telescopes, construction of bird-observation towers, and further developing existing facilities; � Establishment of a ‘bird café’ for birders to interact with each other, record recent sightings,

and buy equipment; and � Creation of a branded national Coastal Birding Route linking all major birding sites on the

Namibian coastline. Key challenges in promoting and developing avitourism � Lack of institutional leadership and support – Namibia does not have a nationally organised

bird-watching community, and therefore lacks a central body to guide avitourism (and provide support services such as lobbying, ornithological data gathering and analysis, lists of birder-friendly accommodation establishments, etc.). The establishment of a regional BirdLife

88 Sources: Correspondence with Petri Hottola, Finnish University Network for Tourism Studies; Hottola, P., 2007 ‘Coast bird tourism in Namibia’.

85

Namibia office has been proposed, and this body is expected to take the lead in product development and marketing for avitourism. The country does not have any academic ornithologists and relies on research conducted by South African institutions. In addition, there is little support from the coastal municipalities (e.g. Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, Henties Bay) for avitourism.

� Shortage of skilled bird guides – there are no professional bird guides active on the Namibian coast. (BirdLife International has offered to train 25 bird guides.)

� Pelagic avitourism is threatened by declining levels of fish in the sea (partly the result of overfishing), and there is a lack of a coastal-management plan to ensure sustainable tourism development.

Key lessons on avitourism from Namibia � In some regions, leadership for avitourism development may best come from bird-watching

societies because they possess the expertise and capacity to collect and publish bird data, and have the credibility and reach to influence others in the birding community – government tourism bodies tend to lack technical expertise, and are often better suited to playing support roles.

� Pelagic avitourism may be more difficult to develop because it has particularly strong links to biodiversity, conservation and coastal management – the active support and co-operation of a wider range of stakeholders than is the case with inland birding is required, and there are more regulations to comply with.

86

6. SWOT analysis of avitourism in South Africa The purpose of this section is to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the South African avitourism industry, as well as the potential opportunities they give rise to and the threats they pose to the future growth and development of the sector. These strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats are presented and discussed within the context of the National Tourism Growth Strategy’s six objectives because this allows for an analysis that is accessible and consistent with tourism planning in the country.

6.1 Growing volumes

Strengths Weaknesses � Attractive core birding assets compared to

competitor birding locations – in particular bird species diversity, endemism and rarity

� Lack of co-ordination among role-players � International avitourism volumes may be

insufficient to justify sizeable expenditures relative to other niche markets

� Lack of data on avitourism may hamper planning � Hard to influence fanatical birders – they aim for

maximum bird-list yield in the shortest amount of time

Opportunities Threats � Increased awareness by wildlife accommodation

providers of avitourism opportunities in their areas can help to attract avitourists and present dual-marketing opportunities

� Rising affluence levels in South Africa (e.g. greater interest by ‘Black Diamonds’ in birding in medium to long term) can increase the number of casual and enthusiastic domestic avitourists

� Internationally, avitourism development efforts could tap into existing efforts to target Europe, Australasia, East and West Africa, SADC and North America

� Reduction on bird species, in particular endemics and endangered species

� Environmental degradation or pollution of avitourism areas

� Persistent threats to personal safety or the perception of threat


6.2 Increasing tourist spend

Strengths Weaknesses � Avitourists have a higher spend per trip than

other niche segments � Lack of co-ordination among role-players � Lack of data on avitourism may hamper planning � Limited use of existing avitourism infrastructure in

low-volume tourism destinations � Limited opportunities for tour operators

Opportunities Threats � Rising affluence levels in South Africa presents the

potential for new avitourist spenders to emerge � More corporate sponsorship and more active

calendar of events can increase awareness of avitourism opportunities to a wider range of consumers

� Evidence of significant economic impact in other countries

� International avitourists often travel in their home regions, but long-haul to South Africa introduces additional costs

� Increased competition from other locations � Propensity of avitourists to organise their own

tours and accommodations

87

6.3 Increasing length of stay

Strengths Weaknesses � Birders tend to have longer trip lengths than similar

tourism market segments � Birders spend a high total number of days per

year travelling for birding


Opportunities Threats � Birding add-ons in groups with mixed interests,

e.g. family trips � Birding as an add-on to other trips, e.g. business,

VFR trip add-ons for casual/novice birders � Evidence from other countries of successfully

targeting these types of birders

� Extended stays might be elsewhere in the region rather than in South Africa

6.4 Improving seasonality


� South Africa has high topographical and biome variety in close proximity – provides for varied holidays throughout the year

� Presence of pelagic touring opportunities throughout the year

� Avitourism patterns do not necessarily differ significantly from broader seasonality patterns

� Difficult winter-weather conditions pose a threat to pelagic tourism

Opportunities Threats � There is a low level of existing pelagic touring

activity relative to the attractiveness of the asset � International visitors in off-peak seasons � Domestic short breaks and long trips occur

throughout the year � Some spectacles and events can create

opportunities in off-peak seasons

� Casual birders/trips with birding add-ons are less likely to impact on seasonal spread

6.5 Improving geographic spread


� South Africa has high topographical and biome variety in close proximity – provides for varied holidays

� Extensive man-made birding infrastructure (e.g. picnic and camp sites, bird hides, etc.)

� Numerous birding routes have been developed that complement the country’s IBAs and other birding hotspots

� Attractive birding locations and hotspots are present in many areas of the country, many of which do not yet have high tourist volumes

� Diversity of landscapes, scenic beauty and historical/cultural attractions, friendly people, and good food, etc.

� Limited use of existing avitourism infrastructure in low-volume tourism destinations

� Birders are unlikely to be attracted to a geographic area if the core bird species present are limited

� Presence of migrant bird species

Opportunities Threats � Strong linkages between avitourism and

conservation activities/protected areas � Event-based activity (including greater focus on

inclusion of international visitors) e.g. competitions and birder weekends

� Scope to attract visitors into outlying or rural areas

� Security concerns � Casual birders/trips with birding add-ons are less

likely to impact on seasonal spread � Clustering of existing birding infrastructure in

provinces with existing high tourism-visitor numbers

88

6.6 Promoting transformation

Strengths Weaknesses � Presence of community guides � There are several role-players in academia and in

the public and private sector avitourism industry providing research, funding, marketing, and other support for the industry’s development

� Avitourism enjoys corporate sponsorship and comprises an attractive demographic for multiple consumer goods, financial services, and other corporates

� Lack of co-ordination among role-players � Limited transformation of industry to date � Limited opportunities for tour operators � Limited training for community guides

Opportunities Threats � Avitourism also enjoys corporate sponsorship from

some of the biggest companies in the country who provide, and may further provide, funding for a wide range of activities including bird-guide training and community ecotourism projects

� Linking avitourism to wider local economic development planning

� B-BBEE accommodation, transport services, guide services (small-scale commercial bird guiding, community guiding), and retail (equipment and accessories)

� Avitourism segments potentially less attractive to commercial B-BBEE operators than other segments

� Sustainability and scalability challenges for community-based operators, e.g. economies of scale, consistency of demand, other revenue streams

89

Appendix A: List of stakeholders consulted Wider stakeholders 7 Adam Riley

8 Rockjumper Birding Tours

9 Alan Yeowart

10 Singita Sabi Sand

11 Singita Group

12 Barbara Hamm

13 Bed and Breakfast Association of South Africa (BABASA)

14 Brummer Olivier

15 Strandveld Discovery

16 Bryan Coetzee

17 Tourvest

18 Chris Patton

19 South African National Parks

20 Dr CA Whittington-Jones

21 Gauteng Directorate of Nature Conservation

22 Hanneli Slabber

23 SAT

24 James Seymour

25 Tourism KwaZulu-Natal

26 John McIntyre

27 Tourism Tropical North Queensland

28 Kevin Kilcullen

29 United States Fish and Wildlife Services

30 Khorommbi Matibe

31 Limpopo Parks and Tourism

32 Lynda Bacon

33 Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (FEDHASA)

34 Martin Taylor

35 BirdLife South Africa

90

36 Michael Tatalias

37 SAT Services Association (SATSA)

38 Neil Nagaroo

39 SAT

40 Paul Matiku

41 Nature Kenya

42 Peter McKuchane

43 Northern Cape Tourism Authority

44 Petri Hottola

45 Finnish University Network for Tourism Studies: Tourism and

46 Regional Modernisation in Namibia Project

47 Thabo Masemula

48 Gauteng Tourism Authority

49 Wilfred Chivell

50 Dyer Island Cruises

Accommodation providers 1. Aire del Mar Guest House

2. Albizia House

3. Aloedale Lodge

4. Amble In

5. Amohela Ho Spitskop Retreat

6. Armika B&B

7. Avian Leisure

8. Balerno Bush

9. Banghoek Lodge

10. Bateleur Lodge

11. Bateleur Nature Reserve

12. Beacon Vlei Farm

13. Beautiful Just

91

14. Birds of Paradise

15. Bivack Farm Lodge

16. Button Birding

17. Buzzard Mountain Retreat

18. Cair Paravel Lakeside Cottages

19. Camp Africa

20. Cathedral Peak Hotel

21. Coach House Hotel

22. Cosy Cottage B&B

23. De Hoek Country House

24. De Zeekoe Guest House

25. Dunfarmin B&B

26. Dusk to Dawn

27. Ekukhanyeni Christian Retreat

28. Emfuleni

29. Eshowe B & B

30. Ezemvelo Nature Reserve

31. Falaza Game Park

32. Farm 215 Nature Retreat and Fynbos

33. Forest Creek Lodge

34. Franverleigh Lodge

35. Fynbos Ridge Country House and Cottages

36. Gables Guest House

37. Garingboom Guest Farm

38. Ghost Mountain Inn

39. Granny Mouse Country

40. Grootbos Private Nature Reserve

41. Harnham House

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42. Haus Bergfrieden

43. Hendersons

44. Heuglins Lodge

45. Hippo Hideaway

46. Hluhluwe River Lodge

47. Igababa Cabin and Zvakanaka Campsite

48. Isandlwana Lodge

49. Ivory Sands Safari

50. Izataba Game Farm

51. Jembisa Lodge

52. Kings Walden Guest House

53. Klein Paradijs Guest House

54. Kloof Falls Lodge

55. Kololo Game Reserve

56. Kuhestan Farm Cottage

57. Kuname River Lodge

58. Kurisa Moya Nature Lodge

59. La Rochelle Inn

60. Lalapanzi Guest House

61. Leeuwenhof Country Lodge and Garden Spar Lodge

62. Leopard Lodge

63. Leopard Mountain Game Lodge

64. Leshaba Lodge

65. Lindani Game Lodge

66. Magoebaskloof Hotel

67. Mahem Guest House

68. Makulu Makete

69. Masorini Bush Lodge

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70. Matlabas Game Lodge

71. Mdoni House Guest Lodge

72. Medike Mountain Reserve

73. Milner House

74. Mopane Bush Lodge

75. Mseni Lodge

76. New Holme Karoo Guest House

77. Old Joe's Kaia

78. Owl House

79. Oyster Bay Lodge

80. Panzi Bush Camp

81. Peace of Eden

82. Porcupine Pie

83. Prescott

84. Shiluvari Lakeside Lodge

85. Smithfield Guest House

86. St Lucia Wilds

87. Sunbird Cottage and Silos

88. Sunbird Lodge

89. Sunbird Lodges and Fynbos Reserve

90. Tendele B&B

91. Thaba ya-Metsi Country Estate

92. The Edge B&B

93. The George Hotel

94. The Ranch Hotel

95. The Retreat of Groenfontein

96. Thornwood

97. Tinga Private Game Lodge

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98. Toro Yaka Bush Lodge

99. Tranquility Lodge

100. Tswalu Private Reserve

101. Tzaneen Country Lodge

102. Victoria Place

103. Villa Exner

104. Vuna Valley Ventures

105. Wakkerstroom Country Inn

106. Waterlily Lodge

107. Wetlands Country House and Sheds

108. White Elephant Lodge

109. Wildebees Eco Lodge

110. Xisaka Guest House

111. York House B&B

112. Zinkwazi Lagoon Lodge

113. Zizi Estate

114. Zoetendal Wines

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Appendix B: Documents consulted

Document title Date (if known) Author

South African policy and strategy documents Marketing tourism growth strategy for South Africa

2008 SAT

Gearing up to be globally competitive: Tourism Growth Strategy 2008 – 2010

2007 SAT

Global Competitiveness Programme for the Tourism Industry in South Africa (2005 – 2010)

2005 SAT

National Industrial Policy Framework

2007 the dti

Tourism definitions used in South Africa

2008 Department of Environment Affairs and Tourism; SAT

Customised Sector Programme for Tourism

2006 the dti

National Spatial Development Perspective (updated)

2007 Office of the President

AsgiSA Annual Report 2008 2008 Office of the President Draft Regional Industrial Development Strategy

2006 the dti

National Responsible Tourism Guidelines

2002 Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

Draft National Minimum Standards for Responsible Tourism


Tourism Sector Code 2009 Tourism Empowerment Council of South Africa White Paper on the Development and Promotion of Tourism in South Africa


Marketing South Africa in the United States (including tourism profiles)

Not available

SAT

Documents primarily relating to industry and market profile The nature and value of birding in South Africa

1998 J Turpie and P Ryan

The economics, institutions and conservation benefits of community-based avitourism in South Africa

2006 Duane Biggs (UCT student, Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology)

Zululand Birding Facts Not available

Ben de Boer

Soutpansberg–Limpopo Birding Route Visitor Numbers

2005 Ben de Boer

Understanding the diversity of eight birder sub-populations: Socio-demographic characteristics, motivations, expenditures and net benefits.

2004 TL Eubanks Jr., JR Stoll and RB Ditton

Ecotourism and birding in South Africa

1995 D Allan

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The nature of Ecotourism Bureau of Tourism Research Understanding tourism wildlife interactions: Visitor market analysis

2005 Gianna Moscardo, Rebecca Saltzer (Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Center)

Wildlife Tourism as a form of developmental aid for local communities

Not available

Birds Australia

Profiles and motivations of nature based tourists visiting Australia

1998 Russell Blamey and Deborah Hatch

Outdoor tourism: An industry profile and resource guide

2001 Canadian Tourism commission

Impacts of bird-watching on human and avian communities

2002 Cagan H Sekercioglu

Birding economics 2003 Cagan H Sekercioglu (American Birding Foundation) Birding in the United States: An economic and demographic analysis

2001 US Fish and Wildlife Services

The popularity of birding is still growing

2002 HK Cordell and NG Herbert

A strategic analysis of BirdLife South Africa’s Birding routes

2007 Rodrigo Mazarro Blanco and Yaron Vorona

BirdLife South Africa birding route brochures (Zululand, Kruger to Canyons, Mpumalanga, Southern KZN, Greater Limpopo)

Not available

BirdLife (various individual authors)

South Africa’s Important Bird Areas (section in ‘Important Bird Areas in Africa and associated islands’)

Not available

KN Barnes, DJ Johnson, MD Anderson and PB Taylor

Tourism Satellite Account Recommended Methodological Framework

2008 UNWTO

WEF Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report

2009 UNWTO

Reports primarily relating to lessons from internat ional experience/benchmarking Best practices of adventure tourism in Canada

2000 Economic planning group of Canada

Business Strategy for the product development of Outdoor tourism

Not available

Canadian Tourism Commission

Conserving biodiversity and improving livelihoods 2007 BirdLife International

Bird-watching tourism in Queensland

2002 Tourism Queensland

Bird-watching tourism in Australia 2001 Darryl N Jones and Ralf Buckley Bird-watching tourists in Australia 2005 Ronda Green and Darryl Jones The economic benefits to local communities of national wildlife refuge visitation

2007 Erin Carver and James Caudill

Wildlife tourism as a developmental aid for communities

Not Available

Matt Morris

Golden wings. American Demographics

1996 Rachel Dickinson and Brad Edmondson

Ecotourism in the Less Developed World.

1998 DB Weaver

Ecotourism 2002 SJ and RK Dowling

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The effects of investigator disturbance on nesting birds

1992 F Götmark

Overseas bird tours survey: readers’ opinions, based on 511 foreign trips with 44 travel companies to 80 different countries

1992 JTR Sharrock

US National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation

2006 US Fish and Wildlife Service

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Appendix C: Survey questionnaire A print and web-based survey, based on the fully tested Turpie and Ryan survey of 1998, was deployed specifically for this project. The web-based survey was electronically conducted between August 2009 and December 2009. Respondents were drawn from the online birding community and readers of the print version of the Africa: Birds & Birding magazine. A total of 711 questionnaires were completed (including both online and printed versions). Of the 647 that specified their nationality, 615 (95%) were from domestic respondents and 32 (5%) were from international respondents. From a statistical perspective, the number of domestic respondents is sufficient to extrapolate their behaviour to those of the general avitourism population, whereas the number of international respondents is not statistically significant.

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Appendix D: South African Tourism consumer portrai ts

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Appendix E: Preliminary Avitourist Consumer Descrip tions

Domestic avitourist: Preliminary consumer descripti on89

Jim is a 49-year-old business manager. He lives with his wife in Randburg. He earns R360 000 a year and

is an enthusiastic birder. He first developed an interest in birding about 20 years ago on a family trip to

Kruger Park when he saw some beautiful birds. Now the challenge for him is seeing new birds. He is so

keen on his hobby that he spent over R55 000 last year on birding trips and equipment.

Now that his children have left the house, Jim and his wife enjoy travelling – particularly to indulge in their

habit of bird-watching. They spent 27 days last year on overnight trips, 23 of which were spent bird-

watching. They usually drove to their birding sites, but flew when the distance was great enough – Jim is

quite willing to travel over 200km for a good birding experience. In total, Jim and his wife spent R16 000 on

transport this year.

They usually travel alone as a couple, but sometimes meet up with other couples who also enjoyed birding –

often couples they met through the local bird club or at one of the birding weekends they attend. They plan

most of these trips themselves, consulting bird club websites and web forums, birding books, and nature

magazines. Jim particularly enjoys reading the trip reports that other birders have posted on birding

websites, and has used these reports to help him choose his next destination. Most of their travel is to the

Western Cape, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo. Jim and his wife are not that fussy about the type of

accommodation they use, as long as it is close to the bird-watching sites they visit, but they prefer self-

catering if at all possible. Price is not the main driver of their accommodation decisions, although they don’t

like staying in fancy hotels - Jim was surprised to see that, by the end of the year, that he had spent nearly

R12 000 on accommodation.

Jim is not a big fan of tours – he likes to see himself as an independent, well-informed traveller. He did go

on a pelagic tour from Cape Town last year because he needed boat access to see some special birds, so

he used a tour company. In fact, half of the R1 200 he spent on tours was on that one pelagic trip.

Jim plans to travel even more this year as he tries to build-up his ‘life list’ of birds. His ultimate goal is to see

over 700 birds. To do so, he is planning a few trips throughout the Southern African region. Once he has

saved up a bit more, he might even manage a few big trips overseas.

89 Based on SAT Consumer Portrait format

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International avitourist: Preliminary consumer desc ription 1

William is a 53-year-old academic who lives just outside London. He lives with his wife and his youngest

child who has not left home yet. He began bird-watching as a child, but got more serious about his

hobby after university. He is an active bird-watcher, and belongs to the Royal Society for the Protection

of Birds. He has also recently become interested in bird photography, and has bought himself a range of

new lenses and a tripod for his digital camera. He has filled up most of his list of birds in Europe and saw

quite a few more on his trip to visit his brother in Australia. He recently attended the UK Bird Fair and is

now trying to decide between a trip to Brazil or to South Africa for next year.

No matter which location he chooses, he plans to travel for three weeks on a family trip, so that he can

see as many birds as possible – he’s aiming for at least 500 new species for his list. He has already read

some trip reports online, and is trying to decide whether to go for an organised tour with a UK operator or

to find local guides by making enquiries through some birding forums. William would prefer to use local

guides because he thinks it will increase his chances of seeing his target birds as efficiently as possible.

At the moment, William is leaning towards South Africa. He has heard good things from friends about

South Africa’s species diversity and is excited about the rare species he might see. His wife has also

heard that it is relatively easy to travel around compared to other birding destinations in Africa, family

friendly, and there will be some interesting activities to keep their daughter occupied. William is thinking

they will visit nature reserves, especially ones where there are birding trails they could do on foot. They

think they’ll probably stay in game lodges within the reserves, but some nights might be in nearby guest

houses. If time allows, they might they use the chance to also see the ‘Big Five’ and spend a day or two

in Cape Town and the Winelands sight-seeing. They are also considering booking a tour that will take

them up into Namibia and Botswana after their stay in South Africa.

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Appendix F: Profiles of International Avitourism Ma rket Segments

Next Stop South Africa

UK Germany France Netherlands Australia

Demographics Region of origin

London 31% South-east 25% Scotland 13%

North Rhine/ Westphalia 23% Bavaria 15%

Ile-de-France 50% Outside Ile-de-France 50%

West – Other 27% South 23% East 15%

Sydney and Melbourne 78% Perth and Brisbane 22%

Gender Both male and female Both male and female Both male and female - - Age Avg. age 57,3

Majority 50 – 75 Avg. age 51,9 Majority 41 – 60

Avg. Age 52 Majority 41 – 60

Avg. age 52

Avg. age 50

Education 50% higher education 37% higher education 69% higher education

40% Higher education

-

Employment status

Working full time 57% Retired 27%

Working full time 71% Working full time 77% - -

Household income

p.a., (‘000s £) < 50 19% > 50 49%

p.a. (10‘000s €) < 3,5 39% > 3,5 61%

p.a.(10‘000s €) < 3 0% 3 – 4 33% > 4 67%

p.a. (000’s Euro) < 24 11% 24 – 48 41% 48 – 72 34% > 72 14%

p.a. A$42 –104k 71% > A$104k 29%

Marital status Married/living with partner 88%

Married/living with partner 82%

Married 78% Married 62%

Married 58%

Children < 18 at home

0% 0% 0% 0% 39%

Travel behaviour Average trip length

2 – 3 weeks 3 weeks preferred - 3 weeks preferred 3 – 4 weeks

Avg. # of vacations per year

2,27 4,3 - 0,64 long haul per annum

0,5 long haul per annum

Past destinations (past 5 years)

USA 52% Canada 24% Australia 17% Thailand 10% Kenya 5%

USA 53% Thailand 17% South Africa 17% Canada 16%

Thailand 15% Senegal 9% Reunion 8% China 7%

USA 23% Canada 8% (Dutch) Antilles 8% Thailand 6% Indonesia 6%

85% have travelled to six or more long-haul countries 43% to 11 or more

Future destinations (next 2 to 3 years)

(Score of 1 to 7) USA 4,4 Caribbean 3,4 Australia 3,4 Mexico 2,9 Thailand 2,9

USA 30% Australia 28% South Africa 17% Canada 11% New Zealand 10%

Vietnam 17% China 16% Peru 15% France 15% South Africa 10%

USA 18% South Africa 17% Australia 13% Thailand 11% Canada 10%

-

Information sources

Word of Mouth 52% Brochures 23% Books 15% Internet 12% Newspapers 10%

Word of Mouth 41% Brochures 41% Guidebooks 36% Travel magazines 33% Internet: 32%

Word of mouth 42% Travel magazines 29% Brochures 18% TV and Radio 18% Travel agents 17%

Internet 72% Books / guides 40% TA brochures 26%

Internet 64% TAs 60% Travel Brochures 40%

Travel arrangements

Like to organise their own travel arrangements but can be supported by travel agents (independent but organised in advance)

Prefer to organise themselves Use travel agents, yet they almost exclusively know where to go before visiting a travel agent

Believe TAs and TA brochures are good sources of information when choosing destinations, and to find out more about a destination once selected. Very unlikely to use Internet for booking although may use this channel to gather information on destinations

Likely to have established a relationship with a particular travel agent whom they use for a variety of services including brochures

81% book through travel agents with only 38% booking over the Internet

Travel companions

Significant other 50% Family 28%

Significant other 65% Significant other 35% Organised Group 29% Friends 14%

Spouse / Partner 68% No. of days 26 Alone 26% Spouse / Partner 55% Children 59%

Destination expectations

Main reason of holiday is to relax, get away, visit friends and relatives, see a specific place with

Travel to ‘experience’ different cultures and natural beauty

Relaxing outdoor activities – experiencing the natural beauty, viewing wildlife, and

Significantly more likely than average to look for travel destinations with an interesting culture

Independent travellers (67% travel independently) with a preference for mid to

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Next Stop South Africa

UK Germany France Netherlands Australia

the sun and spending time with their partner Want value for money, good weather, luxury accommodation and to feel safe

Nice weather also important Distance and health not important Price of trip is not necessarily an important influencer High spenders and not necessarily price sensitive

visiting mountains Also very interested in discovering culture High holiday spending, not highly price sensitive

and that offer an authentic experience Less likely than average to be concerned with travel expense

high end accommodation (66% staying in 3 – 4 star accommodation) 85% or more consider exploring different cultures, viewing natural beauty and historical landmarks, local food and wine important elements to holidays Safety (90%) and value for money (85%) are the most important attributes of international destinations

Seasonality Travel whenever: 37% Aug – Oct: 82% Aug 35% May 33% April/ March 29%

Relatively flexible; Travel less in summer high-season months

Most popular months: April, September

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Appendix G: Definition of Indicators Used in Compar ative Analysis

General Biodiversity

Total known species (IUCN) WEF TTCR

Total known species (mammals, birds, amphibians) in the country. Source: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Red List of Threatened Species 2008

Bird Species Diversity/Richness

Total species of birds Total known species of birds; Sources: UNEP-WCMC, 2004 and EarthTrends (earthtrends.wri.org)

Total endemic species of birds Total known species of birds; Source: UNEP-WCMC, 2004

Trip expectation Number of species that birders can expect to see during a three-week trip; Source: Adam Riley from Rock Jumper Birding Tours

Number of EBAs Source: BirdLife International

Number of IBAs IBAs are recognised for their value world-wide, attracting interest from bird-watchers, conservationists and planners, governments and donor agencies. Source: BirdLife International

Number of globally-threatened or near-threatened bird species

UNEP-WCMC, 2004

Birding Infrastructure

Number of Ramsar sites Source: www.ramsar.org/pdf/sitelist.pdf

Number of clearly defined birding routes

Sources: BirdLife South Africa; BirdLife International; national sources

Number of birding routes with maps and checklists

An Internet search reveals no clear birding routes that have accompanying maps and checklists – some websites have checklists, i.e. Australia, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa

Destination's birding tourism resources featured on NTO website

Sources: NTO websites

Destination's birding tourism resources featured on national conservation-agency website

Sources: National conservation agency websites

Status of Conservation Activity

Environmental treaty ratification Total number of ratified environmental treaties; Source: IUCN Environmental Law Centre ELIS Treaty Database

Protected areas as a percentage of total land area

Protected areas as a percentage of total land area, 2007 – According to the IUCN, a protected area is an area of land and/or sea especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, and of natural and associated cultural resources, and managed through legal or other effective means. Source: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and UNEP World

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Conservation Monitoring Centre World Database on Protected Areas

Destination Accessibility and Connectivity From Maj or Birding Source Markets

General visa requirements The score refers to the number of UN countries whose citizens are exempt from obtaining a visa to enter each country. In compiling the data, each country that requires no visa at all receives a ‘1’ and each country for which it is possible to obtain a visa upon arrival receives ‘0,5’. Those countries for which a visa is required prior to departure would receive a ‘0.’; Source: UNWTO

Connectivity with destination's source markets

Does the air transport network in your country provide good connections to the overseas markets offering the greatest potential to your business (1 = no and 7 = yes) Source: WEC, Executive Opinion Survey 2007, 2008)

Visa requirements for major birding-source markets

The score refers to the number of birding-source market countries whose citizens are exempt from obtaining a visa to enter each destination. In compiling the data, each country that requires no visa at all receives a ‘1’ and each country for which it is possible to obtain a visa upon arrival receives ‘0,5’. Those countries for which a visa is required prior to departure would receive a ‘0.’; Sources: UNWTO; Source: http://projectvisa.com www.worldtravelguide.net www.brazilsf.org/visa_eng.htm www.brazilsf.org/visa_eng.htm www.tanzania.org.za/visas.htm www.home-affairs.gov.za/visa_schedule.asp www.namibweb.com/visa.htm www.immi.gov.au/visitors/tourist/ www.mfa.go.th/internet/document/ChartVisa.pdf (Thailand)

Transport Infrastructure

Available seat kilometres, international

This variable measures an airline’s passenger-carrying capacity; it is composed of the number of seats available on each flight multiplied by the flight distance in kilometres. The resulting variable is an average of the total for all scheduled flights in a week during January (winter schedule) and July (summer schedule) 2008. Source: International Air Transport Association, SRS Analyser; national sources

Departures per 1000 population Aircraft departures are the number of domestic and international take-offs of air carriers per year registered in the country. Sources: Booz & Company; national sources 2006

Airport density Number of airports per million population (2007) Source: International Air Transport Association, SRS Analyser

Number of operating airlines Number of airlines with scheduled flights originating in country (January and July 2008 average) Source: International Air Transport Association, SRS Analyser;

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national sources

Road density This variable refers to the ratio of the length of the country’s total road network to the country’s land area. The road network includes all roads in the country: motorways, highways, main or national roads, secondary or regional roads, and other urban and rural roads. Source: The World Bank, World Development Indicators 2008

Tourism Infrastructure

Hotel rooms Number of hotel rooms per 100 population 2007 or most recent year available; Source: United Nations World Tourism Organisation

Presence of major car-rental companies

Index of presence of major car-rental companies 2008 Source: Individual rental car websites

Market Position

Total international tourism arrivals (2007)

Total international tourism arrivals, 2007: Source, UNTWO Tourism Barometer 2007 Vol. 6 No. 2

Percentage of World Market share (2007)

Share of global international tourism arrivals, 2007: Source, UNTWO Tourism Barometer 2007 Vol. 6 No. 2

Market share of major birding-source markets (2007)

Share of total international tourism arrivals to defined birding destinations, 2007: Sources, UNTWO Tourism Barometer 2007 Vol. 6 No. 2; national websites

Perceived effectiveness of marketing

Does the country carry out effective marketing and branding to attract tourists; Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey, 2007, 2008

Marketing presence in source market

Does the destination NTO have offices in the identified source markets (ranking highest number = most offices); Sources: www.worldtourismdirectory.com; www.tourism.australia.com; www.namibiatourism.com.na/traveling_visa.php; www.home-affairs.gov.za/visa_schedule.asp; www.countryconnect.co.uk/tourist-office/Botswana; www.tourism.australia.com/AboutUs.asp?sub=0388; www.travelbizmonitor.com/tanzania-tourist-board-to-establish-first-representative-office-in-mumbai-by-july-2009-end-7086

Travel and Tourism Prioritisation

T&T government expenditure This measure includes expenditures (transfers or subsidies) made by government agencies to provide T&T services such as cultural (e.g. art museums), recreational (e.g. national parks) or clearance (e.g. immigration/customs) assistance, and so on to visitors; Source: World Travel and Tourism Council, Tourism Satellite Accounting Research 2008

T&T fair attendance (WEF TTCR) Index of country's presence at 13 major T&T fairs; Source: Booz & Company 2007 – 2008

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Appendix H: Further Detail on Responsible Tourism DEAT Responsible Tourism Guidelines (2002) 1.1.1 Assess economic impacts as a pre-requisite to devel oping tourism

a. Extend the season of enterprises by developing new products to create better employment conditions and to provide a stronger base for local economic development. Monitor occupancies or seasonality of employment over the year to show progress in extending the season.

b. The historically disadvantaged are a significant emerging domestic tourism market. Identify and encourage commercial responses to this opportunity.

c. Recognise that our cultural heritage should not only be assessed in economic terms, and that tourism can create revenue from cultural heritage, traditional ways of life and wildlife and habitats.

d. Encourage business relationships between foreign entrepreneurs and local and emerging entrepreneurs.

e. Always consider the opportunity costs of tourism for local communities and their livelihoods, and be prepared to accept that there may be more appropriate economic opportunities for the area. Maintain and encourage economic diversity, avoid over-dependency on tourism.

f. Plan initiatives and investment to contribute to the broader local economic development strategy (for example, Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) for the area).

g. Planning authorities need to consider how they can intervene to avoid tourism developments where they may cause adverse effects such as local land price inflation, loss of access to resources or undermining sustainable livelihoods.

h. Exercise a preference for business and land tenure arrangements that directly benefit local communities and/or conservation.

i. Conduct market and financial feasibility assessments before raising expectations and exposing the community or local entrepreneurs to risk.

1.1.2 Maximising local economic benefits – increasing lin kages and reducing leakages

a. Encourage all establishments to upgrade their standards of service, particularly small, medium and micro-enterprises and emerging entrepreneurs, and to maximise their revenue earning potential by adding value.

b. Encourage the informal sector to become part of the formal sector.

c. Buy locally–made goods and use locally–provided services from locally-owned businesses wherever quality, quantity, and consistency permits. Monitor the proportion of goods and services the enterprise sourced from businesses with 50 km and set 20% target for improvement over three years.

d. Help local communities or emergent entrepreneurs to develop their product so that it can be more easily used by others and marketed to tourists.

e. Co-operate with other formal sector businesses to maximise benefits for local community enterprises – for example, a community laundry or tailoring business may only be viable if a group of enterprises commit to source supplies there. Showcase the initiative and be explicit about whether community projects are funded by tourism revenue to the enterprise, donations from tourists or tour operators, or funds from donor aid agencies.

f. Give customers the opportunity to purchase locally produced crafts and curios, set targets to increase the proportion of sales of goods sourced within 20 km of the enterprise. Assist local craft workers to develop new products to meet market demand as evidenced in the enterprise.

1.1.3 Ensure communities are involved in and benefit from tourism

a. Government and established businesses need to redress previous imbalances, and to enable the historically disadvantaged to engage in the tourism sector. For example they should source 15% of

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services and 15% of products, increasing by 5% per year, for 3 years, from historically disadvantaged groups, and/or individuals, and report on purchasing activities.

b. Work closely with local communities, small, medium and micro-enterprises and emerging entrepreneurs to develop new products that provide complementary products for formal sector tourism enterprises.

c. Develop partnerships and joint ventures in which communities have a significant stake, and with appropriate capacity building, a substantial role in management. Communal land ownership can provide equity in enterprises.

d. Identify projects that the enterprise can support that will benefit the poor. Identify at least one project.

e. Assist the development of local communities and emergent entrepreneurs with visitor feedback on their products.

f. Consider guaranteeing loans for promising projects in communities or with emerging entrepreneurs, and providing marketing, training and managerial support.

g. Foster the development of community-based tourism products by providing marketing and mentoring support.

h. Encourage visitors to spend more money in the local economy, and to visit local bars and restaurants and participate in tours to local areas, bringing business to local communities. Where appropriate treat this as part of the business of the enterprise and charge a booking fee or commission, or sell craft and local food products through the mainstream enterprise.

i. Encourage tour operators be more innovative in their itineraries, by for example including shebeens, local museums, arts and craft shops and local ethnic restaurants in their tour itineraries, and by doing so encourage visitor spend.

j. Consider using local entrepreneurs (particularly emerging and historically disadvantaged entrepreneurs), experienced consultants and non-governmental organisations in developing community initiatives.

k. Be transparent when reporting community benefits distinguish between benefits to employees, emerging or community based entrepreneurs and community benefits, for example leasehold payments, that go to community projects (grinding mills or school books) or are distributed as household income in the local area. Consider establishing targets to monitor progress in achieving objectives.

1.1.4 Marketing and Product Development

a. Lack of market access is a major constraint on the growth of new enterprises. Enterprises should provide information about local services and attractions provided in local communities, and encourage their clients (individuals and operators) to use them.

b. Consider co-operative advertising, marketing and the promotion of new and emerging products and attractions.

c. Ensure that the visual way in which the product is presented includes local cultural elements and emphasises the richness of the local complementary product.

d. Consider developing and marketing fairly traded tourism products.

e. Foster the development of access opportunities for all visitors and potential visitors, regardless of physical, or mental conditions of the visitor. Public authorities and enterprises need to understand and embrace financial incentives that enhanced accessibility will create, and the positive image such ‘access to all’ will provide.

1.1.5 Equitable Business

a. Enterprises should pay fair prices for local services purchased or packaged as part of mainstream itineraries. Beware of abusing market power and imposing unfair commissions or pushing down prices inequitably

b. Develop transparent systems of sharing the benefits of tourism through equitable contracts. (e.g.

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This can be applied through tendering processes.)

c. When entering into agreements with local communities or emerging entrepreneurs ensure that the risk is equitably shared.

d. Recruit and employ staff in an equitable and transparent manner and maximise the proportion of staff employed from the local community. Set targets for increasing the proportion of staff and/or of the enterprise wage bill going to communities within 20 km of the enterprise.

e. Develop a community labour agreement with targets for employment and for progression. Recognise that the enterprise can play a significant role in increasing the skills and capacity of the local community and that the enterprise benefits from that.

f. Go beyond the bare minimum wage rate and invest in local staff – quality is dependent upon well-motivated staff.

2.1.1 Involve the local community in planning and decisio n-making

a. Understand the historical, political and cultural context of local and host communities, and historical relationships with tourism development and protected areas.

b. Creating opportunities and eliminating barriers to access mainstream tourism markets for local communities, historically disadvantaged people and individuals.

c. Understand the local, safety and security, infrastructural, resource, educational, poverty, disability and health constraints, when designing, operating and marketing tourism.

d. Encourage proactive participation and involvement by all stakeholders - including the private sector, government at all levels, labour, local communities (their leaders and structures) - at all stages of the tourism life cycle.

e. Encourage formal and informal sector enterprises to develop effective structures, or join existing bodies, for marketing and tourism development. Create the environment to do so by providing resources, technical and management capacity.

f. Encourage successful entrepreneurs, particularly those from the emerging tourism fraternity, to mentor others.

g. Planning authorities should work to include stakeholders as part of a decision-making process at the destination level, to determine what constitutes sustainable levels of tourism in the social, natural, and economic context.

h. Programmes of education within school curriculums, and public awareness within communities, are needed regarding the potential positive and negative aspects of tourism.

i. Post employment education and training programmes within the framework of the Skills Development Act and South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) are required to educate employees regarding the potential pros and cons of tourism, and comparative costs and benefits of alternative enterprises in order to aid decision making.

j. Involve the local communities in growing the local tourism business by using existing facilities and by developing new activities and attractions. Individual enterprises and groups of enterprises need to develop complementary products. (Report number of new activities/ attractions; number of visitors).

k. Empower communities to market their cultural traditions and products as assets and enhance their economic opportunities.

l. Interpretation material and visitor information centres should be developed in consultation with local communities.

m. Integrate community development goals as identified in the Integrated Development Plan (and similar processes) into the enterprise’s social and sustainability mission and objectives.

2.1.2 Assess social impacts as a prerequisite to developi ng tourism

a. Identify and monitor potential adverse social impacts of tourism and minimise them in the short and the long-term, and ensure that communities actively participate in the monitoring.

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b. Larger enterprises should appoint a member of staff to take responsibility for developing better local relationships and partnerships. Implement social audits of tourism projects. These can be conducted in an inexpensive, rapid and participatory way.

c. Consider schemes to encourage local co-operation and civic pride like an ‘adopt a school’ initiative or ‘adopt a street’, or other local area near the enterprise. Work with local government and the local community to identify priority sites, and make them safe and attractive for tourists.

d. Enterprises should develop strategies to promote equality in terms of gender, ethnicity, age, and disability, and report progress on implementation.

2.1.3 Maintain and encourage social and cultural diversit y

a. Develop tourism with dignity, respect and nurture local cultures (including religion), so that they enrich the tourism experience and build pride and confidence among local communities.

b. Use tourism as a catalyst for human development, focussing on gender equality, career development and the implementation of national labour standards.

c. Tourism development should not compromise respect for social and cultural and religious rights, or the essential human rights of people to food, a safe and clean environment, work, health, and education.

d. Support the development of sustainable local handicraft enterprise by assisting with improvement of design, marketing, production and packaging skills for craft workers in relation to market demand. Consider specifically what can be done to enhance the skills and earnings of women, particularly in rural areas.

e. Support visits by local school children to tourism sites that promote and display their heritage.

f. Consider what contributions the enterprise can make to scholarships, local youth sports teams and other community causes. Monitor and report increasing contributions with respect to the number of projects and level of investment.

g. Showcase local cultural artefacts in your enterprise and encourage the development and sale of traditional cultural products, crafts and folklore. Aim for 25% items for sale at enterprise from within 50 km, with tours offered to local markets, and try to increase these by 25% over 3 years. Provide customer feedback in order to raise standards.

h. Be wary of the dangers of commodification, and encourage craft and other cultural workers to maintain the authenticity and cultural values of their products. Encourage craft workers to explain the cultural values and history of their crafts.

i. Give enterprises a local flavour by serving local dishes and source soft furnishings, arts and crafts locally. Monitor the proportion of local dishes on menu; and the proportion of furnishings and crafts locally made, and aim to increase these proportions by 25% over 3 years. Visitors expect to find at least one local dish their menus.

j. Identify cultural heritage resources in the local area and where there is sufficient demand from tourists and work with the local community to develop them as sustainable tourism attractions. Consider mission settlements, sites of slave occupation, festivals, struggle-related monuments and places, rock art sites, cultural monuments, food, drink, arts and crafts, music, dance and storytelling.

k. Encourage tourists to show respect by learning a few words of the local language, (and to use them when talking to local people!) and to learn about the host culture and traditions.

l. Share enterprise level knowledge regarding informal sector tourism skills and products. Draw the attention of ground handlers, the media and tour operators to complementary product opportunities in the local community.

2.1.4 Be sensitive to the host culture

a. Respect, invest in and develop local cultures and protect them from over-commercialisation and over-exploitation. Encourage workers and staff to observe their religious and cultural practises.

b. Respect indigenous intellectual property, especially when setting up contractual arrangements for the use of indigenous knowledge.

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c. Use local guides, and encourage them to continually improve their quality, to ensure that the community speaks for itself and to increase the revenues going into the local community (by higher fees for quality tours). Monitor and report this economic contribution to the community and set targets to increase it annually.

d. Develop a local social contract for interactions and behaviour between the local community and tourists (including responsible bargaining), developed with the participation and contributions from the community, and display it prominently for visitors and publicly within the community.

e. Create opportunities for visitors to interact with locals in an unstructured, spontaneous manner (e.g. through sporting activities, visits to local schools, shebeens, taverns, restaurants in townships).

f. In accordance with the Batho Pele principle, provide visitors with inclusive, honest and reliable information about history and contemporary life in South Africa, local tourism attractions and facilities.

g. Promote a sound, proud, service ethic among all participants in the tourism sector.

h. Promote and ensure the respect and dignity of people in the development, marketing and promotion of tourism.

i. Ensure that tourism does not undermine the resource rights, traditional knowledge and skills of local communities.

j. Negative social and cultural impacts associated with tourism, such as increased crime, drug and alcohol abuse, prostitution, and crime should be monitored and be proactively addressed in cooperation with the community.

k. Educate tourists regarding local culture and where necessary make them aware of how they should behave to respect it.

l. The exploitation of human beings in any form, particularly sexual and when applied to women and children, should be energetically combated with the co-operation of all concerned.

3.1.1 Assess environmental impacts as a prerequisite to d eveloping tourism

a. Plan new developments only in areas where the use of water and other natural resources for tourism will not conflict with local community needs, now or in the foreseeable future. Integrate environmental management into the project planning cycle.

b. Follow best practise guidelines on the design, planning and construction of buildings and associated infrastructure to minimise environmental impacts and to reduce energy requirements for lighting, cooling and heating.

c. Use local materials (where sustainable) and local architectural styles on a scale that does not create a negative aesthetic impact.

d. Avoid damaging the environmental quality of the enterprise’s neighbourhood by noise or light pollution.

e. Design buildings with natural ventilation and actively plan to reduce resource use during the construction and operational phases. Tell visitors what has been done to make the enterprise more environmentally friendly. Quantify the resources ‘saved’.

f. Plan new developments to have the lowest possible ecological impact, particularly in environmentally sensitive areas such as the coastal zone, indigenous forests, wildlife habitats and wetlands. Minimise the transformation of the environment around the enterprise.

g. When developing plans for a new enterprise include elements which contribute to the maintenance of biodiversity by planting local indigenous and non-invasive species which provide habitats for birds, bees, and butterflies.

3.1.2 Use local resources sustainably, avoid waste and ov er-consumption

a. Meter the quantity of water consumed and manage consumption and leakage so as to reduce water consumption by 5% per annum for 3 years, and report water consumption and performance in monitoring.

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b. Measure electricity consumption and introduce energy saving measures to achieve 5% reduction in use per annum over three years. This can be done by for example dimming lights, using low energy appliances and light bulbs and enhancing the use of natural ventilation

c. Monitor the use of diesel, paraffin and petrol and set targets to reduce consumption and switch to less polluting fuels.

d. Set targets to increase the proportion of energy used from renewable resources – for example solar, wind, hydroelectric (increase by 10% over 3 years). Sustainable use of wood, from indigenous and plantation forests is complex, and great care needs to be taken.

e. Install and showcase appropriate technology to reduce consumption of natural resources, production of waste and incidences of pollution.

f. Monitor the sewage system and demonstrate how pure the outflow back into the environment is. If the enterprise has one, make the reed bed a valuable habitat feature.

g. Set percentage targets and time scales for the reduction of waste produced, levels of recycling and reuse of waste from the enterprise. Set appropriate targets for reduction and/or recycling of waste produced per year for paper (5%), plastics (5%), metal (5%) and glass (5%). Report on progress towards 15% targets over 3 years.

h. Work with suppliers to minimise the amount of packaging purchased with supplies, and therefore reduce the amount of waste that needs to be disposed of. It may be appropriate for trade associations to conduct these discussions on behalf of members.

i. Reduce ‘food miles’ by using locally produced food.

j. Enterprises should assist conservation by investing in sustainable trails, hides and interpretation. Tell visitors what the enterprise is doing, and claim credit for activities.

k. Encourage the use of environmentally friendly transport.

3.1.3 Maintain and encourage natural diversity

a. Encourage visitor behaviour that respects natural heritage and has a low impact upon it.

b. Discourage the purchase of products that exploit wildlife unsustainably or contribute to the destruction of species or habitats (e.g. some handicrafts; bush meat)

c. Look for ways in which the enterprise and its guests can assist with the conservation of natural heritage, for example through removing litter.

d. Invest a percentage of profits or turnover in species conservation or habitat restoration and management. Report the investment, and try to increase this by 5% per year.

e. Avoid pollution by using environmentally friendly chemicals, and by using biodegradable soaps and detergents – tell visitors and staff why the enterprise is doing this and how it benefits the environment.

f. Work with conservation authorities to ensure that visitors to natural heritage areas are aware of the impacts that they may have on the ecology of the area and how they should behave in order to minimise those impacts.

g. Ensure that relevant members of staff are familiar with the issues and ways of avoiding environmental impacts – they should abide by the advice and communicate it to guests, and use the services of companies that abide by local environmental Best Practise.

h. Do not market tourism resources to encourage tourists into ecologically sensitive areas which are vulnerable to irresponsible tourism practices, particular sports or recreational uses – discourage these activities (e.g. irresponsible 4x4 use, hunting, diving or sandboarding).

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National Minimum Standards for Responsible Tourism (DEAT, 2009)

The purpose of the National Minimum Standards for R esponsible Tourism and accreditation process

The 1996 South African White Paper on Development and Promotion of Tourism in South Africa identifies responsible tourism as key to all tourism activities. Subsequently, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) developed National Guidelines for Responsible Tourism in 2002. South Africa currently does not have a single, unified national minimum standard for responsible tourism or an accreditation process for tourism certification agencies.

Various schemes certifying the sustainability of tourism businesses are available in South Africa, and several are under development. The schemes use different sets of criteria to certify tourism businesses. Several of the schemes are well-aligned to the 2002 National Responsible Tourism Guidelines, whereas some of the schemes offer certification for only one of the three main elements of responsible tourism, i.e. social, environmental and economic responsibility. In the existing situation, tourism businesses and consumers find it difficult to evaluate the credibility of certification schemes, and to determine whether the certification criteria used are in line with national policy. Given the low barriers of entry for certification schemes, a significant risk of low levels of service to tourism businesses undergoing certification exist. Inconsistent application of sustainability criteria by different schemes also confuses consumers, potentially damaging destination reputation. Furthermore, research among tourism businesses has indicated a relatively high level of ‘dual certification’, i.e. that tourism businesses undergo certification with more than one scheme in order to ensure that the business is certified against all elements of responsible tourism.

The National Minimum Standards for Responsible Tourism (NMSRT) are an effort to establish a common understanding of responsible tourism. Secondly, the NMSRT also aim to harmonise the different sets of criteria currently used for certifying the sustainability of tourism businesses. The associated accreditation system will award a seal of accreditation to tourism certification agencies that are competent to offer sustainability certification schemes to tourism businesses. Finally, the NMSRT is a baseline standard that any tourism business should aspire to reach.

Who should use the National Minimum Standards for R esponsible Tourism

• The NMSRT are, in the first instance, directed at agencies running programmes certifying the sustainability of tourism businesses. Certification agencies may have to adjust their existing certification criteria to the NMSRT in order to achieve accreditation.

• The NMSRT can be used by tourism businesses preparing for certification or simply evaluating the business’ progress in respect of sustainability. Detailed NMSRT interpretation guides will help businesses to implement the standards in their operations.

• The NMSRT can be used by tourism organisations, such as Local Tourism Organisations or sector organisations, to create awareness among their members about responsible tourism, and as a benchmark for their members to work towards.

Who will manage the National Minimum Standards for Responsible Tourism

The Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA), as an agency of the Department of Tourism, will be the custodian of the NMSRT, and be responsible for the accreditation of tourism certification agencies.

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The structure of the National Minimum Standards for Responsible Tourism

The NMSRT are based on the National Responsible Tourism Guidelines and Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria, among others. The NMSRT consists of 51 standards divided into four categories: A) Sustainable operations and management B) Economic standards C) Social and cultural standards and D) Environmental standards.

In order to be accredited by the TGCSA, the certification criteria of a sustainability certification scheme for tourism businesses must reflect at least all the standards in each of the four categories of standards.

How the National Minimum Standards for Responsible Tourism will be implemented

Implementation of the NMSRT among tourism certification will be jointly driven by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa and the Department of Tourism.

The target dates for implementation of the NMSRT are:

• Publication of the national minimum standards for responsible tourism on World Responsible Tourism Day in mid November 2009 to coincide with World Travel Market.

• Application for accreditation of certification agencies to open during the first quarter of the 2010/11 financial year.

• First certification agencies to be accredited during the 2010/11 financial year.

National Minimum Standards for Responsible Tourism A Sustainable operations and management 1 The business shall comply with all relevant national, regional and local legislation, regulations,

licences and permits as may be required.

2 The business shall comply with accepted, responsible business and accounting practice.

3 The business shall compile and maintain a register of all its social, economic and environmental impacts and details of any actions that are being undertaken to mitigate such impacts.

4 The business shall operate an appropriate Responsible Tourism Management System (RTMS) which shall include:

5 - a published Responsible Tourism Policy

6 - names and designations responsible for implementation of the NMSRT in the business has been allocated to a staff member/s

7 - an implementation plan with annual targets and appropriate budgets

8 - guests information about Responsible Tourism in the business and ways to contribute

9 - responsible purchasing policy and supplier information to encourage their conformance with the Responsible Tourism policy of the business

10 - formalised staff awareness and training on Responsible Tourism, and the policy and implementation plan of the business

11 - a compliance management system to collect information to support or verify Responsible Tourism performance in the business

12 The business shall make publicly available the Responsible Tourism Policy and information about its associated activities.

13 All advertising or promotional activities or material issued by or on behalf of the business shall fairly and accurately describe or reflect the services and facilities offered to guests.

14 The business facilities shall be designed, planned, developed and operated in a responsible manner with due regard for any social, cultural or environmental impacts including:

15 a) the application of green building guidelines for all new, redeveloped or refurbished facilities;

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16 b) compliance with the principle of ‘sense of place’ in respect of the natural and cultural aspects and landscape of its surroundings; land acquisition and land rights;

17 c) the use of appropriate and legally compliant sustainable construction and building practices

18 The business shall formally assess the accessibility of facilities and infrastructure for people with disabilities (visual, communication, mobility), and provide information about accessibility to customers.

19 The business shall collect customer feedback on responsible tourism in the business and take corrective action where appropriate.

B Economic National Minimum Standards for Responsible Tourism 20 The business shall employ people from the local area, including in management positions.

21 The business shall use fair and equitable processes for recruitment and advancement, in relation to race, gender and disability.

22 The business shall provide access to appropriate job-specific training and personal development opportunities for staff.

23 The business shall monitor the proportion of goods and services purchased locally (e.g. from the closest retail areas) and set targets for improvement.

24 The business shall pay employees a living wage, that is equal or above legal minimums.

25 The business shall demonstrate support for the development of SMMEs through purchasing practices, mentorships, business development initiatives or retail opportunities.

26 The business shall apply policies and procedures to avoid commercial or sexual exploitation, child labour and uncompetitive behaviour.

27 The business shall publish an annual report on community benefits of the business and make it publicly available.

28 The business provides opportunities for guests to contribute to sustainable socio-economic investment projects, and shall report transparently on the use of guest contributions.

C Social and cultural National Minimum Standards fo r Responsible Tourism 29 The business shall contribute to the protection of local historical, archaeological, culturally, and

spiritually important properties and sites.

30 The business shall provide reasonable access to sights of historical, social, cultural or religious significance to local communities or residents.

31 The business shall provide a ‘Code of Behaviour’ for visits to local cultural, historical and religious sites or communities, which has been developed in conjunction with the affected communities.

32 The business shall use elements of local art, architecture, or cultural heritage in its operations, design, decoration, food, or shops.

33 In so doing, the business shall acknowledge the intellectual property rights of local communities.

34 The business shall demonstrate support for community development initiatives in conjunction with and prioritised by affected communities.

35 The business shall provide opportunities for visitors and guests to purchase locally-produced products and services.

36 Historical and archaeological artefacts may not sold, traded, or displayed, unless permitted by law.

37 The business shall monitor and address any negative social and cultural impacts associated with the enterprise in cooperation with the community.

38 The business shall provide an employee health programme, including but not limited to HIV/AIDS.

D Environmental National Minimum Standards for Resp onsible Tourism 39 The business shall measure energy consumption, indicating all energy sources as percentage of

overall consumption, and adopt measures to decrease overall consumption.

40 The business shall measure water consumption, indicate sources and adopt measures to decrease overall consumption and improve re-use of waste water.

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41 The business shall implement and manage actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other contributors to climate change associated with its operations.

42 The business shall identify opportunities and where possible implement steps to decrease the use of non-renewable resources.

43 The business shall implement a solid waste management plan, with quantitative goals to minimise waste.

44 The business shall minimise the use of harmful substances (e.g. pesticides, paints, swimming pool disinfectants, cleaning materials, sanitation, guest amenities); and substitute these with environmentally friendly alternatives where possible.

45 The business shall implement practices to reduce pollution from noise and light from activities associated with the business.

46 The business shall not hold captive any wildlife without the required permits or approved and appropriate enclosures.

47 The business shall use indigenous species for landscaping and restoration, and take measures to eradicate invasive alien species

48 The business shall contribute to the support of biodiversity conservation.

49 The business shall avoid adverse effects on ecosystems, and shall rectify unforeseen negative environmental impacts resulting from its activities.

50 The business shall provide environmental information for visitors so they appreciate and reduce their impact on natural resources.

51 The business shall adhere to any national and international requirements governing the trade in listed, endangered and /or threatened species and alert visitors to these requirements.

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Appendix I: International Agreements for Conservati on and Biodiversity

International agreements South Africa is a signator y to

and their implications for avitourism Agreement/convention General overview Relevance for avitourism

Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention), 1971

The Convention is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international co-operation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. Parties to the Ramsar Convention are obliged to nominate at least one wetland in their area of jurisdiction as a Wetland of International Importance.

� Several of SA’s Ramsar sites are situated in prime tourism areas, e.g. Wilderness Lakes. In addition to offering superb birding opportunities, these sites are also subject to various pressures and threats related to urban expansion, e.g. polluted run-off, inappropriate siting of development, etc.

� Ramsar sites in areas with low visitation relative to other areas, e.g. De Hoop Vlei in the Overberg, offer potential for the expansion of tourism in these areas.

Convention on Biological Diversity, 1993

The Convention was opened for signature on 5 June 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Rio ‘Earth Summit’). It remained open for signature until 4 June 1993, by which time it had received 168 signatures. The Convention establishes three key goals: � conservation of biological

diversity � sustainable use its components � equitable sharing of the benefits

arising from the use of genetic resources.

� The convention is the international framework agreement within which SA’s environmental management and biodiversity policies and legislation, e.g. Biodiversity Act, 2004 are formulated. These policies and Acts typically include two key mechanisms, i.e. conservation of resources by means of protected status, and regulation of the utilisation of resources.

� These mechanisms protect birds and their habitats, and consequently the tourism value of these resources is maintained. The regulatory mechanism aims to prevent harmful or/and inappropriate development of tourism-related infrastructure within bird habitats.

Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn Convention), 1979 [CMS]

The Convention aims to conserve terrestrial, marine and avian migratory species throughout their range. CMS Parties strive towards strictly protecting species threatened with extinction, conserving or restoring the places where they live, mitigating obstacles to migration and controlling other factors that might endanger them. Various agreements and MOUs framed under CMS aim to conserve birds, including: � African-Eurasian Migratory

Waterbirds (African Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement –

� The convention is the international framework agreement within which memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and agreements related to the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats are formulated. These mechanisms protect birds and their habitats, and consequently the tourism value of these resources is maintained.

� MOUs and agreements typically address such key issues as: species and habitat conservation, management of human activities, research and monitoring, education and information, and implementation.

� South Africa is a participant in the

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International agreements South Africa is a signator y to and their implications for avitourism AEWA)

� Albatrosses and Petrels � Siberian Crane � Slender-billed Curlew � Aquatic Warbler � Ruddy-headed Goose � Grassland Birds of South America � Birds of Prey (Migratory Birds of

Prey in Africa and Eurasia MoU) � High Andean Flamingoes

Wings over Wetlands initiative, which supports field projects at 11 important wetland areas, including the Wakkerstroom Wetlands. These projects focus on a number of wetland-related conservation issues including community mobilisation, management planning, ecotourism, field research, wetland restoration, control of invasive species, trans-boundary management, education and alternative livelihoods.

World Heritage Convention, 1972

The Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972, seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. Parties to the Convention are encouraged to nominate sites in their area of jurisdiction as World Heritage Sites. These sites then become subject to comprehensive management plans created to maintain the integrity of the characteristics that qualified the sites for inscription in perpetuity.

� The convention is the international framework agreement within which SA’s environmental management and biodiversity policies and legislation, e.g. Biodiversity Act, 2004, are formulated.

� Several of SA’s World Heritage Sites are prime tourism sites, e.g. Robben Island and the Cape Floral Kingdom, that offer superb, but under-exploited avitourism opportunities.

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