An agreement between BirdLife SA and Cape Town Routes Unlimited, the official destination marketing organisation for Cape Town and Western Cape is likely to boost the profile of six new birding routes being developed in the province. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be signed on Friday 14 March 2008 at BirdLife SA’s Annual General Meeting at the Misty Waves Hotel in Hermanus. Calvyn Gilfellen, Chief Executive of Cape Town Routes Unlimited hopes the cooperation between the two organisations will promote the ornithological bounty of the province as a source of economic growth and transformation.

Tourism has outperformed all other sectors of South Africa’s economy and is thus an important delivery medium to achieve the economic growth and job creation for the people of the Western Cape. The two tourism partners will collaborate on marketing activities and campaigns aimed at increasing the market share of Cape Town and the Western Cape as a preferred destination for domestic and international tourists.

Calvyn Gilfellan says: “Through an integrated approach, this special partnership allows us to jointly position Cape Town and the Western Cape as a leading tourist destination. It will also increase our market profile globally. Birding provides an excellent, sustainable model for economic and social development and it’s one that fits perfectly with the Western Cape. We’re very excited about these new routes and the opportunities they bring.”

Gilfellan adds that the routes will encourage visitors to see more of the Western Cape and will help the destination goals in terms of geographic spread and growing interest in eco-tourism, sustainable tourism and preservation of biodiversity.

The BirdLife South Africa model involves development of marketing material, websites, accommodation and signage as well as the training of birding guides from disadvantaged backgrounds. The guides, who have extensive local knowledge of local geography, natural life and bird habits have been enthusiastically received by bird enthusiasts visiting our destination from around the world.

Dr Anton Odendal, BirdLife SA project manager, says: “The birding route system has worked very well in Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal, but the Western Cape’s wonderful variety of birds have enjoyed less of a profile than it’s other assets such as it’s whales and it’s wine. We’d like to see that change and these routes could help achieve that”.

He cites the 28 endemic bird species in the Western Cape is being of particular interest to visitors – these include the Cape Siskin, Orange-Breasted Sunbird and Cape Sugar-bird. The success of the pelagic birding trips operating from Simon’s Town has also shown that there’s much potential for the Western Cape to capitalize on birding as a growing industry with a relatively low environmental impact.