Birdwatching Tourism – an ongoing scientific survey
By Maria Antonietta Castro Pivatto

Birdwatching tourism is an activity that involves millions of people worldwide, driven by the beauty and peculiarities of these creatures it generates richness and income in countries that are rich in diversity, being a segment of ecotourism.

Even though Brazil has over 1,700 species, it still occupies a modest position on the preferences of these tourists. Our most visited places are the Amazon, Iguassu Falls and the North Pantanal. The lack of specific information about this segment of tourism, which contributes a lot to environmental conservation, hinders further investments in high potential areas, such as the South Pantanal and the Bodoquena Plateau.

This gap stimulated the development of the project entitled “Birdwatching tourism as an alternative of sustained development: a case study in the region of the Pantanal and the Bodoquena Plateau, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil”, whose main objective is to evaluate the segment of birdwatching tourism in the Pantanal and its viability as an alternative of sustained development in the Bodoquena Plateau region (which comprises the city of Bonito) and the South Pantanal. This work is part of the Masters Course in Environment and Regional Development at UNIDERP – University for the Development of the State and the Pantanal Region, in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul.

Please participate in this work, by answering to one of the questionnaires below. Just click on the desired option. In the case of birdwatchers who also work as guides, two questionnaires may be filled out.

• Birdwatchers – questionnaires in Portuguese
• Birdwatchers – questionnaires in English
• Guides and Birding Tour Operators - questionnaires in Portuguese
• Guides and Birding Tour Operators - questionnaires in English

After filling it out, save the file and e-mail it to:

tietta@bonitonline.com.br

Please tell your colleagues, birding associations and other interested people about this work!

Thank you for your participation. If you are interested in knowing the results of this research, or make any further comments, contact me through the above e-mail address.

Maria Antonietta Castro Pivatto
Biologist – Ecotourism Guide.

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