Inagua Birdwatching Could Tap Into Billions of Dollars

The Ministry of Tourism is poised to tap into a multibillion-dollar market next January when bird tourism officially launches in The Bahamas.

 The Ministry of Tourism held a town meeting in Matthew Town, Inagua on November 21 to familiarize residents about bird tourism and to introduce the ministry’s People to People program on the island. More than 30 residents attended the meeting.

Ministry of Tourism Deputy Director General Ellison “Tommy” Thompson said the ministry wants to ensure that when visitors come to Inagua they have a seamless vacation.

“We wanted to make sure that the sales component was in place,” Thompson said. “We’ve done the training. We have three supremely qualified bird guides and a number of other guides.

“In order for this to be sustainable and successful we need to be able to bring business to the island and it is important that the customer is able to book very easily and online.”

The bird guide training initiative is a collaborative effort by the Bahamas National Trust (BNT), the Ministry of Tourism and the National Audubon Society with funding by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

“If you come to Inagua and come to Lake Rosa in the middle of the island, it’s like a National Geographic special,” Thompson said. “It is absolutely fantastic for those people who are interested in seeing the birds in The Bahamas.

“We want to make sure that when people come to the island, it is a seamless and enjoyable vacation. So, we are working with the hotels, the guides, and the BNT to ensure that it does work seamlessly.

“We also met with the administrator on the island and he is onboard with what we are doing.”

Thompson also explained that $41 billion is spent on birdwatching in the United States and $500 million in the United Kingdom. Around 3 million people travel internationally for birdwatching experiences, he added. Between 2005 to 2009, 20 million U.S. citizens took trips within the U.S. for birding experiences.

“There is a lot of money in that industry and we need to get some of that into The Bahamas,” he said.

Thompson noted that this initiative will diversify the tourism offering in The Bahamas and will also ensure that the family islands in The Bahamas are being recognized individually.

15 residents signed up for People to People program.

Bernadette Bastian, Ministry of Tourism manager in the People to People program, spoke to residents of the importance of that initiative and how it can benefit the island.

People to People is a year-round Ministry of Tourism program intended to give visitors a genuine and informal view of Bahamian hospitality and culture. The program pairs visitors with natives to give guests a taste of Bahamian life in a convenient and personal way.

Bastian explained that the Inagua Light Station, one of the three lighthouses built in The Bahamas by the British, can serve as an excellent location for the People to People tea party.

After the town meeting, 15 residents signed up for the program.

Darcia Arnett, who signed up, said she joined because she “loves meeting people”.

“I think this is good opportunity,” Arnett said. “I think something like that can flourish here because Bahamians are naturally friendly.”

Inagua is home to rare species of birds.

BNT Executive Director Eric Carey, who spoke during the meeting, said Inagua has incredible wildlife and eco-tourism has great potential in the country.

“Working with the Ministry of Tourism and the BNT and the National Audubon Society with funding from the IDB, we’ve funded over the past 18 months a bird guide training program and we’ve trained 70 people,” Carey said. “We’ve brought on this island three people to advanced stage and on Andros we also have six or seven guides to advanced stage to deliver a world class tourism experience.”

Carey said there are some birds that can only be found in Inagua.

“We have a hummingbird here, the Inagua Woodstar, which is found nowhere else in the world,” he said. “If you want to see that bird you have to come to Inagua.”

Known as the birdwatching capital of The Bahamas, Inagua is home to over 140 species of native and migratory birds, including over 80,000 flamingos.

Vivian Moultrie, one of the three advanced bird guides, said he was not interested in the bird guide training program at first.

“I had an argument with one of my friends who was going to take the course,” Moultrie said. “I told him it was going to be a waste of time.

“He left me arguing and went to the very first session. I followed him late and that was it. Once I got in it was done.”

Moultrie said the island is an “incredible place.”

“It is never sold as a tourism destination,” he said. “In terms of its tourism potential, whether its eco-tourism, fishing, or other nature based tourism, I think it has one of the greatest potential in The Bahamas.”