Birdwatching tourism: potential of sustainable economy in the Paraense Amazon

Abstract

The Amazon is one of the most biodiverse environments on the planet, which enchants nature lovers from all over the world. At the same time, it is also one of the environments that suffers most from the impacts caused by anthropic actions that threaten its integrity and put countless natural ecosystems at risk. In order to stop or reduce the observed impacts, Protected Areas have been and are being created, but for them to fulfill their role in the conservation of species it is necessary to have a participative management process that promotes local communities and gives them the conditions and means necessary to generate income through the sustainable use of natural resources. The state of Pará is home to many beautiful and endemic bird species, which attracts the attention of birdwatchers and opens the possibility for incentives and investments in this segment of ecotourism. For this, it is necessary to know the different players that will participate in this process, as well as the difficulties and logistical adjustments necessary for the activity to be successful. In order to carry out this evaluation, seven cities were visited from August to December 2021, in different regions of the state, which allowed us to profile and learn a little about the perspectives of the different social players in relation to this activity. In addition, as birds are excellent for arousing curiosity, for their attractive colors, songs, and behavior, and because they are relatively easy to observe in nature, the course served both as a way to broaden their view of the possibilities within tourism and to awaken them to the natural beauties that have always been around and which they hardly noticed. This awakening to the beauty of nature is fundamental for local communities, tourism promoters, and managers to realize and value this tourist product of great importance to them: biodiversity. But, despite the initial step taken by the state to make this promising activity viable, it is important to point out that it is not enough to propose and elaborate tourist routes if there is no short and long term follow-up. For ecotourism activities to be successful, it is essential to have relevant indicators to evaluate and monitor results, conditions, and impacts.