Bird watching is getting more and more popular, not only among (semi-) professional ornithologists and among nature conservationists, but among nature loving amateurs also.
No wonder, bird watchers do not form a closed entity, but reflect different expectations and motivations – from the keen “twitcher” to the bird lover who simply enjoys observing all kind of animals and the presence of nature.
The Wadden Sea is one of the hot spots for bird watchers in Europe.Twitchers find perfect spots for rarity hunting, while almost all tourists notice and enjoy the flocks of birds especially in wintertime and during migration in autumn and spring.

This is why bird watching may serve as a helpful topic to reach many guests – and of course locals – in order to inspire and enthuse them about the World Heritage Site Wadden Sea.
PROWAD induced the study “Offers and marketing of touristic bird watching in the Wadden Sea World Heritage Destination” in order to reach bird watching providers in the broader sense of meaning including National Park administrations, visitor centres, National Park partners, green NGOs, private tour operators, travel businesses and stakeholders in tourism like marketing organizations.

The study shows the potential of bird watching offers for a wide variety of people with different interests (not only for passionate birdies) as a business opportunity for sustainable tourism but also for raising awareness for the protection of birds and World Heritage.

Download the study here