Largely unexploited Estonia offers huge opportunities for nature tourism devotees, it has been claimed. In particular, the country is a great place for birdwatchers, says Tim Appleton, chief organizer of the world’s largest eco-tourism trade fair, Birdfair. His comments yesterday were reported by the BBN news portal.
Mr. Appleton said that even though most people think of Estonia as somewhere cold and snowy for most of the year, there was a huge potential for the country to attract nature tourists.
According to BBN, he said that overall he was hugely impressed by the country during a recent trip to Estonia. He said that “Eco tourism is a sector that accounts for millions of Euros each year, and there is no reason why Estonia cannot have a slice of the action”.
He went on to claim that there are many tourists from Western Europe who would be prepared to pay almost any price to get a glimpse of the nature in the country. “People want to see insects, butterflies and flowers, and Estonia has it all”, said Appleton. And that’s without even mentioning the wolves, brown bears and other wildlife roaming the countryside, the like of which cannot be found in Western European countries anymore.
Appleton went on to outline what the country needs to do to achieve its potential. More guides are needed for the country’s best nature sights, so that tourism chiefs in the country can promote eco-tourism in the Baltic state.
Despite its wonderful natural attractions, Estonia barely receives any nature travelers at present. Estonian Nature Tours, a fledgling travel operator trying to develop the country’s potential, said they expect between 1,000 and 1,500 bird watching enthusiasts to visit the country in 2011.
