ALICANTE – Bird tourism, better known as birdwatching, is one of the tourism segments with great growth potential. Destinations in Spain such as Andalucia and the Valencia region are already developing promotional activities to attract fans of this activity. This includes Alicante with the park of La Marjal which is close to Playa de San Juan. This is the first and only floodable urban park in Spain.
TouriNews writes that it is a groundbreaking green infrastructure that, in addition to its recreational and resting function, serves to retain the river water. Thus, it maintains its biodiversity by serving as a refuge for species of vegetation and birds in the region.
Floodable park is multifunctional green space
The park La Marjal is thus a multifunctional green space as a result of a public-private partnership between the Alicante City Council and the company Aguas de Alicante. This has already proven to be effective in mitigating the effects of various floods.
Region of Valencia with a strategic location on trek routes
In general, the Valencian Community is highly appreciated by bird watchers. The region is located at a strategic point on the migratory routes between Northern Europe and Africa. Within the Valencian territory, there are also other places such as the Marjales de la Safor, Pego-Oliva (Valencia) or the Desert de Les Palmes Natural Park (Castellón) where birdwatchers can enjoy observing all kinds of special species.
Ornithological tourism
According to the Spanish Ornithological Society, SEO/BirdLife, an estimated ten million European tourists travel annually to see birds. The United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany are the most important origin markets.
In Spain, 85% of bird watchers come from the United Kingdom, followed by Belgians, Germans and the French at a considerable distance.
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