From October 11-12, the First World Birdwatching Congress took place in the city of Merida, western Venezuela, with the participation of experts, scholars, and scientists from more than 21 countries, including Viet Nam.
In her opening speech at the Congress, Venezuelan Tourism Minister Leticia Gomez emphasised that the event aims to position Venezuela as an “ecological paradise” in the world. With 1,426 bird species, of which 58 are endemic, Venezuela is gradually affirming its potential to become a center attracting international tourists who love to explore and experience wild nature. According to Gómez, developing ecotourism is not only an economic strategy, but also a “green path” towards the country’s sustainable future.
Minister Leticia Gómez said that the event held in Venezuela, one of the countries with the greatest biodiversity in the world, is an opportunity to promote solidarity and international cooperation to promote new tourism models, explore wildlife, and build a green and sustainable global tourism.
In his presentation at the closing ceremony, Vietnamese ornithologist Nguyen Hoai Bao highlighted the important role of ecotourism in promoting socio-economic development. He pointed out that ecotourism offers local communities stable income opportunities through guiding services, accommodation, cuisine, and the sale of handicrafts and agricultural products.
As the founder of Wildtour, a pioneering organisation in wildlife birdwatching tourism in Viet Nam, Hoai Bao shared how ecotourism contributes directly to environmental conservation by generating direct funding for ecosystem and biodiversity protection, while raising community awareness about resource preservation.
With the gathering of many leading experts, scholars and researchers in the field of environment, ecosystem and sustainable tourism from more than 20 countries, the event is considered a milestone in the trend of ecotourism associated with biodiversity conservation on a global scale.
