Guide wants closer eye on birdwatching

A LOCAL tour guide says birdwatching has a huge tourism potential, however, little attention has been paid to it.
Samuel Kepuknai, who has taken birdwatchers from all over the world around Western for the past 30 years, says it is “sustainable and exotic”.
“People come from especially Australia, US, UK and Europe,” he said.
“We are also seeing people coming from India, China and Japan.
“Birdwatching is an interesting product in the country.
“This is because we have 43 species of birds of paradise on the island of New Guinea and 38 are found in PNG.
“This is the unique product that PNG has.
“At this moment, since Tourism Promotion Authority was created, no one has developed birdwatching infrastructure.
“That is why bird-watchers are not coming.”
Kepuknai said tourism had not been properly developed.
“We are brought up with nature so we do not consider these as valuable,” he said.
“Other countries value what we have.
“Nature provides everything but our focus is more on non-renewable resources.”