MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Tourist book will help protect Falklands wildlife.

Falklands Tourism and Falklands Wildlife will both derive valuable benefit from the first-ever practical, high quality handbook written to promote Falklands eco-tourism. ?A Visitor's Guide to the Falkland Islands' is being officially launched on November 14 at the Royal Geographical Society in London by Falkland Islands Conservation, and the guide's author, Debbie Summers.

It is an impressive initiative involving several years of research by this young Falkland Islander, inspired by her concern to shield wildlife from stressful intrusion while encouraging tourists to enjoy encounters with the wildlife they come to see.

The 110- page Guide describes wildlife and places of interest at the Islands' top 15 destinations, with colour and black-and-white photographs, maps, wildlife statistics, geology, nature trails, hiking routes, and landing points. There are clear guidelines to visitors on how to avoid disturbance and damage to this often fragile environment, including the new Falkland Islands Countryside Code. Fascinating aspects of the Islands' social history include personal tales and anecdotes specially researched for this book.

Debbie Summers comments: "Through the Guide, Falklands Conservation aims to show how tourism and conservation can work together. Our wildlife and unspoiled landscapes are the biggest reasons to visit the Falkland Islands so preservation and sympathetic development of our environment is vitally important particularly as demand increases. My research found many visitors were generally unaware of environmental conditions and often lacked essential information."

Falklands Conservation describes it as an "essential companion for tour leaders and visitors to the Islands' main wildlife tourist attractions where penguins, albatross, and dolphins abound". The Guide is dedicated to Lars-Eric Lindblad, the pioneer of expedition cruising, whose son, Sven-Olof Lindblad writes in the foreword: "It is no surprise that the Falkland Islands have become such a popular destination and that this popularity has brought some potentially damaging pressures to the fragile environment. This most welcome and timely publication sets out clear advice to ensure that the impact from tourism is kept to a minimum. Stepping ashore with this Guide in their pocket will enhance the experience of every visitor to the Falkland Islands".

Timely Guide for tourist invasion .

Falklands Conservation describe it as "the essential companion for tour leaders and visitors to the Islands' main wildlife tourist attractions where penguins, albatross, and dolphins abound".

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