The Bermuda National Sea Kayak Trail - a new low-impact eco-tourism initiative

Look at a map of Bermuda, and then imagine just the coastline of the main islands and the hundreds of smaller islands dotted around them. Bermuda might be only 21 square miles but it has a staggering 180 miles of beautiful coastline teeming with coral reefs, dolphins, whales, giant sea turtles, interesting rock formations, beautiful vistas, beaches, national parks and sunsets... From the ocean, the hustle and bustle and over-development of Bermuda fades away into the peace and beauty of our waters and coastline.

Sea kayaking is a very popular activity with many devoted participants looking for the next adventure holiday of a lifetime. With very minimal investment in very basic infrastructure, and some well targetted marketing, Bermuda could catapault itself onto the bucket list of thousands of sea kayakers around the world.

This would be a low impact addition to our tourism model. The daily spend per visitor might be equivalent to a cruise ship visitor or somebody who comes to stay with family in Bermuda. It is also tailor made for social distancing. The economic activity it could generate would include:

• Hiring out kayaks and other equipment to visitors for multi-day expeditions;
• Kayak tour leaders to lead less confident visitors on their adventures;
• Provisions, meals, souvenirs, taxi rides, etc.;
• Concierge services for kayakers travelling with minimal baggage and supplies.
• Permits (see below).

It would also have an indirect benefit in that kayakers would spread photos and videos of their adventures in Bermuda online, inspiring other people to visit.

What infrastructure would it require?

Again, this involves looking at Bermuda from the outside in. A "trail" would have to be developed, which would essentially be a suggested route around Bermuda's coastline, taking in as many of the sights as possible.

Wild camping sites would have to be designated, which could be in national parks or on private land adjacent to the coast. There could be a scheme where kayakers would buy a camping permit, with the proceeds shared among the Parks Department and private landowners who participate by allowing kayakers to use their land.

Thought could be given to stand pipes for fresh water at convenient points, although this may not be essential, as adventure tourists would be able to figure this out if not provided for them.

There could be a printed or online guide to the trail, showing the locations of things like public docks, public toilet and shower facilities, and shops and food establishments that are easily accessible from the coastline.