The Falkland Islands Accommodation Investment Guide Contents Background to the Falklands, Economy and Tourism 1 Location and Scale Climate and Weather 3 Wildlife 5 Sovereignty The Falklands Economy 6 Travel 7 Infrastructure 8 Accommodation in the Falkland Islands 9 What's on Offer 11 Tax, Immigration, Labour, Permits, and Land Ownership 12 Inward Investment, Grants and Loans 14 Key considerations in camp / Ecotourism in the Falkland Islands 15 Background to the Falklands Economy and Tourism The Falkland Islands Tourism Development Strategy The purpose of this document • Location: 400 Miles (650km) The Tourism Development Strategy is to encourage and attract both off the south-east coast of South (TDS) is a public and private sector local and international investors America joint initiative that aims to grow the and developers in investing, tourism industry by creating more constructing, developing and • Area: 4700 square miles international awareness of the operating additional tourism (12,173 km) Falklands as a holiday destination, aiming towards the ‘high value low accommodation in the Falkland • Capital: Stanley Islands. volume’ market. The TDS outlines • Political Status: Self-governing the following objectives: British Overseas Territory 1. Increase tourist overnights by 87% • Population: 3,398 by 2023 through a combination of additional visitors and • Economy: (GDP & GDP per increased length of stay. Increased capita) £206.4m and £70.8k expenditure will transpire through per capita (2015) increased volume, and not necessarily higher prices. • Language: English 2. Encourage overnight tourist visits • Currency: Falkland Pound (FKP) across eight months (September to — linked value to GBP April), increasing the length of the • Air links: Currently two flights traditional season. a week from UK and one flight 3. Develop “honeypots” to attract a week from Santiago Chile. overnight tourists to lesser-visited areas. 4. Increase the number of cruise visitors by 49%, and their levels of expenditure by 42%, by 2022/2023. 5. Encourage expedition cruise ships to visit more destinations around the Falklands, including basing their operations in Stanley. 6. Enhance the day visitor experience in Stanley. 1 Tourism in the Falkland Islands Wildlife & Nature The tourism industry is the fastest The Falkland Islands has 19 nature Three species of seal can be found in growing industry in the Falkland reserves, 17 important plant areas and the Falklands, they are the southern Islands accounting for 3% of the 22 important bird areas designated, sea lion, the elephant seal and the Falklands economy in 2017. highlighting the importance of nature South American fur seal. A number and its conservation to the Falkland of species of whale, dolphin and During the 2017/2018 summer season Islands. porpoise can be found in the Falklands approximately 59,380 tourists enjoyed at various times of the year, these the Falkland Islands as a destination Five species of penguin can be include the Peale’s and Commerson’s and spent £6,195,911. found in the Falklands that total dolphin, killer whale, Sei whale, approximately 550,000 breeding Tourist arrivals are currently expected Minke whale, long-finned pilot pairs. The Falklands holds the largest whale, southern right whale, fin to increase to 65,500 cruise visitors and most easily accessible albatross and 2,300 overnight tourists by 2023. whale, humpback whale and Grey’s colony in the world and provides a beaked whale. It is expected that an additional weekly home to two endemic bird species, flight to the Falklands would generate the Falkland Steamer duck and the an additional 900 tourist arrivals Cobb’s wren. in the first year, increasing to 3,200 in year three and would require an Another 13 sub-endemic species additional 50 rooms accommodation. of bird such as the white tufted/ Rowland’s Grebe, common diving petrel, black-crowned night heron and upland goose can be seen in the Falkland Islands. 2 Location and Scale Climate and Weather The Falkland Islands are located 400 The population of the Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands weather is miles (650km) off the south-east coast is mainly of British descent and is strongly affected by the cool South of South America, lying between highly centralised in the capital, Atlantic Ocean giving it a narrow latitude 51⁰ and 53⁰ S and longitude Stanley (East Falkland), which is the annual temperature in the summer. 57⁰ and 62⁰ W, and are comprised of most remote and southerly capital Summers are from December to approximately 778 islands. city in the world. The 2016 Falkland February and experience an average Island national census recorded the of 7.1 hours of sunshine per day and The two main islands are East population at 3,398, 2,460 of which have a Mean Maximum temperature Falkland and West Falkland. The total reside in the capital and 381 living in of 15⁰C. During winter, June to land mass of the Falkland Islands is camp, an additional 557 residents are August, the sunshine hours decrease 4,700 square miles (12,173 square km), contracted workers currently residing to an average of 2.5 hours per day approximately the size of the US state in the Islands. and temperatures drop to a Mean of Connecticut, the Bahamas or half Maximum average of 5⁰C. the size of Wales. The official language of the Falklands is English and the official time is Rainfall does not generally differ from The landscape comprises of mountain BST –4 hours in the Falklands Winter season to season with an average ranges, flat plains, rugged coastline, and GMT –3 hours in the Falklands 54.6mm per month in summer and sandy beaches and cliffs. The highest Summer. The official currency of 47.1mm in winter. Summers are point in the Falklands is Mount the Falkland Islands is the Falklands generally windier than winters, Usborne on East Falkland and its Pound (FKP) which is pegged with the experiencing an average wind speed highest peak is 705m (2,312ft). British pound Sterling (GBP), which of 18.8mph (30.2kmph) compared to can also be used as legal currency in 16.2 mph (26.1 kmph) in winter. the Falkland Islands. 3 The Falkland Islands The Falklands Islands 4 Wildlife The wildlife found in the Falkland There is an abundance of other bird Three species of seal can be seen in Islands is varied, numerous, unique, life in the Falklands, including the the Falklands, they are the southern and most importantly, easily estimated 475,000 breeding pairs of sea lion, the elephant seal, and the accessible. There are 19 Nature black-browed albatross, representing South American fur seal. Southern Reserves, 22 Important Bird Areas and 70% of the world’s population. Access sea lions can be found in various 17 Important Plant areas designated in to albatross colonies in the Falkland locations in the Falklands, such as the Falkland Islands, providing a strong Islands is unparalleled with four Cape Dolphin. Elephant seals can be indication of how important the natural locations scattered across the Islands. seen at Sea Lion Island and Carcass environment, the wildlife and its Island and South American fur seals preservation is to the Falkland Islands. Other birds found in the Falklands can be seen on New Island. A large include 500 breeding pairs of the number of whales, dolphins and Five species of penguin can be seen inquisitive bird of prey called the porpoises can also be seen in the in the Falkland Islands, totalling over striated caracara, locally known as Falklands. a million individual penguins, they the Johnny rook. The Falklands is are the Southern Rockhopper, Gentoo, a world stronghold for the striated Commerson’s and Peale’s dolphins King, Magellanic and the Macaroni caracara population. Other birds of are widespread and can be seen penguin. There are 319,000 breeding prey, such as the southern caracara, inshore during the summer months. pairs of Rockhopper penguins found turkey vulture, peregrine falcon and Minke and the endangered Sei whale in the Falklands, making it the second variable hawk, breed and can be seen can often be seen from February largest population in the world, and in the Falklands. to April. Killer whales can be seen by far the most accessible. The largest around the Falkland Islands near population of Gentoo penguins is There are also two bird species that sea lion colonies between October found in the Falklands, containing are endemic to the Falkland Islands; and December. Other whales that 132,000 breeding pairs, which is the Cobbs’ Wren and the Falkland frequent the Falklands are the long- again easily accessible. There are steamer duck. There are 13 sub- finned pilot whale, southern right 750 breeding pairs of King penguins endemic species of bird found in the whale, fin whale, humpback whale in the Falkland Islands, and since Falkland Islands, such as the white and Grey’s beaked whale. the majority of King Penguins can tufted/Rowland’s grebe, common be found in South Georgia or the diving petrel, black-crowned night sub-Antarctic Islands, the King heron, upland goose, kelp goose, penguins in the Falklands are the short-eared owl, tussacbird, dark- most accessible King penguins in faced ground tyrant, black throated the world. The Falklands is also finch and long-tailed meadowlark. estimated to provide a home for between 76,000 and 142,000 breeding pairs of Magellanic penguins. 5 Sovereignty The Falklands Economy The Falkland Islands are a United The Economy of the Falkland Islands 1. The Economic Development Kingdom Territory by choice. has grown exponentially over the Strategy (EDS) has a national outlook, past 25 years. aiming to develop existing industries The United Kingdom has no doubts such as the fishing, agriculture, over the sovereignty of the islands A strong contributor for the economic tourism and service industries, as and supports the islander’s right to growth was the declaration of a 150 well as researching the possibility self-determination.