Some notable private initiatives exist, such as Eco and Sustainable Tourism Israel, a non-profit organisation established in 2006 to promote sustainability and ecotourism awareness and implementation. It is part of the international Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC) initiative. The nature area, opened in 2004, has witnessed a sharp increase in the number of visitors, from 78 000 in 2004 to 240 000 in 2008. They have examined the impact of tourist demand, tourism development trends and management on birds, and how management policies can alleviate negative tourist-bird impacts and enhance real ecotourism.