A proposal to send guests soaring through Southlands Park in Warwick could cater to as many as 20,000 people a year, according to the company whose offer is in the pipeline for approval by the Government.

The firm, Escape from Devil’s Isle, hopes to bring as many as three zip-line courses to the hilly woodland overlooking the South Shore, where the Government issued expressions of interest in 2022 for new ways to put the property to use.

The proposal, inspired by the Blue Creek Nature Preserve in Belize, has been in the works since 2015, according to a company representative, who said moving forward with the concept required signing up with the Association of Challenge Course Technology in 2017.

“A project of this magnitude takes a lot of planning,” the representative said.

“Should zip-lining open in Bermuda, you could anticipate 24 full-time jobs. Guides would receive internationally recognised credentials.”

He said the training, spanning “approximately 90 eight-hour days”, would be good for work opportunities in other countries.

The company, billed as an eco-adventure tour, was keen to emphasise that zip-lining through the canopy of the 37-acre park would not entail clearing trees or vegetation at Southlands, which was designated a national park in December 2017.

Asked about the proposal’s environmental impact, the company spokesman told The Royal Gazette: “Zip-lining was first conceived by scientists and researchers that were studying the rainforests in the 1970s, with the sole proposition of preserving the natural woodland habitat.”

He added: “Since the advent of zip-lining as an industry, it has grown by 200 per cent.

“Zip-lining tours are sought after internationally — some folks I know recently went on a seven-day Caribbean cruise and before they even left Miami, all the places available for zip-lining tours were sold out.”

Southlands is already popular for mountain biking as well as hiking.

However, the company said its proposal would entail more than simply starting at the top of the reserve and gliding to the base — with guests able to take a variety of routes ranging over the park.

“Some people understand zip-lining to be a straight shot. But in other countries, it’s actually a full-on experience.”

He said the proposal, given approval in principle in April 2022, was now under scrutiny by “a number of different government entities”.

If EDI passes muster, the company said it was confident it could break ground as early as this year.

Regarding financing, the spokesman said: “We are looking at various incentives, one of which would be a plank owner opportunity.”

He said the nautical term applied to crew members on board with a project from the start.

The firm’s website proposes “plank owner membership, sponsorship and investment opportunities” to get the project off the ground.

The spokesman, who already works in Bermuda tourism, cited his experience as a retired member of the United States Navy as an endorsement of the business plan.

“No mission is ever completed without a strong support team backing up the forward operators, those who believe in the mission and its success to make it happen.”

He added: “Should we clear all the Government’s approvals, we can bring something that has never been done. Not here, and not at this scale.

“The possibility of this coming to the island would be a great boost to tourism.

“But more importantly, we think it would be an excellent opportunity for local school, business conferences and other groups.

“Under the guidelines of the ACCT, with the proper credentials, we can do tours with age 4 and up, and with familiar. We have discussed a lot of options with a lot of different people.

“The Government is considering all of the possibilities.”