How to Communicate Ecotourism, Chris Milnes
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How to Communicate Ecotourism. Presentation given by Chris Milnes, Hellenic Ecotourism Society, at the 3rd European Ecotourism Conference in Jachranka, Poland, 26-29 April 2015.
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How to Communicate Ecotourism, Chris Milnes
- 1. HOW TO COMMUNICATE ECOTOURISM CHRIS MILNES, HELLENIC ECOTOURISM SOCIETY „Europejski Fundusz Rolny na rzecz Rozwoju Obszarów Wiejskich: Europa inwestująca w obszary wiejskie.” Projekt opracowany przez Społeczny Instytut Ekologiczny Projekt współfinansowany ze środków Unii Europejskiej w ramach Pomocy Technicznej Programu Rozwoju Obszarów Wiejskich na lata 2007-2013 Instytucja Zarządzająca Programem Rozwoju Obszarów Wiejskich na lata 2007-2013 - Minister Rolnictwa i Rozwoju Wsi
- 8. HOW WILL THEY FIND YOU IF YOU DON’T COMMUNICATE?
- 9. GETTING STARTED: KNOW YOUR PRODUCT Understand & define “Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education” (TIES, 2015) List your assets Commitment to ecotourism Benefits
- 11. CERTIFICATION: BUILDING TRUST Economic crisis & greenwashing Recognised labels gain trust Environmental Service specific Sustainable tourism
- 12. ECOTOURISM: A GLOBAL BRAND WITH NATIONAL LOGOS
- 13. MOVING FORWARD: KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE Focus on your visitor Track interest Adapt your message Speak their language Highlight experiences Ecotourism principles
- 14. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Online marketing Attractive, easy, mobile ready Images, videos, music, poetry? Use the right words Blog, stories, reviews Content Management System Search Engine Optimisation Google analytics
- 15. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Social media Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Flickr, Tumblr, Linkedin Monitor progress: Tweetdeck, Klout.com Next generation? ello, edgee Tripadvisor Travel media Printed media Guidebooks Guide maps, Free info guides Trade fairs National Local Internet retailers Awards
- 16. CHALLENGES: A GREEK PERSPECTIVE Increase in popularity Lack of commitment Poor understanding Mainly foreign market Crisis brings change? Cost effective marketing Whole community
- 17. HELP FROM OTHERS Guests: ambassadors Word of mouth Reviews Local partners Media Awards
- 18. REMEMBER Adapt and evolve Stay flexible Commitment to ecotourism Work together Think outside the box Source: http://www.agroktima.com/el/
- 19. CHECKLIST: Do you know which market to communicate to? Do you know your competition? Do you know which eco words ‘sell’? Do you practise responsible marketing? Paper: use of FSC paper/eco inks Do you have good photography and copy on your website? Do you have an ecotourism policy? Are trade or consumer fairs for you? Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)? Do you blog? Are you a member of any ecotourism forums? Do you know ecotourism journalists? Have you embraced social media? Do you have a travel app or feature on one?
- 20. Questions: How can we communicate ecotourism better between European countries? How can we communicate ecotourism effectively to the guests staying in our hotels/going on our tours etc? How can we effectively communicate the benefits of ecotourism to public authorities?
- 21. FURTHER READING Maximising Ecotourism Benefits: Communicating Ecotourism http://www.ecotourismireland.ie/wp- %20%20content/uploads/2014/10/ecotourism-toolkits.pdf Futerra: http://www.futerra.co.uk/downloads/Words-That-Sell.pdf http://www.futerra.co.uk/downloads/Branding_Biodiversity.pdf
- 22. THANKS FOR LISTENING chris.j.milnes@gmail.com „Europejski Fundusz Rolny na rzecz Rozwoju Obszarów Wiejskich: Europa inwestująca w obszary wiejskie.” Projekt opracowany przez Społeczny Instytut Ekologiczny Projekt współfinansowany ze środków Unii Europejskiej w ramach Pomocy Technicznej Programu Rozwoju Obszarów Wiejskich na lata 2007-2013 Instytucja Zarządzająca Programem Rozwoju Obszarów Wiejskich na lata 2007-2013 - Minister Rolnictwa i Rozwoju Wsi
Editor's Notes
- Greece could be ecotourism paradise and yet it isn’t. Communication is not the only problem, but this is a big part of the problem.
- With this in mind, 20 founding members recently came together to create the Hellenic Ecotourism Society: businesses, hotels, NGOs, individuals who believe in the principles of ecotourism
- Doesn’t matter if you have the most amazing ecotourism destination. Without effective marketing and communications, no will will know about you.
- In order to maximise the benefits of ecotourism, know your product well. Is it really ecotourism? TIES “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education" List your assets: Surrounding nature Local sourcing Conservation efforts Sustainable building practices, recycling, low-energy appliances What makes your product special? Why should tourists come to visit? What is the unique selling point? In what ways is it eco-friendly, responsible, sustainable, support local communities, Is it easy to access for visitors? Is it good value for money? Identify benefits: customer, community, environment
- Ecotourism very popular sector. Hotels and tourism businesses looking to survive, diversify. Potential for profit, attract more guests. Greenwashing is increasing problem Prevent using certification. Build customer trust Environmental – EU Ecolabel. Mainly for products, but also for hotels. limiting and segregating waste, including organic products in the food , ecological education and so on. ADD EMAS, EMAS, BLUE FLAG ETC
- must take in account all aspects of ecotourism . Not only reducing impact on environment, but based on nature and culture, including conservation, positive impact and empowerment of local communities National schemes, best adapted to national and local conditions are the most reliable and make sense for the small and local businesses. This is specially true for small ecotourism entrepreneurs in rural areas. All certification schemes involve money, paper work and administration but this can be time well spent for the business and also act as product development tool to develop, test market and rebrand an existing business who may be carryng out many of the requirements already.
- Is the business aimed at domestic or international visitors? Is the business aimed at long-term travellers or short-term tourists? Be realistic about this based on ease of access for the visitor, the experience for the visitor and value for money. Speak their language – figuratively and literally. If Russian main tourist group, have material in Russian. English good because international nature – get a native to draft the text. Highlight experiences when doing so. Not just photographs, videos, text, stories, interactive. KNOW YOUR COMPETITION Who offers similar products in your country and region? How do they compare with your product? Are they good value for money? What is the experiential value on offer? Are they easy to access?
- Website needs to be modern, easy to use, updated regularly, mobile ready. Good quality images that don’t take forever to load. Incorporate links to other websites Create a blog if you don’t have one. Regular updates and web material increase visibility. SEO – mobile ready, keywords in webtext and photos Social media: Not just one sided – interact with your potential customers Plan your social media policy - Choose who is responsible, what they should post, which networks - Maintain usage, focus on business, clear, concise, humour, relate - Monitor your success: klout, tweetdeck
- Social media: Plan your social media policy - Whois responsible, what they should post, which networks - Maintain usage, focus on business, clear, concise, humour, relate Monitor your success: klout, tweetdeck Tripadvisor – pay attention, respond constructively to criticism, ask guests to review their stay Travel media Local and national newspapers and magazines – provide short pieces of news and press releases. Printed media contact guidebooks: Lonely planet, rough guide? : provide detailed info and invite their researchers Free maps and info guides: strong movement to apps now but depends where you are, your target market. If you want to create flyers, leaflets use recycled paper and environmentally friendly inks and advertise it. Make sure professional and attractive.- Local tourism office, travel agents, restaurants. Contact ecotourism and responsible tourism websites. Become member of ecotourism societies and fora. Partake in dialogue. Interact.