DissertationFormatted

A study into how Social Media Marketing can be used to market National
Parks to visitors, with a case study of Dartmoor National Park
William Healey
Supervisor: Rose Leach
Plymouth Business School, University of Plymouth, UK
___________________________________________________________________________
In recent years social media has been gaining traction as a part of the holiday and recreation destination
decisions. The goal of this study is to look at how social media is already being used by current visitors to
Dartmoor National Park. This paper provides a review on the literature available to date regarding image,
destination marketing and social media. Interviews were carried out with relevant parties within the tourism
industry and a questionnaire was conducted on visitors within the park. Tourists and recreationalists alike were
shown to be influenced by social media; however there was little feeling of an online Dartmoor community. The
researcher recommends that this sense of community be fostered online in order to enhance the Dartmoor
experience.
Keywords
Social Media, Tourism, Marketing
Introduction
Since the Second World War, Western nations have experienced major change in rural areas thanks to
economic, political, social and technological changes (Butler & Boyd, 1998). Tourism has been seen as a
solution to creating rural development; described as “the export that does not go anywhere” (Atlantic Provinces
Economic Council, 1987), it has become an active part of many rural economies (Butler & Boyd, 1998) due to
its creation of both direct employment in the industry, and indirect employment via suppliers (Prentice, 1993).
There is a need for the destinations to be marketed and advertised to potential visitors in order to attract them.
There are two types of potential visitors to national parks; tourists and recreationalists. The common definition
for a tourist, as given by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) (2007) is “a person who
visits a destination for recreational purposes, whilst staying away from home.” Recreationalists are those who
come to a destination for recreation, normally lasting for less than a full day. These visitors tend to be local to
the area, have their own transport and are likely to be repeat visitors to the destination (Butler & Boyd, 1998).
In the 21st
century, there are more ways than ever for destinations to market themselves to potential visitors. In a
world of increasingly cheaper and easier global travel, destinations across the world have to compete directly
(Moilanen & Rainisto, 2008).
The latest medium for marketing to be developed is “social media”. Social media, also known as “Web 2.0”
(O’Reilly, 2007), are the mediums in which users of the internet are able to generate and upload their own
content (Merriam-Webster, 2015). Users are able to upload photos, videos, thoughts and opinions in order to be
able to build a digital personal profile, and project this profile to the world. This is done through services such as

Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Flikr and Twitter. In addition to these, consumers are also able to communicate
with each other and review products and services; giving power to consumers and meaning that marketers are
looking to this as the new method of customer interaction.
Aims and objectives
The aim of the study is to look into how social media usage can affect image perceptions of destinations, using
the case study of Dartmoor National Park (DNP), with a view to finding effective ways to market National Parks
through this medium as well as to educate and serve visitors.
Therefore the objectives were:
 To investigate how social media, marketing, and the image perceptions of destinations are linked,
through a detailed literature review.
 To find out how DNP currently markets itself to visitors, how it uses social media, and what it is
specifically marketing in order to draw visitors in to the area through the use of a semi-structured
interview.
 To discover how social media is used by those who have already decided to visit DNP, by conducting a
questionnaire regarding social media usage and image perceptions of the park.
 To recommend to Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA) how it can improve visitor numbers and
attract more tourists from further afield through the use of online marketing.
Literature Review
Images and Perceptions
Individuals have images of everything they interact with, including destinations. A core part of any destination
marketing strategy is the “destination image”. For example, the mental image conjured of “New York” is
different to the image of “Moscow”. The most fitting definition of a destination image in the context of this
study was given by Reynolds (1965); “The mental construct developed by the consumer on the basis of a few
selected impressions among the flood of total impressions”.
Beerli (2004) describes images as being made of primary and secondary sources that the individual has been
exposed to; the primary stemming from experiencing the place first hand, the secondary from various other
sources such as films, documentaries, photographs, books, friends and the internet. Beerli (2004) says that these
sources of information, combined with the personal characteristics of the individual, combine to create the
perceived destination image. These destination images have been found to be influential upon the destination
decision made by consumers (Hunt, 1975) and thus are often the focus of destination marketers.
It is noteworthy that the destination can have a number of images; it is not the same to every tourist and
therefore can be sold in more than one tourism market, emphasising different assets to different segments
(Prentice, 1994). As such, it is important that destination marketers show the different images of a place via
different mediums, where they are most likely to be picked up by the target consumers.

The Sense of Place
The “sense of place” is defined as what makes the area feel unique to both visitors and locals alike (Campelo et
al, 2014). This sense is made up of several components; the sense of time, the landscape, the heritage, the
ancestry and the community. These characteristics are combined in order to create the habitus; the lifestyle
acquired by locals and visitors alike from the day-to-day experiences within a place (Campelo et al, 2014), and
should be used to create a platform for a strong destination brand (ALTA, 2015)
Different tourists will have different perceptions of the sense of place, therefore marketers segment the tourists
by usage in order to target those who will enjoy the area most, and those who will not damage the area (Jobber
& Fahy, 2009).
Sustainable Tourism
In order to maintain the Sense of Place, tourism must be sustainable. Rural tourism is fragile (Page & Getz,
1997) and large numbers of tourists can impact negatively upon the destination, causing damage to the
destination itself and its image. Once this damage is done, it is difficult for it to be repaired, both in terms of
physical repairs and the repairing of a damaged reputation.
The English Tourist Board (1981) advised that there is a need that rural areas be protected from unnecessary
development, as well as damage from visitors who are ignorant or indifferent to the fragile nature of rural
ecosystems. It is possible to guide visitors into areas that would benefit most from them, whilst protecting areas
that require minimal human interaction. This has been partially done through the creation of national parks.
Since their inception, national parks have existed in the UK to preserve the landscape, and to promote
enjoyment of rural areas through recreation and tourism. However, if there is a conflict of interest, conservation
must take precedence (Department of the Environment, 1974) which is known as the Sandford Principle.
National parks support biodiversity (Page & Getz, 1997), which can be damaged by large tourist numbers. This
can be through damage to the landscape, congestion, pollution, cost of living increases, demand for more shops
and the prospective difficulties regarding employment when a region is geared towards tourism (National Parks,
2015).
National Park Authorities (NPAs) can encourage sustainability in the parks through encouraging the use of
public transport, buying local produce and respecting the land when visiting (Nationalparks.gov, 2015). It is
possible for to use marketing to encourage sustainability, by drawing potential consumers away from fragile
areas and making sure that only those who would not damage the area are attracted (McKercher & du Cros,
2002).
Destination Branding
A holiday is an intangible product, and cannot be “tested” by consumers before they experience it; The only
evidence regarding the quality of the holiday before purchase are secondary sources (Goodall et al, 1988), and
expectations of a holiday are only realised once visiting the destination, therefore image is particularly important
within the tourism industry (Pike, 2004).
Destination branding, the creation of a brand for a place, is a strategy for creating customer value and is crucial
for the marketing success (Leisen, 2001). According to Moilanen & Rainisto (2008), a place can be branded
“when the right tool, the identity, has been chosen which makes it stand out from competitors”. Destination
brands are used for two purposes within the minds of consumers; identification and differentiation (Qu et al,
2011).

Identification is when images are strong to the point where the customer recognises the product automatically,
which is achieved through strong use of logos and symbols; consumers are better able to recall the destination,
making it more likely to appear in their mental shortlist of potential destinations (Keller, 1993).
Differentiation is when the customer identifies the product by its unique characteristics, which make it superior
to other products and separate it from others, giving it a competitive advantage. (Kotler & Armstrong, 2010)
Destination Images According to Non-Visitors
According to Cherifi et al (2014), if an individual has not been to a place, any images of it are inherently
imagined. These perceptions and mental images of a product affect the purchase decision (Sadeghi et al, 2011)
and it’s increasingly the opinions of other consumers which form this image (Gretzel & Yoo, 2008). Therefore,
it is the responsibility of marketers to build a strong destination brand via “place selling” (Moilanen & Rainisto,
2008); the idea that a positive image can be made of a place that a potential tourist has never visited through
effective use of marketing.
Hunt (1975) found that non-visitors from more distant locations tend to perceive tourist destinations as more
homogenous than those from areas which are more nearby; therefore it may make better financial sense to
advertise in coalition with other “similar” regions to tourists, who may only visit once on a “grand tour”. It was
also found that tourists visiting from nearby destinations may perceive the area as equal to their own, and be less
aware of unique recreation opportunities compared to those coming from further afield.
Perceived cultural and environmental distances also affect the images of non-visitors, as reflected by those
studied by Cherifi et al (2014) in the Czech Republic. Non-visitor images are typically made by comparing
against their home region, which is used as a base mark to decide if they will enjoy visiting the area or not.
Some visitors were found to have plural images, whilst others had no image at all. Noticeably, some recognise
that their images of a place are inaccurate; founded by information gathered from the media. Imagery gained
from novels, documentaries, certain films and school are considered to be particularly strong. Herzog (1967)
found that “consumers prefer products that have images similar to their own self-image”; in that they are likely
to pick a holiday destination which aligns with their personality, attitudes, beliefs and aspirations.
McKercher & du Cros (2002) believe that knowledge is power in forming the destination decision; those who
impart the knowledge to the potential tourist have the ability to form perceptions. Social media allows large
amounts of information to be provided to the potential tourist, often with numerous perspectives of past visitors
available. If the potential tourist does not know anybody who has previously visited the destination, these can be
highly influential in the holiday destination decision, as consumers tend to trust someone who they perceive to
be similar to them, more so than they do a marketing organisation (Nielsen, 2012).
Risks Regarding Image
A holiday is a high involvement purchase with a high risk, and high levels of hedonistic influence attached to it
(Jobber, 2009). There are high levels of risk involved with the purchase, and holidays are expensive, therefore
potential visitors will examine a range of information sources, and the evaluation will focus on making sure the
holiday will be a perfect match to their needs.
Consumers are bombarded with information every day. Anderson (2007), says that as the volume of content
increases, it becomes more difficult to determine which content is accurate and from a trusted source.
Consumers therefore screen out information which is not aligned to their beliefs, mishear messages, and often
struggle to retain information regarding brands (Jobber, 2009).

Consumers have needs, wants and aspirations, and will seek out potential purchases which can satisfy them. In
the case of a destination, a consumer will seek out to satisfy the need for recreation. The holiday destination
must conform to their desires, beliefs and attitudes. In the case of Dartmoor, this would be tourists who have an
interest in outdoor activities and are interested in a sustainable countryside holiday within the UK.
Within the buyer decision making process, the attitudes of others can highly affect the decision; if a person who
is important to the potential visitor makes a suggestion, then this person’s recommendations can have an impact
on the potential visitor (Kotler & Armstrong, 2010:).
There are performance-based risks, where the service will not be what was expected; this can be due to poor
weather, theft, or other factors such as civil unrest (Pike, 2004). An example of this is Egypt, which lost much of
its tourism trade during the Arab Spring (Sky News, 2014). The destination image was severely damaged by
violence in the region, leading to a loss of billions of pounds of revenue. This is particularly relevant to
Dartmoor National Park as the area is notorious for its rapidly-changing weather (DNPA, 2007); potential
visitors must be informed of, and prepared for the fact that the weather can change quickly, or they may be left
with a negative impression of the area.
There are also physical risks to tourists which can influence the destination image. Destinations under threat of
violence, or other dangers such as disease or natural disasters may have their image negatively impacted,
depending on the situation. Tourists will also take into account the risks associated with getting to a destination,
such as having to pass an active war zone or dangerous route. An example of this is DNP itself, which had its
image severely damaged by the outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease in 2001 (Brown, 2001).
Due to risks such as these, tourists are cautious about booking a holiday, and want a strong image before
booking. According to Google, quoted in the Independent, tourists make around 50 internet searches in 2.5
hours before making a holiday destination decision (Ellis, 2013), which is why online Destination Marketing
Organisations are important for tourism destinations.
Destination Marketing Organisations
There are many Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs) around the world. At an international level there
is the UNWTO, which works as the UN’s arm in regard to tourism. The UNWTO promotes tourism as a driver
for economic development and environmental sustainability (UNWTO, 2015).
Dartmoor’s own DMO is “Visit Dartmoor” which combines public bodies including DNPA, and private
businesses to promote the Dartmoor area (VisitDartmoor, 2015), and is used to promote Dartmoor and activities
that can be undertaken in the park, as well as local businesses.
DMOs have the objective of enhancing the competitiveness of a destination. There is debate as to whether this
should be achieved by changing the structure of how a destination is set up to enhance tourism, or changing the
tourism plan to fit the area’s structure (Pike, 2004). In order to meet their aims, the DMO markets the place
brand to potential visitors. Moilanen and Rainisto (2008) say that a place brand is similar to a corporate
umbrella brand, in that it encompasses many products within it in a complex network which are separate yet
interdependent.
Due to the nature of the tourism industry, it is common that firms need to work together in order to market the
destination to potential visitors. A pub, for example, needs a hotel to bring in tourist patrons, who need
attractions in order to be enticed to the area. This interdependence can prove useful however, as firms catering
to the needs and desires of tourists are able to share the expense of marketing by combining funds with
government to create a DMO. These alliances are a vital part of the tourism industry, as they allow competing
organisations (who will compete for tourists once they are in the area) to benefit from each other’s experience
and draw consumers in with shared resources and to take advantage of economies of scale (Pansiri, 2009). This

is done partially through private organisations, and partly through public funding, via government recognition of
the importance of tourism in regional economies (Pike & Page, 2014).
The competitive advantage of destinations
Each destination has endowed resources such as its climate and scenery which are sources of comparative
advantage, and resources that are made by the destination, including effective use of the landscape, which are
sources of competitive advantage. Porter (1990) suggests that the best way for a business to perform is to
position itself to make best use of its endowed and made resources to give it an advantage over others, saying
that a firm’s success relies on attaining a competitive position that can be maintained in order to provide a
superior service.
Barney (1991) developed the VRIO model, in which firms are encouraged to list their assets and determine
which are valuable, rare, inimitable and organised. These assets are the sources of competitive advantage, and
are what needs to be marketed to consumers to pick a holiday on Dartmoor as opposed to a different location.
Other assets which do not fit these categories are either unusable, common, easily substituted or are expected of
a holiday destination.
An advantage to social media is the ability to more easily create a network of companies to form a DMO to
cover the online presence. Strategic alliances have been shown to have positive impacts upon firms where there
is not risk of losing sensitive data (Pansiri, 2009). These alliances can be formed in several ways, such as an
online-only virtual corporation. Segal-Horn and Faulkner (2012) explain that a virtual corporation is made up of
a network of companies that share information electronically. This can be better facilitated by social media in
the form of a joint marketing strategy online; using a single DMO brand to promote many smaller businesses
and organisations.
The Digital Marketing Pyramid
In order to bring tourists to the parks, it is necessary that the National Park Authority (NPA) engages in
marketing. Constantinides (2014) says that there is a pyramid of marketing which marketers can build to
promote their destination. At the foundation is the product itself. A holiday is a product, unique in that it is
assembled from many services by the customer (Moilanen & Rainisto, 2008). Its components are purchased
from a network of firms and the total experience is what delivers satisfaction to the customer.
On top of this is the marketing organisation and traditional marketing materials: posters, leaflets, booklets, and
other one-to-many communication methods. According to Kotler & Keller (2012), traditional mass marketing is
still required for a successful business, due to the fact that there are many different outlets which are used by
consumers, and not all consumers will see the online materials.
Web 1.0
Above the traditional marketing layer is the Web 1.0 presence, also known as a traditional website. This website
needs to be clear and easy to use, as it is the platform for the digital presence of the organisation, which the
social media websites will link to for a more in-depth view. Cumbersome, poorly designed or difficult to
navigate web sites are perceived as evidence of poor brand quality (Constantinides, 2014). The speed at which a
website loads, clarity, and the feeling of legitimacy of a website can all affect its positioning in a search engine
(Holloway, 2013), and therefore its likelihood of being found by potential visitors to a region. In order to be
effective, websites must be clear and simple to use from whatever way the user accesses them.

Social Media
The final level is the Web 2.0, or social media presence. This presence is made of websites where the
organisation can market directly to the consumer, and consumers can discuss the products amongst themselves.
This platform has changed marketing more than any other in the last century, (Constantinides, 2014) and many
companies are beginning to take advantage of it as a way to communicate with their customers. Consumers are
able to interact with this level of the internet, contribute to it, and be influenced by it.
In order for Social Media applications to be a strong contribution to the marketing mix, they need to sit on top of
a good standard website, a strong marketing organisation and a good product. Social media has changed the way
that marketing is conducted; consumers have been empowered and it is no longer enough to rely on traditional
mass-marketing techniques.
According to Anderson (2007) the more people use social media networks, the more useful the network
becomes, growing under the “architecture of participation” as the “Network Effect” takes hold; the effect that as
more people join a network, the network will grow in power as each new person that joins a network is a new
person that can be interacted with and can provide information and insights.
Active and Passive Social Media Usage
Social media, whilst taking some distribution control from the firm; offers the advantage compared to traditional
mass media or web 1.0 of being able to interact with consumers. It can be used by marketers to interact with
consumers in both an active and passive manner (Constantinides, 2014).
Passive
Anderson (2007) says that passive social media usage is where companies “listen in” on consumers on social
media forums such as TripAdvisor and Twitter. These operate as a low-cost source of quality information on
consumer opinions, where consumer preferences and red flags can be detected and acted upon. It is important to
note that tourists will be using social media before, during and after their trips (Parra-López et al, 2011),
meaning marketers can passively view tourist perceptions in almost real-time.
Active
Active social media usage takes many forms that can be used by companies for direct marketing and public
relations. Companies can introduce corporate blogs where the company can provide details on its current work,
and encourage users to comment freely on it. This gives the company a platform to react to consumer questions
and demands, and can even help the company avoid problems reaching the traditional media (Kotler & Keller,
2012).
The Online Community
Social media are used by firms and consumers to set up virtual communities; communities which communicate
via the internet and complement communications in real life (Albors et al. 2008) and allows users and firms to
harness the collective intelligence of a community (O’Reilly 2007; Anderson, 2007)
Conversely, Fournier and Lee (2009) do not agree with the idea that social networks are the best way for a firm
to build a brand community. They state that the online community is often a “knee jerk reaction” to the need for
a web 2.0 strategy, social media is only a tool, and the strategy must drive the tool selection, not the tools drive
the strategy selection.

Communities must reflect the needs of their members in order to grow. Online communities serve as a tool to
enhance the offline communities. It is important that organisations are aware of which experiences can be
enhanced through an online community, and then use their online community to capitalise this.
Viral Marketing
Viral marketing is a digital version of word-of-mouth marketing (Howard, 2005). This form of marketing takes
a message that users consider entertaining, and prompts them to share it online through social media, much like
how a virus works. Kotler & Keller (2012) describe it as a cost effective way to build brand equity that doesn’t
need to be outrageous to work.
Viral marketing is advantageous to companies in that costs of distribution are lower (Kotler & Armstrong,
2010), and the organisation does not need to work out which consumers the advertisement should be made
prominent to beyond the opinion leaders. The theory is that once the opinion leaders have seen the potentially-
viral advertisement, they will enjoy it so much that they will share it on their own pages with those who they
believe will enjoy the advertisement or the product, who will in turn share it to people they know who would
appreciate it. This chain reaction means that it can help the company avoid the expense of a lengthy marketing
campaign or market research beyond opinion leaders.
The problem with viral marketing is that it is much more down to the rules of entertainment than marketing, and
relies on the willingness of consumers to talk to one another (Kotler & Keller, 2009). Not everything marketers
think will work in this way do; and it can be a difficult process for marketers to master. When done correctly
however, it can be hugely successful. The most successful video by views on YouTube is the music “Gangnam
Style” by Korean artist Psy, which has been viewed over 2 billion times, and shared worldwide (YouTube,
2012).
There are risks however; complaints can also spread virally, such as the song “United Breaks Guitars” by
Canadian band Sons of Maxwell about their bad experiences, which has reached over 14.5 million views
(YouTube, 2009).
Problems presented by social media
There are risks to social media being used for marketing, as it opens up the company to “cheap shots” by
disaffected staff and consumers (Kotler & Keller, 2012). Therefore, it is important that all social media
marketing is well thought-out beforehand to reduce the risk of public backlash and humiliation.
Many companies have CEO Blogs but this can also extend to standard employees. However this requires a high
degree of trust in employees, as the reputations can be damaged if a disgruntled employee has access to the
company profiles. An example of which is when HMV employees “live tweeted” their dismissal (Sherwin,
2013).
Companies are also no longer able to control the flow of information about products, with pages such as
Wikipedia listing controversies and known defects, and user forums where unhappy customers are free to
complain to large audiences of consumers. An example of this is online retailer Amazon, which has a Wikipedia
page dedicated to its controversies (Wikipedia, 2015). Although Wikipedia should not be treated as a definitive
academic source, to the layman it can be seen as a quick, comprehensive source of information which may
damage the image of a product or destination due to the reputation of Wikipedia outside of the academic
community.
Social media reviews can also spread, and as reviews can be posted anonymously, that there is a risk that
some of the information presented on social media may not be accurate, include false reviews or include
blackmail

(Starmer-Smith, 2010). It has been noted across the tourism industry that some guests will threaten to post bad
reviews on social media websites such as TripAdvisor, if they are not given concessions such as free drinks.
This can be damaging to the attraction’s reputation if a negative review is posted, and cause financial strain if
the company agrees to the demands of such travellers. In order to combat this, there is the ability to report
potential blackmail reviews (Bale, 2015), however it is possible that some may still become public.
Methodology
Philosophy
In terms of the philosophical underpinnings of the research; the researcher was interested in the behaviour of
current visitors to the Dartmoor National Park regarding internet and social media usage, and how online social
actors can define behaviour.
The researcher will therefore use an inductive interpretivist epistemology, using DNP as a case study. The
researcher used this epistemology because the focus is upon the behaviour of visitors to DNP, rather than
observing natural phenomena.
Saunders et al (2012) describe this epistemology as the position which focuses on understanding the difference
between humans as social actors, as opposed to positivism, which according to Bryman and Bell (2003) is the
“application of the objective methods of the natural sciences in a business context”, that is, only facts deriving
from statistics can make legitimate claims to be knowledge and provide the basis of laws.
Methodology
Although the intent of the study is to examine the behaviour of consumers, it is necessary to use mixed
methodologies in order to acquire knowledge and generate a clear picture of what social media services DNPA
was using to promote itself, and then to find out how current visitors use social media, their activity preferences,
and their perceptions.
In order to meet this aim, qualitative data was collected in the form of semi-structured interviews which were
undertaken in order to gather detailed levels of information regarding the work of the NPA, and the behaviour of
German tourists who visit the region. In addition to this, there was a need to conduct a quantitative questionnaire
to examine current visitor behaviour regarding the usage of the internet and social media within the holiday and
leisure decision-making process.
Two fact-finding interviews were conducted as sources of qualitative information. The first interview was a
semi-structured exploratory interview with Richard D., the Visitor Services Manager for DNP. This interview
was conducted face-to-face in the Dartmoor National Park Visitor’s Centre (DNPVC) with the aim of learning
more about the social media activities the NPA is already engaged in.
Germans have been noted as a major segment of foreign tourists to the region by those who work in the tourism
industry (VisitBritain, 2014). It is therefore necessary for the researcher to have insight into the social actors
which affect Germans visitors to Dartmoor National Park. Therefore a second semi-structured interview was
conducted via telephone with Dorothee M., a German tour guide, in order to gain insight into the German
mindset with regard to tourism.
These fact-finding interviews were appropriate and necessary in order for the researcher to gain a
detailed understanding of the specific functions and present capabilities of the DNPA; allowing the researcher
to create

an accurate empirical questionnaire in regards to what social media resources DNPA are presently engaged in
using, as well as the specific remits of the Authority, and what brings a major group of foreign tourists to the
area.
For the qualitative data collection, a non-probability purposive sample was used, in order to select those who
would be best able to supply relevant information to the study. Initially Richard D., the visitor services manager
at DNPA was chosen due to their knowledge within the field of marketing towards potential visitors, including
online and social media marketing techniques.
The second interviewee, Dorothee M., a German tour guide, was selected due to the strong presence of Germans
amongst the foreign visitor population, as identified within the first qualitative interview.
A non-probability purposive sample, as described by Cooper (2014) does have a risk of bias, however this risk
is necessary as a detailed knowledge of the inner-workings of Dartmoor National Park and the mind-set of
German tourists was required.
This information was then used to create a self-completed questionnaire. Self-completion was chosen due to the
ease of administration, in addition to removing interviewer variability. Bryman & Bell (2003) argue that the
presence of an interviewer can cause bias based on the characteristics of the interviewer or the way the question
is answered.
As the questionnaire is self-completed, questions were closed with short responses in an effort to increase the
response rate, as well as to increase the ease of processing responses (Bryman & Bell, 2003). Due to the risk of
limiting the way a respondent may answer a question, a “further comments” section is provided to ensure that
this potentially valuable data is not lost. This questionnaire can be seen in full in Appendix A.
100 questionnaires were given out and completed by the participants, who were allowed to ask questions to
clarify what the researcher was asking them if necessary, however the researcher would only give short,
unbiased responses to these questions.
Respondents are questioned about their activities, social media usage and information sources using short,
closed questions, as well as perceptions via Likert Scales. Likert scales are used as they are able to provide a
broader range of answers, using closed responses on a five-point scale in order to provide greater clarity on the
opinions and attitudes of participants (McLeod, 2008).
In order to supplement the data gathered from this questionnaire, secondary data from VisitBritain and the
International Passenger Survey was also analysed. This data was used as it was believed to be an unbiased aid
for those in the tourism industry, and includes focus on social media regarding international visitors. This survey
has been ongoing since 1961, and takes around 700’000 interviews per year and is used as the basis for the UK
governments statistics regarding tourism (ONS,2015), and was therefore deemed to be a credible source by the
researcher. Bryman and Bell (2003) advise that official data such as this can be used as an unobtrusive method
of gathering additional statistics.
Ethics
As with all elements of business; ethics was a strong consideration within the research. Cooper (2012) defines
these ethics as the norms and standards that guide moral choices with regards to behaviour. Ethical standards
must therefore be followed.
Plymouth University’s ethical research guidance is clear on the importance of informed consent:

“The researcher should, where possible, inform potential participants in advance of any features of
the research that might reasonably be expected to influence their willingness to take part in the study.” (UoP,
2014)
Bryman & Bell (2003) state that it is important that participants are informed as to the intentions of the study as
fully as possible, in order to reduce the risks of participants feeling violated or betrayed by the researcher. The
researcher was open and honest in explaining the intent of the study, and did not find it necessary to use any
deception, which Bryman and Bell (2003) state can sometimes be necessary. The researcher would only ask
those perceived to be age 15 or older to carry out the survey, in keeping with the policy that children are not
asked without the consent of their parents.
In order to facilitate the data-collection process, the researcher would approach visitors to the DNPVC and
would explain the aim of the study and what objectives the researcher hoped the questionnaire would fulfil.
Researchers must consider the importance of data protection; Plymouth University guidance clearly states that
“Except with the consent of the participant, researchers are required to ensure confidentiality of the
participant's identity and data throughout the conduct and reporting of the research”- (UoP, 2015).
In keeping with this, participants were informed that they were free to leave their names if they were happy to
be contacted regarding their responses, and were explicitly informed at the start of the questionnaire that their
data would be used for no other purpose. The respondent’s age group, gender and postcode were taken in order
to identify where the participant had travelled from, however any further details were optional. This is in
keeping with the Data Protection Act (legislation.gov, 1998) which states that “only data which is relevant [to a
research study] can be collected”.
After the questionnaire was completed, participants were debriefed as to the reasons for the data-collection, in
addition to what the study intended to find out.
Sampling
The survey sample was chosen using a random sampling, using the “next to pass” method, concentrating on
passers-by in the areas of Burrator Reservoir and the DNPVC in Princetown. These locations were selected due
to steady visitor footfall and levels of shelter, due to the time needed to complete the survey.
The “next to pass” method was used in order to economise the data collection process for the researcher, who
was able to wait for participants in a small group of areas, and was certain that all participants questioned would
not rule out Dartmoor as a destination. In addition to this, due to the relatively low footfall of the winter tourist
season there was time to ask every visitor who passed the researcher to complete the questionnaire.
Bryman and Bell (2003) say that this form of random sampling is a common method of sampling due to the
financial constraints of full probability sampling, however it is impossible to fully generalise the findings, as in
this case, there are no participants who would rule out visiting Dartmoor.
This type of sampling has the advantages of increasing the proportion of responses to the questionnaire about
those who have already been motivated to visit DNP, allowing the researcher to gather data on how social media
has already been used in bringing visitors to the area.
Limitations
There were unfortunately limitations to the research project that were unavoidable. Due to the time of year in
which the project was required to be completed, it was impossible to complete the data collection via the
questionnaire during the peak tourist season, meaning that the number of British people, particularly those local
to the region, is over-represented amongst those asked to participate. Over-representation can cause the data to
skewed, however this risk was unavoidable and is mitigated with the usage of secondary data sources in regard
to foreign visitors to Britain.

There were also limitations in regards to the language used. The researcher could only provide the questionnaire
in English.
Unfortunately, cluster sampling does not give a full picture of those who visit Dartmoor National Park, nor of
those who follow the NPA on social media. These were unavoidable due to time and financial constraints. It is
well known that cluster sampling is the least likely to be representative of the total population (Explorable.com).
However this was accepted due to the fact that it would be financially unviable to sample a wider area.
The data collection process was limited by the fact that the National Park visitor’s centre is not open every day
of the week, nor is it open for the full day. Therefore, due to the risk of changing weather conditions outdoors; it
was only viable to collect data on Tuesday and Thursday-Sunday.
Findings and Discussion
The researcher intended to discover how the DNPA can more effectively use social media to market itself to
potential visitors, by finding out what DNPA already had in place regarding social media, and what social media
current visitors to DNP were already using.
The interview with Richard D. provided insights into the work of DNPA and their role in promoting tourism.
The enjoyment of visitors is enhanced through the national park’s visitor’s centres, which share the story of
Dartmoor and why it is a unique and important landscape, as well as working with partner organisations; the
National Trust, Woodland Trust, Forestry Commission, Natural England and the South West Lakeside Trust;
unfortunately the tourism alliance; the Dartmoor Partnership ended recently, however this has been replaced by
Visit Dartmoor. – Richard D.
This confirms that the Sandford Principle is still an important part of the way national parks in the UK are run,
and is at the core of what the NPA does. As stated in the literature review, tourism and conservation can work
side by side with marketing being used to draw visitors to certain parts of the park, away from conservation
areas (English Tourist Board, 1981).
There has been recent targeting of Chinese tourists with marketing materials, advertising Dartmoor in 1500
places across the country. A big part of this is the story of Sherlock Holmes and the Hounds of Baskerville,
which was set on Dartmoor and recently made resurgence with the new BBC series. – Richard D.
This shows that there is a continuing strong usage of traditional marketing techniques for DNPA, which as
stated by Constantinides (2014) must be the major part of a marketing strategy. This is relevant because at
present, more than 50% of the world’s population do not have access to the internet (Internetworldstats.com,
2014), people are not online at all times, and opinions on whether traditional advertising or online reviews are
more trustworthy are varied (See Table 1). This is shown with 29.1% of respondents preferring traditional
advertising, 38.4% preferring online reviews, and 32.6% of respondents being neutral on the subject.
The frequency of advertisements enticing visitors to the region is noteworthy; Fahy & Jobber (2009) state that
identification of a brand becomes easier as the individual is more exposed to the brand image and messages.
Retention becomes easier, and visitors are more likely to remember the destination when making a decision.
The DNPA also has a strong social media presence:
DNPA is using social media, particularly Twitter, to promote the park to visitors. For businesses, there is the
“Dartmoor Hour”, which uses the “@Dartmoor_Hour” handle, where partner organisations can make
contributions on Tuesday evenings. We also have “@moredartmoor” part of the government’s new set of
tourism destination Twitter handles, which is there to provide tourism information.

There is also the online virtual visitor’s centre, and the new Twitter handle “@dartmoor368”.
“@dartmoor368”, named for the 368 square miles that Dartmoor occupies, encourages followers to share
photos and stories of activities they have participated in across Dartmoor, and include which square mile this
was in the form of co-ordinates. This outlet has not become active but we hope to have it operational shortly. In
addition to these, we also have Wordpress, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest pages. – Richard D.
Does the respondent trust online reviews more than traditional advertising?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Missing
Total
Disagree Strongly 7 7.0 8.1 8.1
Disagree 18 18.0 20.9 29.1
Neutral 28 28.0 32.6 61.6
Agree 25 25.0 29.1 90.7
Agree Strongly 8 8.0 9.3 100.0
Total 86
14
100
86.0
14.0
100.0
100.0
Table 1 Views on Social Media vs Traditional Advertising
Despite this, many of Dartmoor’s visitors are still sceptical of this form of marketing (See Table 1), potentially
with many believing that it is nothing more than advertising, with nothing in it for them, as can be seen by the
low following of the official page (See Table 2). Surveys performed by Fresh Minds (2011) in regards to social
media found that photos and videos were often a passive influencer to destination decisions.
Responses Percent of
CasesN Percent
DNPA followed on
Total
Facebook 12 50.0% 66.7%
Twitter 4 16.7% 22.2%
YouTube 3 12.5% 16.7%
Flickr 1 4.2% 5.6%
Instagram 1 4.2% 5.6%
Pinterest 1 4.2% 5.6%
Other 2
24
8.3%
100.0%
11.1%
133.3%
Table 2 Where Visitors follow the DNPA
Despite the low following of the official pages however, the internet was still a common source of inspiration
for many visitors (See Table 3) which confirms Nielsen’s (2012) study that people trust those who they perceive
to be similar to them.

CasesN Percent
Social Media Influence over
Visit
Total
VisitBritain 4 5.7% 10.3%
Visit England 2 2.9% 5.1%
Visit Devon 8 11.4% 20.5%
Visit Dartmoor 12 17.1% 30.8%
Facebook 15 21.4% 38.5%
TripAdvisor 13 18.6% 33.3%
YouTube 7 10.0% 17.9%
Twitter 2 2.9% 5.1%
Other 7
70
10.0%
100.0%
17.9%
179.5%
Table 3 Sources of Influence
Of the visitors who were influenced by the internet to visit the region, Facebook, TripAdvisor and the Visit
Dartmoor page were the major influencers. This confirms what was found in the Fresh Minds (2011) survey,
that when initially looking for inspiration for places to visit, people can be influenced by seeing the photos of
their friends and others on Facebook. Visitors from the USA, Italy and Australia told Fresh Minds (2011) that
they often felt that official government pages, such as Visit Dartmoor, were more trustworthy than other sites, as
these websites were less biased than those of travel companies. It is interesting to note that people were
influenced by other social media sites not included in the original survey. In the additional comments section
one respondent stated that they are a user of Instagram, where users can share photos.
One respondent did note that the Stop-Motion video for DNP was the best advertisement they had ever seen for
the area, which leads on to potential research into viral marketing regarding tourism and destinations.
The Stop Motion Film was the best advert we have ever seen for Dartmoor. Absolutely fantastic.- Anonymous
When questioning respondents on their usage of the Dartmoor National Park website, many respondents were
not aware of its existence (See Table 4).
Percent
Valid
No 72 72.0 72.0 72.0
yes 28 28.0 28.0 100.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0
Table 4 Use of the Dartmoor National Park website
One respondent provided insight into this:
I’ve never felt the need to check any website. I’ve lived here all my life. – Anonymous
It is therefore possible that recreationalists feel there is nothing more to learn about the area, and as such do not
search for information.

Since the survey was carried out, the Enjoy Dartmoor 2014/2015 guidebook has been released within National
Park visitor’s centres, which includes the page shown in figure 2. This page encourages users to “Join the
Dartmoor Conversation”, by following the official pages and making contributions (DNPA, 2015). It is possible
that this has had an effect, in that the “Enjoy Dartmoor” Facebook page has experienced an increase in the
number of “Likes” since this guidebook was printed (Facebook, 2015) however without surveying those who
have recently “liked” the page, it is impossible to be certain that this was the motivator.
Figure 1 An image of the Page of the Enjoy Dartmoor Guidebook detailing social media (DNPA, 2015)

This presents opportunities to connect with visitors and potential visitors to the region, and allow DNPA to
connect with its community; particularly the photography, walking and outdoor activities communities. Despite
this, many of the visitors questioned do not normally connect with brands on social media (See Table 5)
Does the respondent connect with brands on social media?
Percent
Missing
Disagree 15 15.0 17.2 57.5
Neutral 15 15.0 17.2 74.7
Agree 13 13.0 14.9 89.7
Agree Strongly 9 9.0 10.3 100.0
Total 87
13
87.0
13.0
100.0
Total 100 100.0
Table 5 The likelihood of connecting with brands online
There is an issue that many people are cynical towards brand communities on social media pages, seeing them
as nothing more than an additional advertising medium with nothing of real interest to the consumer (Fournier
and Lee, 2009). Fournier and Lee (2009) believe that an online brand community must exist to serve its users
and enhance their normal lives as they are not always online, and that a strong community will create loyalty to
the area. Kaplan and Haenlin (2010) suggest that by being active, open, humble, interesting and
“unprofessional”; not speaking in a formal tone at all times; online consumers will rally to the firm.
Of the 96 respondents to list an information source, the most common sources of information were Local
Knowledge and Word of Mouth (See Table 6). This suggests that a large proportion of the visitors to DNP are
recreationalists, which is confirmed in that 54% of respondents were staying at home. (See Table 7)

CasesN Percent
Information Source
Guidebook 10 6.7% 10.4%
Word of Mouth 33 22.0% 34.4%
Google Search 13 8.7% 13.5%
Drove Past 10 6.7% 10.4%
Leaflet 4 2.7% 4.2%
TV 9 6.0% 9.4%
Facebook, Twitter or
YouTube
3 2.0% 3.1%
Newspaper 2 1.3% 2.1%
TripAdvisor 5 3.3% 5.2%
DNPVC 12 8.0% 12.5%
Local Knowledge 34 22.7% 35.4%
Other
Total
15
150
10.0%
100.0%
15.6%
156.3%
Table 6 Visitor Information Sources
57% of respondents’ addresses were in the PL, EX and TQ postcodes, which cover the Dartmoor area (See
Figure 2); the majority of which were PL postcodes, although this was biased due to the fact that the location
the researcher used to conduct the study; Princetown; is within the PL postcode.
Figure 2 A map detailing the postcode regions of Dartmoor(Google, 2015)

Percent
Home 54 54.0 54.0 54.0
Hotel 15 15.0 15.0 69.0
B&B 3 3.0 3.0 72.0
Second Home 1 1.0 1.0 73.0
Self-Catering 2 2.0 2.0 75.0
Camping 5 5.0 5.0 80.0
Home of a Friend 18 18.0 18.0 98.0
Other 2 2.0 2.0 100.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0
Table 7 Where The Respondent is Staying Overnight
Whilst the figures collected in the questionnaire paint a picture of a mostly local visitor population; Dartmoor
does receive around 3.1 million visitor days per year (nationalparks.gov, 2014), and many of do come from
outside of the region (VisitBritain, 2014); however this was not accurately represented in the data as due to time
constraints, the survey was not carried out in the peak tourism season.
Despite this, of those who were staying away from home on the evening of the day they were questioned (See
Table 7), there was a wide variety of responses, showing that Dartmoor has the ability to cater to those with
different preferences and interests, and therefore has the potential to be marketed to a range of tourists, which
Jobber (2009) says should be across a range of mediums; this is confirmed by Fournier and Lee (2009).
With regard to those who were staying away from home, Dorothee M., a German tour guide, provided insight
into what brings Germans to the area:
A lot of Germans who visit the area come to see the settings of the Rosamunde Pilcher films, which are shown
on ZDF. They’re normally aged 60-65 and tour the region by bus. Some come by bus from Germany; others fly
into the UK and then take a bus. There are normally around 4000 Germans per year who come down [to
Dartmoor]. They’re interested in visiting formal gardens and stately homes, and seeing the English culture. –
Dorothee M.
This information shows that Dartmoor does have capability as a literary tourism attraction. Literary tourism, part
of heritage, within the sense of place, can draw in visitors from around the world who wish to experience the
settings of their favourite books and films, helping them to make a connection with the area and with the
characters. Connell (2012) points out that the number of cinemagoers in developing countries is rising, that
television has become a major source of entertainment worldwide, and that there are many forms of tourism
related to film and literature, including an example where tourists came to Dartmoor in 2011 in an attempt to see
Steven Spielberg working on the film War Horse.
In keeping with the advice of Porter (1990), Dartmoor has strong assets in the fields of literature and film
tourism destinations. Heritage is considered part of the Sense of Place of an area (ALTA, 2015) and Dartmoor
National Park appeals to some tourists as a literary destination.
However, only 2% of visitors who were surveyed by the researcher were German speakers. The Spanish
speaker was part of a language school that was visiting DNPVC with 60 Spanish children, who had come to
learn about

the area and its culture whilst improving their English. In terms of languages, 96% of valid responses showed
English as a preferred language. (See Table 8)
Percent
Missing
Total
English 95 95.0 96.0 96.0
German 2 2.0 2.0 98.0
Spanish 1 1.0 1.0 99.0
Other 1 1.0 1.0 100.0
Total 99
1
100
99.0
1.0
100.0
100.0
Table 8 Respondent’s preferred Language of Communication
The UK itself has an asset in that English is the spoken language, which Eurobarometer (2012) shows as the
most widely spoken second language in Europe. It is common knowledge that students from other EU countries,
and around the world, come to the UK in order to improve their English. Many students stay for an extended
period, which gives Dartmoor National Park on opportunity to capitalise on the fact that many of these students
will choose to explore the UK, and wish to see the “true” British culture first hand.
Therefore the Dorothee M. provided details regarding how younger Germans can be attracted.
Germans enjoy outdoor activities; particularly hiking and walking. They like to be near the beaches, and often
bring their cars with them so it’s easier to travel further. They come to the south west for the scenery; it’s quite
different to the landscape at home. – Dorothee M.
This information shows that Germans share the motives of those who are already visitors to Dartmoor, and
shows that the region has assets which Germans and other nationalities would be interested in exploiting.
VisitBritain (2013) data shows that 82% of tourists to the UK would seek to travel outside of London to see
Britain’s countryside, with 65% interested in a “Wilderness escapes”, 70% are interested in seeing the “British
way of life”, and 55% are interested in “Countryside walking”. Dartmoor therefore has a comparative advantage
against urban locations outside of London in the UK, as it is “wilderness” and within 3 hours of London; the
journey time visitors said they would be comfortable with in the VisitBritain (2013) survey. In addition to this,
Dartmoor is geographically close to the cities of Exeter and Plymouth, as well as being within a reasonable
distance from other cities such as Bristol and Bournemouth, giving it the ability to market itself as the “true”
Britain to language students in these locations.
Of the 99 responses given, it was discovered that the major reasons for many people to visit the area were
walking, outdoor activities, and visiting specific points of interest. (See Table 9) This suggests that Dartmoor
has been identified by consumers as a location with strong assets for these activities. These assets are what make
Dartmoor unique, and in following with Barney’s (1991) VRIO model these are what should be marketed to
potential visitors.

Responses Percent of Cases
N Percent
Reason of Visit
Total
Guided Walks 7 4.6% 7.1%
Other Walking 43 28.1% 43.4%
Shopping 1 0.7% 1.0%
Eating/Drinking Out 12 7.8% 12.1%
Work 5 3.3% 5.1%
Outdoor Activities 23 15.0% 23.2%
Cultural Activities 10 6.5% 10.1%
Getting to/from Accommodation 1 0.7% 1.0%
Visiting Friends / Relatives 9 5.9% 9.1%
Visiting an Event? 4 2.6% 4.0%
Visiting a Specific Place? 26 17.0% 26.3%
Other Reasons? 12
153
7.8%
100.0%
12.1%
154.5%
Table 9 Reason Of Visit
Of the 96 respondents to provide information regarding their interests, the major interests were shown to be
hiking, eating and drinking out, cultural activities, outdoor activities and visiting specific places. This suggests
that there the potential motivators for people to visit Dartmoor are diverse (See Table 10) and as previously
stated by Jobber (2009), means that a range of marketing tools should be exploited, such as TV via programmes
such as Countryfile, the Enjoy Dartmoor guidebook, and the internet.
Responses Percent of Cases
N Percent
Interests Regarding
Dartmoor
Total
Guided Walks 16 5.0% 16.5%
Hiking 51 16.0% 52.6%
Shopping 18 5.6% 18.6%
Eating / Drinking Out 46 14.4% 47.4%
Cultural Activities 45 14.1% 46.4%
Visiting Events 3 0.9% 3.1%
Outdoor Activities 49 15.4% 50.5%
Dog Walking 17 5.3% 17.5%
Literature 10 3.1% 10.3%
Horse Riding 11 3.4% 11.3%
Visiting Specific Places 44 13.8% 45.4%
Other Reasons 9
319
2.8%
100.0%
9.3%
328.9%
Table 10 Interests Regarding Dartmoor

Sustainable tourism was seen as an important factor, with the isolation of the area being seen as a drawing
factor.
I particularly enjoy Dartmoor for its peace and solitude. - Questionnaire participant
This respondent highlighted the appeal of Dartmoor’s isolation and the small numbers of people. Whilst
Dartmoor is certainly capable of receiving more visitors, it is not wanted that such a volume of visitors come as
to reduce the appeal of the area, and damage the Dartmoor experience. There is also the risk, that if visitor
numbers increase, so too will the number of visitors who will not respect the area. Dartmoor NPA must segment
the market effectively to target visitors who will enjoy the area, repeat visit if possible, and not desecrate the
landscape (Jobber & Fahy, 2009). The English Tourist Board (1981) advises that visitors be directed towards
specific places in order to reduce risk to conservation, however these places can be spread out to maintain the
sense of place.
The stop-motion video of Dartmoor is the best advertisement we have ever seen for the region. - Anonymous
In terms of demographics, the most common age group of respondents were those aged 50-59 (See Table 11);
according to ONS (2014) statistics; more than 40% of this age group in the UK use the internet to search for
travel-related information, whilst around 40% also use the internet for social media. A survey by Ofcom (2014)
found that 66% of UK adults use social networking sites, with 96% of those adults having a Facebook profile.
30% of social media users were found to have a twitter profile.
Percent
Missing
Total
Under 15 1 1.0 1.1 1.1
16-19 2 2.0 2.1 3.2
20-29 10 10.0 10.5 13.7
30-39 17 17.0 17.9 31.6
40-49 20 20.0 21.1 52.6
50-59 26 26.0 27.4 80.0
60-69 17 17.0 17.9 97.9
70+ 2 2.0 2.1 100.0
Total 95
5
100
95.0
5.0
100.0
100.0
Table 11 Respondent Age Groups
Respondents were shown to overall believe they had a strong image of Dartmoor before their visit (See Table
12), however many of the visitors were shown to have visited the area recently (See Table 13). Beerli (2004)
says that this can cause problems with finding the original image, as many people will find it difficult to
remember secondary sources of information regarding a destination of which they have primary experiences.

Did the respondent have a strong image of Dartmoor before visiting?
Percent
Missing
Total
Neutral 13 13.0 13.8 14.9
Agree 27 27.0 28.7 43.6
Agree Strongly 53 53.0 56.4 100.0
Total 94
6
100
94.0
6.0
100.0
100.0
Table 12 Respondent's image strength pre-visit
In accordance with the fact that many had primary experiential sources of information, many found that their
image of Dartmoor before their visit was accurate, as it is important that a product lives up to, or exceeds the
expectations of visitors. Destinations which do not meet visitor expectations are more likely to leave customers
disappointed, and be negatively reviewed (Stroud, 2015). This is particularly damaging to the destination as
word of mouth is still the most trusted form of recommendation (Nielsen, 2012), and as such this could stop
other visitors who would enjoy the region from visiting.
Percent
Valid
Missing
Total
Never 10 10.0 10.9 10.9
Last Week 26 26.0 28.3 39.1
Last Month 19 19.0 20.7 59.8
Last Year 22 22.0 23.9 83.7
Last 5 Years 15 15.0 16.3 100.0
Total 92
8
100
92.0
8.0
100.0
100.0
Table 13 Respondent's last visit to Dartmoor
Despite the fact that many visitors have been to the area before, more than half would not post a review on a
social media site. (See Table 14), which is in keeping with the Pareto principle that around 80% of content is
uploaded by 20% of users (Erridge, 2006)

Would the respondent post a review on an online site?
Percent
Valid
Missing
Total
Disagree 24 24.0 27.3 53.4
Neutral 10 10.0 11.4 64.8
Agree 17 17.0 19.3 84.1
Agree Strongly 14 14.0 15.9 100.0
Total
999
88
12
100
88.0
12.0
100.0
100.0
Table 14 Attitudes to posting reviews on Social Media
Conclusion and Recommendations
The researcher intended to discover how the DNPA can more effectively use social media to market itself to
potential visitors, by reviewing relevant literature, finding out what DNPA already had in place regarding social
media, and what social media current visitors to DNP were already using.
In conclusion it was found that many visitors are influenced by social media and Web 1.0 sites such as the Visit
Dartmoor webpage, however, many still do not follow the official social media pages of the Dartmoor NPA. It
was found that the majority of people did have a strong image of Dartmoor before visiting, and had their
expectations realised. Despite this, many did not follow, or contribute to the ongoing social media efforts of
DNPA, this is in keeping with the Pareto Principle, in that 80% of content is produced by 20% of users
(Erridge, 2006).
The researcher therefore theorises that the majority of visitors to Dartmoor National Park in winter are
recreationalists, and that many of them, thanks to their local knowledge, have never used the DNPA website or
looked at official pages online, and as such have not become part of the online Dartmoor community, and
therefore are unable to contribute to the community’s collective intelligence and influence.
The researcher believes this is caused by the fact that many local people do not feel that there is anything more
to learn about the area beyond what they have learned from being in the area themselves, as evidenced by one of
the respondents.
It is therefore recommended that a strong image be built for DNP, because to non-visitors, the image is formed
via imagination (Cherifi et al, 2014). According to the Nations Brands Index of 2014, Britain ranks as having
the third best tourism image in the world, behind the USA and Germany (Anholt, 2014). According to Anholt
(2007), first-hand experience is needed to change reputations, and tourism is one of the major ways to brand the
region directly.
Marketing must be segmented in order to reach visitors more effectively (Prentice, 1994), which should be
accomplished through a strong destination brand as this is core to the marketing strategy (Leisen, 2001). This
destination brand should focus on the competitive advantage of the region, as Porter (1990) believes this to be
the key to success. The competitive advantage can be deduced through Barney’s (1991) VRIO model, in order
to differentiate the product from others in the minds of consumers (Kotler & Keller, 2012).

This strong brand will help mitigate the risk of a poor purchase decision (Jobber, 2009), and help form a clearer
image in consumers’ minds, as retention is difficult due to being bombarded with messages daily (Anderson,
2007). This should be accomplished via social media, because consumers trust the opinions of those who they
know and those similar to them (Nielsen, 2012).
In order to do this the DMO must be strong (Pike, 2004), and use varying types of marketing to build a solid
social media strategy (Constantinides, 2014), which includes both active and passive usage to interact with and
monitor visitors (Anderson, 2007), to build a strong community (Albors et al, 2008), which helps to grow
knowledge via the network effect (Anderson, 2007) and enhances the offline experience of consumers (Fournier
& Lee, 2008). The researcher therefore recommends that the official Dartmoor Facebook page becomes a page
where the Dartmoor visitor community can share photos, news and stories, interact with the NPA, and allow the
community to thrive on its own without heavy promotion of products. The Dartmoor community should be
engineered to be an enhancement of the Dartmoor experience, not just an advertising space. It is also important
to remember that the online element should not be the entire community strategy, but rather one of the tools
used to generate a strong, loyal community. The websites can also be used within the community to educate
visitors, introducing them to Dartmoor’s “Moor Care” initiative, which highlights the importance of correct
behaviour to ensure conservation (DNPA, 2013).
It is important to remember that whilst a large number of millennials are now online (Ofcom, 2014), there are
still consumers who are not using social media, or even the internet. ONS (2014) statistics show that almost half
of adults still do not use the internet to search for travel options, and less than half over the age of 45 use social
networks. However, since large numbers of recreationalists were unaware of the existence of the website, it is
advised that the website is advertised more prominently within the DNPAVC.
As VisitBritain (2014) data shows that the majority of foreign visitors to the South West are German; it is
advised that information on the Dartmoor website be made available in German as well as English.
Eurobarometer (2012) data suggests that French, German and Spanish would be a long term goal for online
information. Film tourism has shown itself to be important with a significant segment of the potential visitor
population, notably in Germans aged 60-65 as stated by Dorothee M. It is therefore recommended that these
destinations be marketed online in German.
The researcher also recommends that Visit Dartmoor members request that guests who have enjoyed their time
on Dartmoor upload reviews to TripAdvisor as the more positive reviews a place has, the higher it is ranked
(TripAdvisor, 2013).
In accordance with a comment made by a questionnaire participant, the researcher recommends the potential for
research into the effects of striking photography and videography and viral marketing upon the holiday and
recreation destination decisions.

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Appendix A: Side A of the questionnaire given to members of the public as part of the primary data collection.

Appendix A (cont): Side B of the questionnaire given to members of the public as part of the primary data collection.

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