Issues with social media marketing for eco tourism awareness

With the gradual threats posed by global warming, the significance of eco tourism is undeniable. Along with the appreciable growth in last few years in tourism sector, the growing apprehension in maintaining the tourism sustainability is also a major concern. Some of the major issues in the ecotourism sector have been identified. The key issues that have left a major concern for maintaining the overall eco-tourism system are as follows:

• Tourism operators are not very much accustomed with the eco technology for managing the spots. As per the principles of ecotourism, the visitors should not create any chaos while travelling the place for maintaining ecological disciplines.
• Due to the establishment of industries and factories the scope of eco tourism is getting decreased day by day. The tourist operators are unable to maintain a balance within ecosystem(Coria and Calfucura 2012). As a result, natural creatures and instincts are getting affected in being accustomed with the ecology. The rate of global warming as a result is getting raised day by day.
• Tourism managers are facing challenges in maintaining sustainable tourism system, maintaining respect on animal and human rights, restricting political instability, maintaining sustainable corruption system and so on. The managers in dealing with the visitors of different geographical boundaries and attitudes have to face major communication barriers(Coria and Calfucura 2012). As a result, they have to face challenges in interacting with the tourists while visiting the place.
• While visiting the place large numbers of tourists come together in the tourism spots. A result, animals and creatures may get destructed in maintaining their regular life effectively. The operators have to face innumerable challenges in controlling the wave of crowd so that natural instincts do not get affected.  

Another issue has also been identified within eco tourism industry that is related to authenticity of social media marketing. It is observed that tourism authorities are misusing the social media as their effective ways of marketing platform. By making effective social media campaign the business executives intends to make awareness on the visitors on how they should follow basic rules and regulations while travelling spots. For an example, visitors are instructed not to use plastic on the spots in order to avoid environment pollution. Social media is the only platform where the business operators can convey their messages. After making an effective social media campaign, the business operators fail to drag the attention of travelers. While visiting the place tourist guides do not impose to maintain those regulations properly. As a result, environment is getting polluted day by day.

Bansal and aswinder (2013) stated that eco-tourism is one of the most significant initiatives implemented in the tourism industry. After the invention of tourism industry, young generation gets the platform for enhancing their career growth. Ecotourism primarily signifies marketing the natural beauty and serene environment as a product. On one hand, the government body can preserve natural resources for maintaining a balance on eco system. On the other hand, the travel operators are getting a platform for flourishing their business wings in the tourism market. However, after the emergence of eco tourism industry the business operators are facing some of the major challenges. Due to the entrance of large number of visitors, the operators are unable to manage and control the entire system. As opined by Zhang and Lei (2012), visitors tend to destroy natural instinct by disobeying the rules and regulations. In this kind of situation, the travel operators have to face innumerable challenges in communicating with the visitors.

Language barrier and psychological barriers are one of the most significant reasons due to which the operators are unable to interact with the visitors properly. As emphasized by Satyanarayana et al. (2012), apart from controlling the wave of crowd the business operators prevailing in eco tourism industry have to face more challenges. The repeated establishment of industries ultimately fails to maintain an effective balance within ecology. Natural resources cannot maintain their eco system properly due to the emission of Carbon dioxide. In this situation, the business authority has to face innumerable challenges in maintaining an effective life style. As emphasized by Spenceley (2012), tourism operators after establishing an ecotourism space should think about the natural instincts on how they would be able to maintain an effective ecological balance. The government should take an immediate step in this regard. Government should not build up any industry where most of the eco tourism spots are there. In order to draw the attention of international customers’ social media is the only platform where visitors can get an in-depth overview about the spot.

Challenges in controlling the wave of visitors

After identifying the issues, some of the major recommendations can be provided based on which the business operators can render a development within ecotourism industry:

Plantation of tress is one of the most effective ways of maintaining ecological balance. In order to preserve the natural resources the tourism industry should focus on avoiding destruction of trees. Industries can be developed outside of the ecotourism spots. As a result, animals and other natural creatures do not have to face challenges in maintaining ecological balance. Therefore, the tourism operators can be recommended to maintain a serene environment so that birds and animals can lead their life peacefully (Hunt et al. 2015). The primary purpose of flourishing ecotourism sector within tourism industry is marketing the natural products. As a result, the operators have to play the major role of responsibilities in preserving natural resources. 

Tourism operators sometimes face difficulties fail to control the crowd of travelers in peak season. As a result, travelers while visiting the pace tend to destroy natural resources intentionally (Snyman 2013). In addition, visitors get deprived of receiving good services from the travel operators due to their lack of management skills. However, it can be recommended that guide and travel operators should have proper managing skills so that they can fulfill the needs and demands of the clients.

Travelers are from various geographical boundaries and multi-cultural attitudes. In this situation, travel operators have to face innumerable difficulties in communicating with the visitors due to language barriers. The service providers failed to fulfill customers’ satisfaction being unable to understand their needs and desires (Ramos and Prideaux 2014). In this situation, the customers tend to show their reluctant attitude in visiting to ecotourism sectors. Therefore, travel operators associated with ecotourism industry are recommended to receive a training and development session for enhancing their communication skill. Rendering multi lingual flexibility may help the travel operators in dealing with the customers of different cultural and religious backgrounds. 

Visitors while travelling the spots should maintain regulations and acts properly. They should not irritate the birds and animals while visiting the place. In addition, they should take care of natural resources as well. The responsibility of the travel operators on the other hand is to maintain health and safety act within the business (Prud’homme and Raymond 2013). If a single visitor has to face any kind of health issue at the spot, the service providers should give necessary benefits and facilities to them. As a result, the travelers do not lose their hope in visiting to the ecotourism spots.

Language and psychological barriers

The primary purpose of rendering ecotourism is not only to enhance the tourism market but also to preserve the natural resources. With the rhythm flow of globalization and industrial revolution the rate of natural instincts are getting decreased day by day. In this situation, the system of ecology is going to be misbalanced (Ramos and Prideaux 2014). Therefore, it can be recommended to avoid in building industries on the tourism spot so that birds and animals can be preserved for maintaining ecological balance.

The realm of social media is vast that is able to widen their horizon beyond going regional areas. As a result, visitors belonging to multi-national countries can get an overview about the spot and its environmental details. Social media marketing is successful enough in dragging the attention of global consumers as well. Therefore, it can be recommended to use social media as one of the most effective platforms of marketing.

These particular recommendations can render an improvement on ecotourism industry. If the business operators can improve their managerial skill while dealing with the visitors, they do not have to face challenges in preserving the natural instincts. In addition, proper regulations and acts are very helpful in controlling and managing the wave of visitors.

Reference List:

Bansal, S.P. and aswinder Kumar, J., 2013. Ecotourism for Community Development: A Stakeholder’s Perspective in. Creating a Sustainable Social Ecology Using Technology-driven Solutions, p.88.

Chen, W.Y. and Jim, C.Y., 2012. Contingent valuation of ecotourism development in country parks in the urban shadow. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 19(1), pp.44-53.

Coria, J. and Calfucura, E., 2012. Ecotourism and the development of indigenous communities: The good, the bad, and the ugly. Ecological Economics, 73, pp.47-55.

Hunt, C.A., Durham, W.H., Driscoll, L. and Honey, M., 2015. Can ecotourism deliver real economic, social, and environmental benefits? A study of the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 23(3), pp.339-357.

Prud’homme, B. and Raymond, L., 2013. Sustainable development practices in the hospitality industry: An empirical study of their impact on customer satisfaction and intentions. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 34, pp.116-126.

Ramos, A.M. and Prideaux, B., 2014. Indigenous ecotourism in the Mayan rainforest of Palenque: empowerment issues in sustainable development. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 22(3), pp.461-479.

Satyanarayana, B., Bhanderi, P., Debry, M., Maniatis, D., Foré, F., Badgie, D., Jammeh, K., Vanwing, T., Farcy, C., Koedam, N. and Dahdouh-Guebas, F., 2012. A socio-ecological assessment aiming at improved forest resource management and sustainable ecotourism development in the mangroves of Tanbi Wetland National Park, The Gambia, West Africa. Ambio, 41(5), pp.513-526.

Snyman, S., 2013. Household spending patterns and flow of ecotourism income into communities around Liwonde National Park, Malawi. Development Southern Africa, 30(4-5), pp.640-658.

Spenceley, A. ed., 2012. Responsible tourism: Critical issues for conservation and development. Routledge.

Zhang, H. and Lei, S.L., 2012. A structural model of residents’ intention to participate in ecotourism: The case of a wetland community. Tourism Management, 33(4), pp.916-925.