ABOUT THE CONFERENCE
Ecotourism needs tourists -- clients who take a trip or reserve
a room.
An industry joke illustrates the task at hand. Question --
What do you call an ecotourism business that does not make money?
Answer -- An ex-ecotourism business.
Planeta's Ethical Marketing of Ecotourism
E-Conference took place in June and July, 2003 and was our 12th
online event.
There was consensus in the 2003 conference that funding tourism
promotion is not a handout; rather an investment in the prosperity
of individual operations and the larger state.
The conference attracted more than 50 participants
and had the highest level of participation in the history of
our online conferences.
It led to several developments, including the 2006
Tourism Marketing Survey.
The conference reviewed practical marketing strategies for
ecotourism businesses and showed consumers how to make an informed
choice. The dialogue fostered the development of a number of
useful resources including a
guide to online marketing, a profile
of government tourism portals' coverage of ecotourism and
a spotlight
on related web resources.
Updated guides for travel professionals include tips for Writing
Media Releases, Hosting
Press Trips, Greening
Conferences and Improving
Signage.
Certification was hotly debated as most travel operators saw
little use for national or international programs. We have published
excerpts
of the discussion and an essay
by Michael Kaye.
SPONSORS
Planeta - Epler
Wood International - leisuretourism.com
- Sustainable Sources
- Transitions Abroad
QUESTIONS
Who measures the effectiveness of national PR campaigns?
Do governments make it easy for players to find out who
is in charge of public relations?
How do small and medium-sized ecotourism operators evaluate
regional and national tourism marketing strategies? Do operators
have recommendations?
How effective are large expos compared to micro-events?
How effective are tourism ministries in promoting ecotourism
and responsible travel?
What is green-washing in tourism promotion?
What should be the role of key stakeholders
-- journalists, PR agencies, travel operators, tourism boards,
government officials?
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