Stakeholders of tourism destinations love to stay informed. From business owners to employees of tourism services, and from local residents to travel agencies, sharing the good news around your efforts to generate a healthy, sustainable ecotourism experience can put them at ease. Doing so, to the extent that it maintains sufficient transparency and builds trust, can often be challenging when going it alone. You can easily use the principles of ecotourism public relations to help, and choosing the right external team with direct experience in the space can make it even easier.

Here’s a deeper look at how ecotourism PR can help keep your stakeholders informed:

Be Transparent

Don’t just talk about how and what you are doing to lessen the carbon footprint and impact of the travelers you’re attracting. Go into detail about your good works for the local environment, culture and people. Use a press release to spread the word through trusted media sources about how your eco-lodge or green hotel is providing a sustainable living for the locals and how excursions minimize interruption to the local ecosystems.

If disaster strikes – a fire, flood, or injury – ensure you send out another release to publicly address the issue, the steps your team is taking and how you’re helping the individuals involved.

Keep the Conversation Going

Why wait to set individual meetings with your various stakeholders? Send out regular newsletters or emails that detail the good your ecotourism company is doing. Regularly sharing the stories of your people and the initiatives you’re currently working on can help foster a sense of connectedness.

Take the messaging to social media and highlight how your ecotourism initiatives are working to preserve the surrounding ecosystems; use it to encourage people to engage with local crafts and to immerse followers in the rich culture of the area.

Answer FAQs Publicly

Do your stakeholders all seem to be asking the same or similar questions? Take it as an opportunity to build transparency and trust with the public. Seek media attention with a press release, feature or interview where you can address these questions and drive home a positive narrative that builds upon your brand and attracts greater attention.

You can even announce the feature on your social media or create a campaign where you integrate this information in your everyday outreach online.

If you want to learn more about how ecotourism public relations can help you stay connected with your stakeholders in a positive way, contact Orange Orchard, or call 865-977-1973 today.