WHAT GOOD IS ECOTOURISM CERTIFICATION?: REPRESENTATIONS OF CERTIFICATION SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLES IN ONLINE MARKETING

1. WHAT GOOD IS ECOTOURISM CERTIFICATION?: REPRESENTATIONS OF CERTIFICATION SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLES IN ONLINE MARKETING Tinelle D. Bustam Natalia Buta University of Florida Southeast Chapter of Travel and Tourism Research Association Annual Conference & Tourism Research Symposium March 24, 2009

2. Images: Bustam

3. Study Purpose To examine differences between certified and non-certified ecotourism operators and online marketing to communicate ecotourism sustainability principles. Bustam & Buta

4. Ecotourism as sustainable development? Image: Bustam Bustam & Buta

5. Ecotourism Guidelines Bustam & Buta

6. Ecotourism Regulation Bustam & Buta

7. Internet Marketing & Ecotourism • Continually growing due to the convenience and cost-effectiveness (Buhalis, 1998; McCartney, Butler, & Bennet, 2008; Schley, 1997) • Internet marketing utility: (Dorsey, Steeves, & Porras, 2004; Lai & Shafer, 2005; Sharpley & Pearce, 2007; Woodland & Acott, 2007) • Communication of sustainability principles to target markets • Influence tourists • Product promotion as indicator of operations and practices • Past research: • Ecotourism definitions: tourism that minimizes impacts, contributes to conservation, creates funds to promote environmental and socio-cultural resources, provides interaction between visitors and locals, and contributes to communities (Fennell, 2001; Sirakaya, Sasidharan, & Sonmez, 1999) • Marketing of ecotourism: most operators did not reflect sustainability principles in online marketing (Lai and Shafer, 2005) Bustam & Buta

8. Methods • Research questions: • How do certified and noncertified ecotourism operators define ecotourism? • What is the relationship between certification and how ecotourism operators promote their sustainable principles? • What is the association between ecotourism operators representation of self (i.e., products) to the market and their certification status? • Sampling: stratified systematic sampling • Certified operators: international certification agencies • Non-certified operators: ecotourism clearinghouse websites • Sample frame: (a) offer more than two tours, (b) provide activity-based services (not only ecolodge), and (c) offer sustainable tours • 29.9% (227/759) Bustam & Buta

9. Methods (cont.) • Data collection: Three substance categories: ‘definition,’ ‘product’ and ‘sustainability’ (Lai & Shafer, 2005) • Coding: coders, codebook • Intercoder reliability analysis (Holsti, 1968) • 11.9% of the sample (Kaid & Wadsworth, 1989) • 83.9% agreement across all units • Concurrent validation: units of analysis from previous research (Riffe, Lacy, & Fico, 2005) • Summer 2008 • Data analysis • Qualitative domain analysis (Hatch, 2002): definitions of ecotourism • Logistic regression: relationship between certification and sustainability and product Bustam & Buta

10. Results: Ecotourism Definitions Bustam & Buta

11. Certification and Sustainability Principles: Logistic Regression (Binary Dependent) Bustam & Buta

12. Certification and Ecotourism Products: Logistic Regression (Binary Dependent) Bustam & Buta

13. Theoretical Implications • Ecotourism definitions: • Certified: lack consideration for economic sustainability; difficulty distinguishing social and economic benefits, blurring financial contributions social benefit • Non-certified: focus on all 3 sustainability dimensions; identified strategies of economic and social benefits • Supports & extends past research: • Support: minimizing impacts, contributing to conservation, funding conservation, cultural interaction, and contributing to communities (Sirakaya et al, 1999) • Extend: a) Specific social benefits of community development and b) ecotourism as a tool linking conservation, communities, and sustainable development Bustam & Buta

14. Theoretical Implications • Certification and sustainable principles: • Certified: less likely to emphasize economic and environmental sustainability • Conflicts and supports past research: ecotourism operators predominantly market environmental sustainability practices over other dimensions (Lai & Shafer, 2005) • Certification and products: • Nature-based learning significant probability of certification • Activity oriented (i.e., nature-based, cultural, and environmentally responsible): most likely no certification • Scarce research on certified operators’ presentation of products Bustam & Buta

15. Practical Implications • Certified/Non-certified operators acknowledge 3 dimensions of sustainability • Certified: not promoting participation in all dimensions of sustainability and not representing products across dimensions • Non-certified: actions taken for social and economic development • Lingering questions for the value of internet marketing of ecotourism certification • Develop certification programs to address marketing shortcomings • Certified: define ecotourism based on 3 dimensions of sustainability and delineate how this is accomplished • Future research: • Revisit the purpose of certification to clarify social and economic sustainability dimensions among certified operators • Examine certified/non-certified implementation of sustainability practices Bustam & Buta

16. Conclusion • Marketing certification principles are challenged, questioning the value of certification in establishing a clear representation of ecotourism as well as encouraging sustainable practices among operators. • What good is ecotourism certification? Image: Bustam Bustam & Buta

17. Contact Information • Tinelle D. Bustam, tbustam@hhp.ufl.edu • Natalia Buta, nbuta@hhp.ufl.edu Bustam & Buta

18. Categories and units of analysis