Auditing the Marketing and Social Media Communication of Natural Protected Areas. How Marketing Can Contribute to the Sustainability of Tourism

Teodoro Luque-Martínez, Nina Faraoni and Luis Doña-Toledo
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Teodoro Luque-Martínez: Marketing and Market Research Department, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Nina Faraoni: Marketing and Market Research Department, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Luis Doña-Toledo: Marketing and Market Research Department, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 15, 1-23

Abstract: Natural Protected Areas face the challenge of conciliating attractions with satisfaction of their different stakeholders without compromising their own resources. Marketing can play an important role to this challenge from a macromarketing perspective. No studies are found in the literature on the integral assessment of marketing practices in Natural Protected Areas. For the first time, it proposes a marketing audit in Natural Protected Areas to fill that gap applying the Importance-Performance Analysis matrix, useful in strategic decisions, through interviews with directors of Natural Protected Areas. The main strengths, weaknesses, and deficits in the application of marketing are identified. The presence of a restricted and biased attitude towards marketing was noted among directors. In addition, the marketing behaviour is studied in two of the main social networks (Twitter/Facebook), comparisons were established in the USA, Spain, Italy and Mexico, identifying behavioural profiles in five groups in accordance with the 26 indicators under analysis.

Keywords: Natural Protected Areas; marketing management; social networks; national parks; marketing audit; IPA matrix; sustainable tourism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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