Mass ecotourism, media, and wildlife experience

Mass ecotourism (i.e., standardized and mediated nature and wildlife experiences offered to a large number of tourists) represents a large proportion of the international ecotourism market. We assess how tourist expectations in a mass ecotourism setting are shaped by representations of nature and wildlife in popular media, as well as participants' general interest in nature. Using an on-site two-wave assessment of seal-watching tours in the German Wadden Sea we further explore how these factors impact tourists’ behavioral intentions. We find that eco media consumption significantly influences expectations and leads to disappointment with the wildlife experience in question, while a higher general interest in nature appears to mediate disappointment by providing more realistic expectations. Conclusions point to the need for better management of tourist expectations and experiences for tour operators, and to further research on mass ecotourism in general.

Management implications

Our findings shall help tour operators in mass ecotourism to better manage visitor experiences:

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  All ecotourism and wildlife tourism operators, including in mass ecotourism, need to include environmental learning into their offers. Neglecting environmental learning is risky as it compromises satisfaction levels and leads to negative behavioral outcomes.

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  In their marketing, tour operators should clearly communicate aspects of nature and wildlife. This may help to counterbalance unrealistic expectations fueled by tourists' eco-related media consumption, as well as to highlight the unique selling proposition of wildlife and ecotourism tours.