communication

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Toward Effective Communication
related: postcards, social web, workshops inspiration: [|seek out and create stories], [|diverse cultural reality] slideshare: [|we suck at communication] (23,000+ views) editing: [|Value of Communication]


 * Communication** = Exchange of information and thoughts

Wiki
awards benchmarking blogs buzzword bingo ecoconference indigenous tourism award ost presentations ratings rss storytelling tools tourism portals unscripted

Oaxaca
foamboard postcards

Buzzword Bingo
Accent - Alphabet - [|Analogy] - App - Authentic - Avatar - Backchannel - Bandwagon - Billboard - Bird Song - [|Blarney Stone (Cloch na Blarnan)] - Body Language - [|Bloviate] - Braille - Briefing - Broadcasting - [|Bulletin Board] - Business Card - Butt Call - Buzzword Bingo - [|Calque] - Camera Shy - Captions - Cartoon - Catchphrase - Catchup - Chalk - Chalkboard - Charades - Chat - Chat Roulette - Chatter - Chit Chat - Cite - Civic Discourse - Coin a Phrase - Collaboration - [|Cold Calling] - Cooperation - Collaboration - Comments - **Communication** - Constructive Criticism - Conversation - Counternarrative - Conversation Starter - Copy - Cowbell - Dance - Data - Debate - Design - [|Dialectic] - Dictation - Digital Inclusion - Discourse - Discussion - Document - Doodle - [|Doublespeak] - Drama - Earworm - Eavesdropping - Edit - Email - Empathy - [|Euphemism] - Exposition - Evergreen - Explainer - Eye Contact - Eye Roll - Face to Face - Facepalm - False Drama - Feedback - Feedback Loop - Fist Bump - Foamboard - Follow - Font - Fluency - Gesture - Golden Record - Gossip - Graffiti - Grammar - Graphic Novel - Greeting Card - Gutenberg - Haiku - Handout - Hangout - Handshake - Handwriting - Heckler - Homophone - Human Megaphone - Hymnal - [|Hyperbole] - Icon - Improvise - Incoming Call - Information - Information Delivery System - Information Dump - Insider Joke - Interaction - Jargon - Joke - Keyboard - Kiss - Landline - Laptop - Learning - Lingo - Lip Service - Listen - Literacy - Long Distance Phone Call - [|Loose Cannon] - Love Letter - Mailing List - Megaphone - Meme - Message in a Bottle - Mirror Neuron - [|Meta-references] - [|Mirror Writing] - Mirroring - Mixtape - [|Mondegreen] - Monkey See, Monkey Do - [|More Cowbell] - Mother Tongue - [|Mumpsimus] - Muscle Memory - Naming Rights - Narrative - Non-Narrative Storytelling - Notice Board - Open - Opinion - [|Pablum] - [|Parable] - Party Line - Pay Phone - Persuasion - Phatic - Phone - Ping - Placeholder - Podcast - [|Portmanteau] - [|Pragmatic Particle] - Pray - Predictive Typing - Propaganda - Pulpit - Pun - Punchline - Punctuation - Rank - Radio - Rant - Rating - Recap - Replay - Response Time - Remix - Rhetoric - Rotary Phone - Secret - Semaphore - Shortwave Radio - Shoutout - Sketchbook - Skim - [|Skywriting] - Skype - Sign language - Signage - Signs - Sing - Sign Painting - Slang - Slogan - Slow Clap - Small Talk - Smartphone - Social Web - Spitballing - [|Spoonerism] - Story - Storytelling - Submarine Cable - Suggestion Box - Symbol - Talanoa - Tablet - Talk - Talking Point - Telegraph - Ten Dollar Words - Texting - Thought Bubble - Tongue - Touch Point - Transcript - Transcription Fluency - Translation - Transparency - Trash Talk - [|Trigger Word] - Tweetchat - Twitterstorm - Unscripted - Unspoken - Unwritten Rule - Viral - Voice - Voice Writing - Warning Light - Water Cooler Conversation - Wayfinding - Weasel Words - Whisper - Whistleblower - Wiki - Wikification - Word - Word of Mouth - Word of the Year (WOTY) - Word on the Street - Word Play - Wordsmith - Writers' Room - Writing - Yellow Pages

Greeting Card
http://www.someecards.com/usercards/create http://cdn.someecards.com/someecards/usercards/what-is-the-impact-of-tourism-on-climate-change-and-of-climate-change-on-tourism-759e9.png

https://www.lovepopcards.com https://twitter.com/lovepop [|#lovepop] 

Phatic Communication / Phatic Journalism
relating to language used for general purposes of social interaction, rather than to convey information or ask questions. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/language-blog/bal-it-looks-just-like-news-20151111-story.html http://www.signewords.com/blog-en/phatic-culture-and-the-media https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phatic_expression

Rosetta
http://rosettaproject.org [|Allusionist 42. The Key part I: Rosetta]

Slideshare
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Cue Yourself

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Roofdog
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Players

 * DOMINANT || NON-DOMINANT ||
 * UNWTO, UN || Community groups ||
 * Tourism ministries ||  ||
 * NGOs || NGOs ||
 * Large businesses || SMEs ||
 * Travelers || Travelers ||
 * Locals || Locals ||

Venues

 * DOMINANT || NON-DOMINANT ||
 * Formal events || Informal events ||
 * Festival || Fair ||
 * Conference Center || Public Space ||

Technology

 * DOMINANT || NON-DOMINANT ||
 * Talking Face-to-Face || Talking Face-to-Face ||
 * Phone/cell phone || Phone/cell phone ||
 * Email || Email ||
 * Google Earth || Google Earth ||
 * Flickr || Flickr ||
 * Wiki || Wiki ||

Old School - New School

 * Old School || New School ||
 * Top Down || Horizontal ||
 * Command and Control || Empowerment ||
 * One Way of Doing Things || Many Ways of Doing Things ||
 * Scripted Conference || Open Space ||
 * Events behind closed doors || Livestreaming ||
 * Competition || Collaboration with games ||
 * Read Only Culture || Read Write Culture ||

Essay
Communication reflects the culture that creates it. Effective communication is much more than shouting louder than the next person. Stop broadcasting. Communicate.

Language
There are a number of disconnects -- the language used by policy makers bears little resemblance to practical concerns. Says Frank Segieth about [|COP-8 in Curitiba]: "The topics, wording and terminology of those conferences is so complicated that the state of Paraná had to organize a pre-meeting for all the national journalist prior to COP-8 in order to enable them to understand and follow at least some part of the discussions."

And it's not just the conservation side of the equation that is murky. For example, the complexity of the backpacker market is due to the fact that there is no universally agreed definition of what is a 'backpacker.' 'Ecotourism' fares no better.

Querer Querer
Many stakeholders want to want to communicate when in fact they do not want to communicate at all.They are eager to discuss the nuances of improved communication, but they do not follow through. How many aspiring screenwriters have not written a script? How many travel operators want to have written a press release? In Spanish, this is called 'querer querer.'

A few years ago, an academic researcher spent time in a coffee-producing region and offered to teach English in exchange. The lessons did not go beyond the first class. "I don't understand," she said. "They said they wanted to learn Spanish." When asked, community members gave a number of reasons why they could not go to more than one class, but in the end wasn't it that the teacher was stripping the students of their desire to communicate? This is just one of several [|stones in the road].

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A failure to communicate
Steve Bridger who launched [|afterwilma] critiques the official promotion of Mexico as being unresponsive to local and traveler needs in his presentation on blogging, Consider the Conversation. Blogs allow conversations with and for communities, not to and at an audience.As Tim Leffel asks in his book, [|Make Your Travel Dollars Worth a Fortune]: "Try a little experiment on your computer. Pull up Expedia, Travelocity or Orbitz and try to find some information on little family-owned inns, places with fewer than 30 rooms. See what you can learn about public transportation where you're headed ... Don't feel bad if you strike out; you're not meant to succeed."

How do local operators compete? Tim says: "Unfortunately, a lot of hotels, especially in developing countries, are stuck in the year 1996 or earlier. To get noticed now, the first priority is a current, regularly updated web site. You need plenty of descriptive text, ample photos, and an email address that actually gets answered, in English." ([|Conversation with Tim Leffel])

The same bias that online search engines give to corporations and those who can pay is mirrored on the ground to most tourism conferences and to most environmental conferences as well. Are we satisfied having separate dialogues?

Back in 2002 at the various ecotourism conferences I brought up the topic of the environmental impact of transportation -- how it needed to be factored into ratings and reviews of ecotourism. It sparked an online dialogue but it took years for the topic to be addressed in major conferences.

Communication 101
At the other end of the spectrum are players who want to communicate, but they don't know how. Many tourism stakeholders are aware that improving communication is a worthy objective, yet are stymied by how to put the practice into action. These players want to communicate, but they do not have a mastery of the basics -- writing, taking pictures, emailing or photocopying.

The Value of Communication
Sustainable tourism requires effective communication.This means incorporating feedback loops that provide valuable input to providers, travelers, media, policy-makers and other players. When it comes to responsible travel and conservation, it is critical that we [|improve the dialogue].

How does such a [|divergent crowd] unite during times of [|crisis] or when receiving constructive criticism? Do policy makers, media, academic groups and NGOs have a solid way of listening to concerns and interests from the ground? Are there ways to create incentives for both communication and listening?

Perhaps there is a way to strengthen the environment which welcomes divergent viewpoints. First we need to distinguish what is truly communication.

Making Sustainability Sexy
If it is [|Sustainability Versus Air Conditioning], who wins? When institutions highlight "sustainable development," they rarely share materials in a timely manner and even less so with the interested reader in mind. The result is that sustainability is not very accessible. I once asked a major "A-list" [|foundation] if they would provide a transcript of an important forum on development issues. The director was incredulous and replied, "What? Make it available to everyone?"

"Trickle down sustainability" is the major disappointment of the past century. The open-door approach is more successful than top-down strategies being implemented and then abandoned. And it's not so difficult.

That's said, it's not easy to develop sustainability in an on-demand world with a short-attention span. What's needed? More buzz. Perhaps even institutional "interactive media engagement advisors."

Text scroll https://twitter.com/i/moments/875333105107730434

A few words about Planeta.com
One of the goals in launching [|Planeta.com] in 1994 was that we were able to use 'new' technology (first a hip gopher site, then one of the very first websites) to share information about ecotourism and responsible travel. Ron Mader declared his role to be a 'communication catalyst' so that not only would Planeta.com grow, but also there would be an engaging dialogue online and offline around the world. Planeta.com quickly became a respected source of information used by passionate insiders around the world.

Decentralizing Communication
Planeta.com spotlights what is local across the globe. We work toward decentralizing communication by encouraging engagement - active participation and reciprocity among our readers, including locals and travelers alike. We provide direct access to travel operators, language schools, artisans and conservation groups.

Our site provides the tools for communication across the range of tourism and conservation stakeholders. Those who contribute formal articles (see [|writers' guidelines]) receive a bio including email and web link so treaders can make direct contact. We launched our [|ratings program] to create further incentives for communication.

Events
Planeta.com asks colleagues to review events in which they have organized or participated in terms of being eco-friendly and people-friendly. Results are used to update our guide to [|Green Events].

Development Communication
Is there payment for content creation? Is there payment for content development? Are communication development portals hip to the social web? Is anyone evaluating the engagement or effectiveness of 'development' websites?

Planeta.com launched the first [|Sustainable Development Index] in 1996 to assist researchers and journalists covering environmental business and sustainable development. Daily reporters generally do not have the time to investigate or report on long-term developments.Ideally, we should see more up-to-date information on criteria and implementation. How to accomplish this? Create incentives for communication. Make sustainability sexy.

Failure
Solar oven story.

Improving the Dialogue
In 2006 Planeta.com invited tourism professionals -- particularly those at the forefront of ecotourism -- to participate in a candid [|review] of tourism promotion. Respondents have given government marketing campaigns around the world a low mark. Comments indicate that in country and outbound travel operators either do not know the PR agencies that represent the country.

Promoting your tours - response average: 1.0 Promoting tourism overall in your country - response average: 2.0
 * On a scale of 1-5 (1 being the least, 5 being the most) please rate your level of satisfaction with the official tourism website in the county where you operate tours.**

National promotion - response average: 1.5 International promotion - response average: 1.75
 * On a scale of 1-5 (1 being the least, 5 being the most) please rate how satisfied you are with official government tourism campaigns in the country where you work.**

Analysis
These are alarming results for those interested in ecotourism and responsible travel as it indicates that rather than promoting what's available, the promotion departments are seen as an obstacle, particularly for in-country small and medium businesses.If our collective goal is to improve the marketing of ecotourism, the solution is simply to improve the dialogue among operators and national tourism campaigns. The reality is that the most 'eco' and the most 'community-focused' services receive the least promotion. If local and national tourism promoters could get on the bandwagon of promoting already existing services, this would go a long way into making such services more eco-friendly and people-friendly.

While little or no consumer demand may exist for certified 'eco' vacations, we should not accept the status quo. The emphasis needs to be placed on evaluating the industry and offering training and promotion for local providers who strive toward sustainability and ecotourism.

Recommendations

 * Everyone** - Create incentives for communication. Learn to listen. Create benchmarks for communication and make a 100% improvement within a calendar year.
 * Event Organizers** - Make sure there is plenty of lead time for organization and preparation. For face-to-face events, make them as eco-friendly, people-friendly as possible. Conduct parallel dialogues online.
 * Environmental Groups, Development Agencies, Funders, Governments** - Expand the rolodex. Make sure your networks for communication are as diverse as possible. Also, create online FAQ pages. If three or more people ask the same question in person or via email, the answer should be on your website.
 * Academics** - Publish course indices online and provide opportunities for interaction.
 * Consultants** - Accept contracts advertised in print AND on the Web. If the job contracts are hard or impossible to fnd on a donor site, there are problems with transparency.
 * Donors** - Give credit for collaborative efforts, particularly those that respond to community requests. Also, insist that grantees provide regular updates to local constituents and that they post news and photos on the Web.
 * Journalists** - Show your work to locals. Participate in relevant online forums -- this may involve dedicating several weeks to several months in an online e-conference or relevant newsgroup. Do not cite unpublished reports. Provide a link in your story to resources you quote. Explain how others (including operators, government and non-government organizations) can submit a media release.

Features
[|E-Publication: Communication and Sustainable Tourism] (review) [|Communication Notebook] [|Recommended Forums, Bulletin Boards and Portals] [|Conversation with Tim Leffel] [|Dialogue on Responsible Tourism and Conservation] [|Dialogue on Tourism, Crisis and Communication] [|Marketing Ecotourism on the Web] [|Communication in Sustainable Tourism] [|Citizen Journalism] [|Sustainability Versus Air Conditioning] [|The Value of Communication] [|The Value of Continuity] [|Walk with the Weavers] [|What the consultant saw - Flickr]

There is no conversation without effective communication.

Starting Points
would you like to co-create ...
 * incentives** for communication
 * opportunities** for conversation
 * rewards** for participation

Ask yourself
what would you like to share? what would you like to learn? what is the most convenient time to speak? what is the most convenient tool to use?

Headlines
http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2015/mar/11/confessions-of-a-creative-writing-teacher-spark-internet-backlash http://www.ted.com/talks/ernesto_sirolli_want_to_help_someone_shut_up_and_listen [|Travel agents' shocking service exposed - Travelmole]

Gestures
[|A Glossary of Gestures for Critical Discussion]

Quotes
There's a terrific amount of science that's sitting on shelves and we need to get it in forms that help us as communities make better decisions. - [|John Williams], [|Murray Darling Water Forum]

The easiest thing to do on earth is not write. - William Goldman

A conversation occurs when people listen to each other over time. - [|Communication notebook]

Every act of communication is an act of translation. - Gregory Rabassa, cited in Chris Bliss' presentation [|This is your brain on comedy]

Without communication, there is no civilization. - [|M. J. Akbar], [|Imagining Peace in the Middle East]

The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place. - George Bernard Shaw

Leer no solo te hace más culto, sino más interesante. - [|Ortografía]

It's a rare person who wants to hear what he doesn't want to hear. - Dick Cavett

The Biggest Problem in Communication Is the Illusion That It Has Taken Place - William H. Whyte ([])

Recommended Listening
[|Steven Pinker's guide to writing in the 21st century] - Steven Pinker explains how to write clear and coherent prose with a sense of style.

[|Open Science] - For the past hundred years Science has taken on a secretive dimension, driven by military and economic imperatives. The idea of the 'Open Science' movement involves promoting greater sharing and transparency. We explore the movement's ambitions and the hurdles it faces

[|The case of open science] - The need to share scientific knowledge has never been more urgent. The present global knowledge system is good at generating knowledge, but poor at sharing it. Science communicator and author Julian Cribb talks about the need for better communication of science in society.

[|The Information] - How has our relationship to information altered our lives? The author of bestselling books 'Chaos' and 'Genius', James Gleick, looks at the history of information in his new book - from its earliest forms to the emergence of a theory of information.

[|Communication, access and equality] - We look at a number of projects aiming to improve access to communication - be it the use of telephones in East Timor or Internet access in the remote interior of Australia.

__[|Rhetoric: the art of persuasion]__ - While we might be suspicious of rhetoric, especially by politicians, it's actually part of our everyday lives. Journalist Sam Leith has been investigating the art and has some tips on how to use it for good, not evil.

[|How writing began] - Writing would have to be one of the greatest legacies of ancient Mesopotamia, where the earliest-known system of writing was invented some 5000 years ago. First formed out of, then written in the abundant alluvia of the river valleys, hear how archaeologists figured out just what brought this communication system into being.

[|Empire State: Ernest Fisk and the World Wide Wireless] - This story charts a time, not unlike our own, when new communications technology appeared to affect just about everything in life. The man who helped foster telecommunications in Australia, Ernest Fisk, believed that wireless was 'the greatest gift of science to Australia.'

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Questions
//What are the things we don't talk about?// //What are the benchmarks for communication in travel, responsible travel and ecotourism?// //What are the best ways to introduce social web tools to tourism and conservation leaders who may be ... Internet phobic?// //How is constructive criticism best communicated?// //How do we listen to travelers?// //What are appropriate topics for small talk?// //Do we provide adequate training to locals so they can improve their communication skills?// //Do we understand the differences required by national, regional and global visitors in seeking quality tourism experiences?//

Translating: If you want visitors, make it easy for them to find you.
Spanish: Si deseas que los visitantes, hacen que sea fácil para ellos encontrar.

Visitors are seeking place-based information, not ecotourism or responsible tourism. They are also looking for topical info of interest to them. And some are even keen on meeting the locals.

We discussed the merits of placed-based coverage in our 2002 article [|The Coverage of Place] prepared for the Rhodes Journalism Review. Contemporary examples of place-based dialogue include [|Rebuilding Place] and the [|Project for Public Spaces].

Online
Online communication is more robust than ever with a growing number of podcasts, photosets, PDFs, blogs and new and improved websites. Travelers are seeking ways to interact online and in the natural world -- we increasingly plan ahead, stay online during a visit ('have to check the email') and recap afterwards.

There has also been an increase in [|commons-based peer production]. It's easier than ever to change the world, or at least change Planeta.com or contribute to the Wikipedia.

As Bruce Sterling makes clear in his SXSW podcast [|Make No Decision Out of Fear!] these are times in which we don't have the proper words for everything that is being created.

The following is a quick review of what's being used in 2006 and how we might finesse existing technologies -- many of which are free or inexpensive -- and improve the knowledge we have about responsible tourism and conservation.


 * BLOGS** - Blog is short for web log. Examples include [|afterwilma], [|World Hum], [|World Changing] and [|Travel PR Blog] which reminds readers that "Travel News Travels Fast."

Afterwilma created a [|group gallery] with almost 150 members.
 * VISUAL BLOGS** - Visual web logs such as Flickr are becoming web favorites due to their simplicity and opportunities for collaboration.

Cantu's [|galleries] document Oaxaca. "Flickr is an information system and one that's easy to learn. I'm not a professional photographer, but I have received positive reviews which have inspired me to communicate more."

Question -- is there interest in this group to create a gallery showing examples of responsible tourism in parks and protected areas?


 * PDFs** - PDF is short for Portable Document Format and is a great way to bridge the PC-Mac divide. Earlier this year for the Responsible Tourism Forum in Baltimore, Transitions Abroad released the [|Responsible Tourism Handbook] as a PDF.

Publishers can also make documents available as Word documents. Kudos to Mexico's National Institute of Ecology for posting online many of its [|publications]. Check out [|La Defensa de la Tierra del Jaguar], a translation of the classic [|Defending the Land of the Jaguar]. The print version published by INE is out-of-print. The online version //nunca se acaba//.


 * PODCASTS** - [|Junglecasts - EchoRadio] document current research in Palenque.

To see what can be created, we recommend two rugby-focused podcasts (both created with a minimal budget). New Zealand's [| Dropkicks] is entertaining (come for the rugby, stay for the 'wacky around the world' ) with a dose of Flight of the Concords humor. These are all independent ventures. They are interesting in a way that appeals to a passionate fan. Is it possible that we might find ways of creating podcasts about responsible travel or conservation or biodiversity in a way that engaged listeners?


 * SPAM** - Email revived the art of correspondence and has morphed into instant text messaging and blogs. We have developed some top-notch [| email tips], along with suggestions on writing effective messages and avoiding [|spam].

The Wiki Revolution
[|Wikipedia] is a free online encyclopedia and a maturing news service. Wiki readers find that not only can they access information, they can also contribute editorial content and suggestions. Our challenge -- participate in the Wikipedia in a way that improves our overall knowledge.

Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_semaphore

What operators suggest

 * Frank Segieth:** I recently attended the COP-8 in Curitiba about the [|Convention on Biological Diversity]. Much is said about the important role of ecotourism in the context of conserving biodiversity and in the context of "bridging" the gap between biodiversity and poverty. Few things are done in concrete to reach this goal.

We work together with a local NGO from the state of Paraná (south of São Paulo) called [|SPVS], the partner organization for Brazil of Nature Conservancy in the United States.

They principally care about conservation issues in the Paraná particularly in the very poor coastal area of Guaraqueçaba but as they recognized that solving conservation issues is impossible without solving social issues, we convinced them to start thinking of ecotourism as a tool to close that gap. They applied for funds from the government, the funds are released and now they are starting to work on an ecotourism project in the Guaraqueçaba region where we are softly involved. Aside from building up an infrastructure, training, guides etc. the largest problem from my point of view is marketing and communication in order to attract international ecotourism to visit this area.

What from my point of view really would be important (and very simple) in order to strengthen (responsible!) ecotourism activities in remote places like Guraraqueçaba where biodiversity meets poverty, is that the organizations working toward conservation and biodiversity (UNEP, World Bank and others) evaluate local promising ecotourism companies and involve them in their action plans. The minimum I expect is that these organizations dedicate a page that link to exterior sites -- responsible ecotourism tour operators and their projects.

Unfortunately, always when I tried to address this issue I receive a standard answer: "We don't include commercial sites." This position does not help biodiversity and conservation.

Becoming media
This is an exciting time for [|citizen journalism]. [|CJ or "Citizen Journalism"] is used to describe the way in which citizens play an active role in collecting, reporting and distributing news. Like many cutting-edge terms, 'citizen journalism' is not universally accepted. Some media outlets opt for more 'neutral' terms such as 'contributing writers.

Example: The [|afterwilma] website provided an opportunity for hundreds of people to collaborate in [|commons-based peer production]. If online publication provides an opportunity for anyone to be a journalist, what is equally true is that the Web provides the opportunity for readers to play the role of an [|editor].

Place-Based Writing
One of the frequent discussion threads during the [|Media, Environment and Tourism Conference] is the value of local reporters versus parachute journalists. Why don't we write more about the places where we live?

Narrative sells and much of today's environmental and travel literature is written from cultural perspectives that in the best cases share various points of view while telling a story about place.

Dealing with Crisis
During times of [|crisis] we would like to see those considered deal immediately with the issues at hand and put them into context. We'd like also like to see a sustained interest. The impressions created by crisis will only be alleviated by informed, independent review.

In the Sustainable Options blog, Martin de Witt examines [|crises and the oversupply of bad news] : "It seems as if there is an incentive (at least in some circles) to keep the fires of crises burning. Or to put it differently: bad news sells."

Why should tourism officials work to make sure that credible information is available to the public? The answer is one word -- credibility. A colleague who writes about Baja California says it best, "If the tourism departments are not forthcoming about problems that are widely reported in the media, we begin to ask 'what else are you not telling us?'

Looking at coverage of Hurricane Wilma's destruction in the Yucatan, [|Visit Mexico Press] deserves kudos for keeping media aware of the changing situation. That said, visitors to the [|Visit Mexico] website were not informed of problems.

The problem does not lie only with PR, but the operators and hotels themselves. Says Steve Bridger, UK-journalist, winner of the Lente de Plata Award and host of [|afterwilma]: "While there are websites providing information on the evolving situation, they are dispersed and you often get contradictory information. If a hotel is operating normally… then their website should say so, not pretend that the hurricane never happened."

Operators
Says one operator: "Getting mass media involved is an ongoing issue for all of us. If the New York Times prints 'ecotourism' articles about Francis Ford Coppola's ecolodge with the private landing strip for VIP's they need to be informed. Also, TV media that covers 'alternative travel' needs to know that responsible travel begins with responsible media. We receive continuous requests from the media to film our 'sanctuaries' in Crete. They don't want to pay us for our collaboration and do not really want to focus on the truth about damaging mass tourism. Most shows just highlight food and travel and rarely address the real issues."

Dead Tree Books and E-Publications: Mexico
[|La Defensa de la Tierra del Jaguar] [|Defending the Land of the Jaguar] [|Mexico: Adventures in Nature] [|Mexico]

Improving relations with media
[|Toward effective communication in sustainable tourism] [|How to Write a Media Release] [|How to Host a Press Trip] [|How to Improve Signage] [|How to Prepare a Media Kit] [|Editing Tips]

Responding to Criticism: Lessons from Maine
[|Maine Web Report] [|Maine Office of Tourism] [|Blogger Sued for Posts Criticizing Maine's Department of Tourism - World Hum] [|State Tourism Promo Funds Up, Visitor Numbers Down - Lincoln County News] [|Blogger who criticized Maine tourism office faces lawsuit - Boston Globe] [|State tourism policies spark online debate - Press Herald] [|How not to fight a web war - Eweek] [|Warren Kremer Paino Withdraws Lawsuit - MWR] [|State Legislator Calls for Investigation, Contract Suspension - MWR] [|Lance Dutson - Technorati]

Responding to Criticism: Lessons from Wisconsin
WTF

[|Ron Mader - ECOCLUB Interview] [|Two nations divided by a common language]

Feedback Loop
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/06/ff_feedbackloop

Golden Record
[|Golden Record - NASA] http://www.umdrightnow.umd.edu/news/voyager-1-has-left-solar-system http://www.radiolab.org/2007/oct/22 https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/06/solving-the-mystery-of-whose-laughter-is-on-the-golden-record/532197

Arecibo message https://www.sapiens.org/column/wanderers/messaging-to-extraterrestrial-intelligence/ https://twitter.com/OmanReagan/status/931241940879736832

Handwriting
http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~graves/handwriting.cgi http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/futuretense/does-handwriting-have-a-future3f/6738582 media type="youtube" key="89vzfTFu1Vw" width="560" height="315"

Mixed Messages
Some people are not getting the message and leave communication that is a bit bewildering. Examples:


 * Example || Solution ||
 * Ashtray next to the 'no smoking' sign || Make rooms smoking or non smoking. Fine people who smoke in the non-smoking rooms ||
 * The eco book plastic wrapped and double boxed || No plastic, single box, also make titles available as e-books ||
 * the glossy ecotourism brochure || Print smaller brochures on recycled paper ||

Tips
Call before you knock

Bad Communication
Tope Atrás! = Speedbump Behind

Gutenberg
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/11/02/how-the-gutenberg-press-embodies-combinatorial-creativity http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/11/08/the-machine-that-made-us-stephen-fry-bbc

Punctuation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eats,_Shoots_%26_Leaves

Working notes
Are there times when officials fall into communication via private email instead of participating in public forums or wikis?

A lot of communication is being lost because people are too far apart in their contexts. Often we need intermediaries that can help bridge the gap.

Communication - Inform, persuade, remind

Is consultation genuine or is it a 1-way conversation?

//Editor's note: This rambling essay (aka information dump) attempts to weave// //practical tips for those who wish to be more effective communicators.//

//Misc//
https://kitchencounterculture121.wordpress.com/2014/06/24/prawns It's true those of us writing about travel rarely address issues relating to environmental and social conflict. Back in 2001 Planeta.com hosted an online conference on the topic -- http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/period/metevent.html - but the dialogue showed how divided publishers and the industry itself are to connecting the dots: business features here, travel features there and social critiques way over there.

Are we making progress? Sadly, no. Industry conferences rarely address the complex issues, leaving important topics unspoken. Media? Travelporn is the new foodporn.

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