Do you want to be able to post to social media from remote locations?
A debate is raging over whether social media should move in on nature – in order to bring it to the world and inspire would-be travellers.
There’s talk of wifi hot spots in national parks, at the top of mountains and all over Australia’s natural land marks so images from ski-ers, hikers and canoe-ers can be sent to cyberspace in an instant and bring our national parks to the world.
Wifi stations would also help facilitate communication in emergencies.
Travel marketing expert Caroline Childs believes it is essential, as parks without hot spots are missing marketing opportunities ; she says: “younger generation ‘millennial’ travellers don’t make a distinction between the real and virtual worlds.
“When in nature, millennials need to share their sublime moments via social media or the experience isn’t complete. They may love nature, but they feel that an enforced unplugging or de-teching is emasculating them and is the equivalent to a loss of control.”
Childs says friends reading the posts become inspired and start to ask practical questions such as ‘When is the best time to go?’ ‘How do I get there?’ ‘What’s the best thing to do?’ Seeing the post moves the recipient along the path to purchase from the ‘dreaming’ stage to ‘travel planning,’ says Childs.
The same applies to fitness – when we see inspiring images, we’re more likely to get involved and create then commit to a fitness goal.
Have your say: should we have wifi in our national parks?
