I must agree with Taz - the buck is what counts and most of these mass tour operators really do not care and are fake about concerns. This is really in all countries and noit just with wildlife.

Taz, thank you very much for the compliments about Bushdrums.

To be honest, only a part of Bushdrums was meant for people who seriously care for wildlife and are somehow involved in conservation. The main part of it IS actually meant for the average tourist. The idea is to provide all the general info a tourist needs but also give him access to deeper information that includes the problems as well.
If you look at the number of daily visitors we have and compare it with the people that register and post in this forum, you will see that there are obviously quite a few just browsing.

In the beginning Nico and I had a conversation on which accommodations to write about: only the "good ones" or also list others and criticise them? We decided that it would be too harsh and we are propably not enough in the picture to make such a clear statement. If you criticise one, you have to be critical about all to be fair.

But this also filters our visitors. We do not mention these companies or destinations and therefore we do not appear in the search results of keywords they look for.

Taz, you seem to be in the tourism business, have you got an idea on how we can approach the average tourist?

I think this will slowly come out by word of mouth. Everything great takes time; hence Bushdrums.
On Bushdrums although most of us do not know each other personally; apart from a few of us - it is great the way it has started.
Without wanting we have formed a great interest with each other and I find it fantastic to be able to ask an opinion to Jan, Pippa, Kipper or Bwanamich (who has gone AWOL for some time) and get a real honest opinion back as if I hve known them for a very long time.
If Bushdrums would have kicked off and we would have had a great rush of regitered people, this will never have happened.

Slowly it will take off and hopefully become a sight with more infgormation for tourism and travel allowing them to read the "what to do and what not to do" and what is the difference with an tourist with a brain and one without" - NOT loosing the interest we have in wildlife.

I am therefore still for the idea of pushing Bushdrums and making it know although some of you think that we shall just be like many other companies and the hotels will not bother with us.

I still believe that we shall get there and we will do it properly. Those of you who have registered on our website especially the ones mentioned with Taz now getting well involved - I hope they also feel that it is there website as the input placed is absolutely great and with our heads together we will be able to have fun and take Bushdrums to another level.

I for one need to get my backside into gear now that my business season is slowling for the end of the year and promote Bushdrums somehow on my property and maybe shop as well??

Carsten, targeting the average tourist is very difficult. I have close friends with interests in the toursim industry ranging from exclusive lodges/camps to tour operators & travel agencies in Kenya & abroad. Being a wildlife fan, I visit the parks often, even if it is as a commercial visitor, but there is no better place to go to when you need some time out!
Unfortunately, to target the average toursit means you have to start with the tour operators and toursit boards and booking agencies. They must take the first step in educating their clients and staff. An example is a privately owned company (which I shall not name, tho) that has been around for almost 30 years. They do regular trainings with their driver/guides, test them on a regular basis and also do random checks on them while on safari. The clients also undergo a full briefing on not only the code of conduct expected from them but also their driver/guides and in case of any breach, they are to be reported immediately. On occasions, the company has sent out replacements for drivers who do not observe the basic guidelines set out in terms of safetly and conservation. However, this take time and resources - both of which most tour companies do not wish to allocate. It is also difficult to target the travel agency selling the packages as to them - well its just a 9 to 5 job.
The toursim industry has some parties who are interested in the long term welfare of the industry. But they are the minority. And as long as there is an "i dont care attitude", it makes it all the more difficult to do anything.

Hmm, I think the problem is that the average tourist doesn't care and as long as this is the case, the tour operators etc. do not see any reason to put money aside for conservation.

So, to get the enterprises to change anything, you need to educate the customer and create a demand for conservation projects from the customer side.

Trip Advisor, for example, has thousands of visitors every day asking the same first-timer questions like what clothes to wear on safari over and over again. If we can get these people to look for their answers on bushdrums, there is a chance that they will also read the odd topic related to conservation and slowly slowly there can be a change in attitude.

But how do we get people do search for "what to wear on safari" on Bushdrums?
Yes, we can start a world wide television campagne to let everyone know that Bushdrums is THE website when it comes to safari, but I forgot to play in the lottery so we are short of that kind of money

Of course Nico is right, we have made progress and as time goes by the word will spread but I am simply wondering if there is anything else we can do.

I was hoping that the eco-lodges we promote would ask their customers to submit reviews but this doesn't seem to be the case. Overall the response from camps and lodges shows that none of them need any promotion, even if it is free of charge.

Carsten I have a few thoughts.....But at present snowed under with work....and........Thinking's not my best Discipline! :T :T