Abstract:
This research was a study of verbal and non-verbal language and content for promoting ecotourism on the website of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (www.tat.or.th/thai). The aim was to study verbal and non-verbal ecotourism information and the role of messages in promoting ecotourism. As for the research methodology, this research was content analysis based ecotourism information from five menus : Activities, Festivals and Holidays, News, Travel Tips, and Coming Attractions between January 1-31, 2005 on the website of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Moreover, persuasive communication, public relations, ecotourism, and tourism theories were also analyzed. The results showed that ecotourism content issues consisted of giving primary ecotourism information, reference to past events or ecotourism historical evidence, presentations on the advantages of ecotourism for tourists, and giving tourists suggestions or regulations regarding ecotourism. When the results on the theories were analyzed, it was found that in each there were parts promoting ecotourism which agreed with ecotourism principles in different ways. The use of verbal language in ecotourism information had two characteristics : 1) verbal in naming information topics, such as the use of nouns and noun phrases, specific names, verb phrases, rhyme and alliteration, invitation and request words, statements, and question sentences, and 2) verbal content, such as the use of intense words or phrases to emphasize content, pronouns of address in conversational aspect, repetition of words, rhyme and alliteration, and figurative language. As for non-verbal language, pictures inserted into the content, such as ecotourism attraction pictures, ecotourism activities pictures, and festival, tradition, and local products pictures were used. When they were analyzed, it was found that verbal language helped to raise and make clear content issues, and non-verbal language had some aspects which agreed with ecotourism principles."