Setting a Strategy for the Use of Social Media as an Educational Tool to Promote Eco-Responsible behaviours: The Case Study of Nature Parks in France

This study explores the extent to which French Regional Nature Parks have shifted to digitalisation to support their mission, particularly in terms of raising eco-awareness in the population. It aims to identify the opportunities and challenges related to the use of Information and Communication Technologies for educational purposes and promoting eco-responsible behaviour. A survey was distributed to communication officers in the 55 inland French Nature Regional Parks, achieving a 48% response rate. The data analysis reveals that parks face structural, cultural and environmental challenges that impact their use of the digital environment for educational purposes. Regional Nature Parks represented in the study lack confidence in their ability to provide the necessary online content to help visitors act eco-responsibly and do not take advantage of the relational function of social media to draw online educational strategies based on the visitors’ feedback or to facilitate online knowledge exchange. A set of recommendations is provided to the French Regional Nature Parks to optimise their use of digital technologies for educational purposes and to promote the parks’ activities and missions.