Public Perceptions about Nepalese National Parks: A Global Twitter Discourse Analysis

Abstract

Public participation in managing natural resources is important but obtaining diverse perspectives remains challenging. To assess how Twitter, a globally popular and influential public forum, could provide insights into diverse views about natural resource management in developing countries, we examined tweets about Nepalese National Parks. The content and sentiments of >9,000 tweets posted by >4,500 Twitter users from >90 countries were evaluated. Most tweets were sent by accounts in Nepal, India, USA, UK, Australia and Canada, with tourism, charismatic fauna, landscapes, culture, ethnic people, and issues relating to managing parks common topics. Twitter users’ origin/home location influenced which park and topics they discuss and with what emotions. The number of Twitter users was not correlated with park visitation but rather tweets were often sent in response to specific events and news. Twitter can provide insights into perceptions about parks including in low income countries, but there are important limitations.