ViveChachapoyas.Com: Encouragement of Sustainable and Responsible Consumption of Community Rural Tourism Through Digital Transformation

Abstract

(a) Situation faced: The Community Rural Tourism (CRT) in Chachapoyas, Peru, will not entirely take advantage until developing a viable business model, supported by the information technologies (IT) as facilitators to introduce local operators and the communities. Thus, this particular industry faces a digital transformation challenge. (b) Action taken: ViveChachapoyas.com focuses on developing a B2C-B2B model with social marketing strategies based on Community Rural Tourism (CRT) in Chachapoyas, Peru, and serve as an example for similar situations in the world. The CRT is an activity with high potential to promote sustainable and responsible consumption of the Andean communities around Kuelap and Gocta (Amazon rainforest). The CRT has three typologies: agritourism, ecotourism, and experiential tourism. In the latter, the tourist and the community establish an anthropological bond. Both (Community-Tourist) revalue the used resources, reinvigorating the area’s cultural identity. Besides, it allows creating new jobs and sustainable trade opportunities among its stakeholders: communities, operators, and complimentary services (accommodation, restaurants, fairs, festivals, travelers, archaeological sites, among others). (c) Results achieved: Through an integration model, the community suppliers will be able to keep local and foreign tourists up to date with valuable information and will customize travel packages that promote archaeological, natural, and population riches on the tourist route. Consequently, the case discusses strengthening relationships of trust between stakeholders, providing a digital alternative to reduce unnecessary transaction costs for intermediary agents, who have encouraged only commercial visits to Kuelap or Gocta. (d) Lesson learned: There is a lack of knowledge in the proper use of terms related to CRT. Therefore, it is a priority to standardize the language using the correct definitions. The academic contribution of the ViveChachapoyas.com project is to be a study case that integrates relevant information on CRT in the region while offering niche market research about the tourism sector in Peru. The practical contribution is to lay the foundations for a digital transformation project implementation, adding efforts to achieve the goal of tourism activity. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.