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Lab-Vecinal: Neighborhood Innovation Lab

CAMINNOS ANCESTRALES - Digitizing rural tourism

Program for the digitalization of tourist attractions and promotion of ancestral knowledge for community economic development and self-sustainability.

Municipality

BO
Toro Toro, Charcas,

Category / Sub-Category / Topic

Economic development, Tourism

Type of investment needed

Equity

Associated SDGs

The challenge

The economy of rural communities is limited due to the lack of commercial channels for artisanal products and the absence of tourist attractions in digital spaces.

In recent years, the flow of tourists has decreased by 70% in Torotoro, with only 6 of the 26 communities in the municipality participating in this significant economic activity.

The project

The program consists of developing community tourism in Torotoro (Bolivia) with a conscious and sustainable approach, working in coordination with actors of the tourism chain for the digitization of services and products made by  the rural communities. The focus will be on the following components:

  1. Strengthening of a Local Change Network for the launching of promotional material about the project: the community will be the protagonist in the development of local enterprises, being the main recipients of economic income to generate resources that will allow them to diversify their economy.
  2. Development and launch of the virtual tourism experience on the Esariri platform: skills will be acquired for the development of tourism experiences on digital platforms, in response to the emerging limitations of distance and social isolation phenomena (Pandemic Covid).
  3. Creation and exhibition of pieces from the NFTs (Non Fungible Tokens) collection: capabilities will be developed to tokenize cultural expressions and biodiversity, registering them on the blockchain as NFTs, in order to promote them in global markets, thus increasing their value.
  4. Consolidation of Torotoro's digital presence: direct contact between communities and end consumers will be strengthened, maximizing the capacity to generate income through digital channels. At the same time, phenomena such as increased logistics costs, speculation by intermediaries or bargaining by the end consumer will be mitigated. This can be done through: 4.1) Presentation and promotion of the Lineup of native and digital artists and the Curatorial Committee; and 4.2) Delivery of equipment and resources to the community organization for the sustainability of the project.

Know more...

Torotoro has been catalogued as one of the main tourist destinations in Bolivia, being part of an important protected area and cradle of the culture of 26 indigenous communities, prominently of Quechua origin. The communities are organized into cantons and are part of the Torotoro Municipal Government. They are dedicated to agricultural activities, subsistence cattle ranching and tourism.

The territory is made up of several ecological levels where fossils from the Paleozoic period can be found, providing habitat for several endangered species. The area is a complex matrix of ecosystems arranged in a range between 1,900 and 3,700 meters above sea level. This altitudinal gradient with almost 2,000 meters of variation occurs on a geographic scale of 166 km2.

The rural tourism sector is affected by the lack of means of promoting rural products and the limited connection to digital channels. Both aspects are impediments to the strategic promotion of the cultural attractions that the territory offers and the sale of rural products to urban markets. This affects the economy of the communities, given the impossibility of generating a stable income with activities aligned with sustainable development and the responsible use of natural resources.

The main problems related to the current tourism situation in Torotoro are the following: i) tourism activity only includes 6 of the 26 communities that inhabit the territory, ii) the active destinations have exceeded their tourism capacity, causing erosion of the ecosystem, iii) the lack of promotion and information on digital platforms means that the destination is unknown and little considered for tourism and, iv) the lack of connectivity and digital promotional media limit the enormous potential of this destination that holds in its memory the history of the land and is the cradle of Andean civilizations.

  • Consolidation of a Local Exchange Network for the launching of promotional material: an institutional coordination space will be developed among the main actors of the region's tourism sector, scheduling events and exchange meetings. At the same time, promotional pieces of the project will be launched, together with the development of the region's brand and the design of the Media Plan.
  • Presentation and promotion of the Lineup of native and digital artists and the Curatorial Committee: the line-up of digital artists will be summoned, interviewed and formed, together with the formation of a Curatorial Committee.
  • Creation and exhibition of the pieces of the NFT collection: community members will be trained for the development of Digital Art/Photography Collections and their registration in the blockchain as NFTs, in order to generate intercultural co-creation experiences with digital artists.
  • Creation and launch of virtual tourism experience on the Esariri platform: potential routes will be selected in communities outside the current tourism circuit and community members will be trained, in order to create virtual experiences that can be launched on digital platforms.
  • Delivery of equipment and resources to the community organization for the sustainability of the project: the active participation of rural communities in the tourism chain will be consolidated with a focus on sustainability and inclusion through training programs, transfer of skills and installation of equipment in the territory. 

Direct Results

  • Consolidation of a Local Change Network with the participation of 10 organizations.
  • Launch, presentation and exhibition of the 60 pieces of the NFT (Non Fungible Tokens) collection.
  • Presentation and launch of the virtual tourism experience on the Esariri platform with the participation of 12 members of the community.
  • 42 local entrepreneurs will receive equipment and resources for the sustainability of the project, benefiting 4 rural communities.

Expected impact

  • Integrate 6 of the 12 communities with connectivity in Torotoro to the digital market within six months, with the offer of NFT pieces and tourist experiences of their culture and ancestral knowledge. This will be done through their own accounts in NFT Art Galleries, cryptocurrency wallets owned by the community organization and their own profiles in Social Networks, remaining for the use of the community in future projects and collections.
  • Generate a flow of 100 new digital tourists through 3 virtual tourism experiences of Torotoro by 2022.
  • Make Torotoro tourism visible in digital markets, allowing 4 communities to have the means and installed capacity to offer their products and tourism experiences on e-commerce platforms.
  • Generate 2 additional passive income sources for the 6 communities with connectivity, creating community-owned experiences and products that allow them to promote their culture and generate funds to promote new initiatives.
  • ESARIRI
  • SERVICIO NACIONAL DE ÁREAS PROTEGIDAS (SERNAP)
  • Alejandro Trujillo, Director ejecutivo CAMINNOS (alejandro.trujillo@caminnos.org) - Bolivia
  • Paola Guzman, Directora de Proyectos CAMINNOS (pguzman@caminnos.org) - Bolivia

Investment

(*): In kind/pro bonus

(**): Financing

Goods and inputs
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Registro de Colección NFT en la blockchain (Minting, Gas Fees*) (*) (**)

u$s 3000.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 3000.00

Adquisición e instalación de equipamiento digital, fotográfico para la comunidad, software y ordenadores (*) (**)

u$s 3500.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 3500.00

Manuales y guías digitales de capacitación para la comunidad (**)

u$s 1500.00

u$s 1000.00

u$s 500.00

Services
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Consultores en Arte Digital y NFTs (**)

u$s 3500.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 3500.00

Desarrollo de videos, Estrategia de Marketing de la experiencia online (**)

u$s 3000.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 3000.00

Desarrollo landing page, integración con plataformas virtuales y Galerias NFT (**)

u$s 3000.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 3000.00

Programa de Capacitación sobre NFTs para miembros de la comunidad (**)

u$s 2000.00

u$s 2000.00

u$s 0.00

Programa de Capacitación sobre experiencias turísticas virtuales para miembros de la comunidad (**)

u$s 2000.00

u$s 2000.00

u$s 0.00

Human resources
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Consultores de Capacitación en Arte Digital (**)

u$s 1500.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 1500.00

Desarrollo de Roadmap y estrategia de exhibición y publicidad de Colección NFT (**)

u$s 3000.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 3000.00

Consultores para experiencia virtual en territorio (**)

u$s 2500.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 2500.00

Producción y post-producción de experiencia online (**)

u$s 3000.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 3000.00

Desarrollo de Marca Región “Torotoro” y diseño de Plan de Medios (**)

u$s 2500.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 2500.00

Visita a territorio y eventos de socialización de componentes de digitalización en las comunidades (**)

u$s 1300.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 1300.00

Implementación de estrategia de Marketing Digital y gestión de Redes Sociales (**)

u$s 2500.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 2500.00

Monitoreo y Conducción de Reuniones de Red de Cambio (**)

u$s 1000.00

u$s 1000.00

u$s 0.00

TOTAL AMOUNTS:

u$s 38800.00

u$s 6000.00

u$s 32800.00

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