Caminos de Osa is a community rural tourism project in the Osa Peninsula that aims to provide a tool to foreigners visiting the area. Currently, the project is integrated by more than 40 small entrepreneurs in the area, who have been working for several years with the support of various institutions, such as the Costa Rica United States Foundation for Cooperation (CRUSA) and the IDB.
The first tool is a map designed with geographical accuracy that offers different logistical details, such as times and distances. It shows the routes of the four roads (Camino del Agua, Camino de la Selva, Camino del Oro and Osa Elemental) and the location of the associated ventures, in a realistic and attractive way. By presenting images and detailed descriptions of each of the activities, the map invites tourists to fully immerse in the experience of Caminos de Osa.
In addition, the digital passport is an application that tourists who visit the ventures and packages of Caminos de Osa can download on their cell phone and collect the “stamps” of each of the places they visit as a fun and stimulating activity. Depending on the number of stamps that each tourist collects, they can exchange them for products from Caminos de Osa or even discounts, rewarding their preference for the local product.
The application allows tourists to add photographs and comments, as well as create a “memory” of the adventure, which they can print or share on their social networks. In addition, customers can rate the quality of the service received, thus generating feedback for the improvement of each enterprise.
With the implementation of these technological tools, Caminos de Osa will be able to stand out from other rural community tourism destinations, by narrowing the technological gap that separates entrepreneurs from their potential clients.