Importancia de las estrategias de comunicación digital para mejorar la percepción y adopción de turismo responsable en la Red Turística de Pueblos Patrimonio de Colombia

Abstract

This reflective article, developed under the research assistant modality, examines the importance of digital communication strategies in strengthening visitors' perception and adoption of responsible tourism practices in the Tourism Network of Heritage Towns of Colombia (Red Turística de Pueblos Patrimonio de Colombia). It starts from the recognition that, although digital communication has become a key instrument for promoting and positioning destinations, it tends to favor narratives focused on visual appeal while overlooking cultural context and guidance on the respectful use of the territory. This gap between promotion and visitor education can lead to tensions with local life, deterioration of tangible and intangible heritage, and a perception of intrusion among host communities. Guided by the question of how these strategies can help visitors not only get to know a destination but also understand its cultural, territorial and community value, the article argues that digital communication should be understood as a space of symbolic mediation capable of translating the value of heritage towns into clear behavioral guidelines before tourists arrive, thereby fostering awareness, shared responsibility and destination sustainability.