Launch of the Digital Villages initiative in Latin America and the Caribbean

Live broadcast (April 29th)

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the use of digital technologies in the most diverse fields of economic activity and people's daily lives. In this context, rural digital transformation becomes important in order to boost its integration into the digital age and accelerate job creation, diversify rural economies, promote agrotourism, and improve income and livelihoods of rural households.

On the other hand, income-generating activities related to sustainable tourism in rural areas have been showing increasing importance in the region, which will be reactivated during the post-pandemic. Agrotourism, ecotourism and identity tourism are relevant economic activities for many households in rural and urban rural communities and localities in wide geographic areas of Latin American and Caribbean countries. In other words, Rural Tourism -in its different variants- constitutes an opportunity for employment and complementary income in rural territories with “comparative advantages”, and a first “catalyst” to expand digitization in agricultural and rural activities in the territories.

With this in mind, in September 2020, the FAO and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support countries in promoting rural tourism as a strategy for generating income and non-agricultural jobs. Additionally, FAO has launched the “1000 Digital Villages” Program through which it seeks to promote the integration of agriculture and rural territories into the digital age.

In this context, the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean is starting the project called "1000 Digital Villages in LAC", which will be deployed around the promotion of Sustainable Rural Tourism, based on the use of digital technologies for the management, promotion and sale of its services and related products in the territories.

Objective of the activity

Launch the "Digital Villages in Latin America and the Caribbean" initiative as part of the global "1000 Digital Village" initiative, publicizing the opportunities of the region for the development of rural tourism and the digitization of territories and communities.

Who will participate?

Government counterparts from the ministries of Agriculture, Tourism, Finance, Economy, and partners.

Videos of Digital Villages in Latin America and the Caribbean