Vidaurre‑Rojas et al.

Built Heritage (2024) 8:12 Built Heritage

https://doi.org/10.1186/s43238-024-00128-1

RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access

A social media adoption strategy for cultural

dissemination in municipalities with tourist
potential: Lamas, Peru, as a case study
Pierre Vidaurre‑Rojas1, Seidy Janice Vela‑Reátegui1, Lloy Pinedo2*, Miguel Valles‑Coral2, Jorge
Raul Navarro‑Cabrera2, Very Rengifo‑Hidalgo1, Teresa del Pilar López‑Sánchez1, José Seijas‑Díaz3,
Ángel Cárdenas‑García2 and Rosa Elena Cueto‑Orbe4

Abstract
Social media is commonly used by governments to disseminate information related to transparency and institutional
promotion, but its potential for the dissemination of cultural resources is often overlooked. This research proposes
a strategy for adopting social media to achieve cultural dissemination in the municipality of Lamas, Peru, which
has tourism potential and has been awarded the “Best Tourism Villages” seal of the World Tourism Organisation. Meth‑
odologically, we propose a case study at a propositional exploratory level. We start by determining the current state
of dissemination of tangible and intangible resources, as well as the practical use of social media, through a survey
of 20 officials. The results reveal that crafts are the most widely disseminated tangible resource in the municipality
(according to 55% of officials), and intangible resources are occasionally disseminated (50%). We also find that Face‑
book is the only digital channel used to disseminate cultural information. In this context, we formulate a strategy
for adopting social media to improve cultural dissemination, which consists of six phases: (i) forming a work team,
(ii) preparing a budget plan, (iii) strengthening capacities, (iv) taking inventory of cultural resources, (v) coordinat‑
ing community interests and (vi) preparing a cultural dissemination plan. The findings can contribute to formulating
public initiatives for the institutionalisation of social media in governments for the purposes of preserving, promoting
and guaranteeing the accessibility of cultural heritage.
Keywords Cultural heritage, Cultural preservation, Cultural promotion, Digital attraction, Digital communication,
Government, Social networks, Tourism development, Visitors

1 Introduction
*Correspondence: Cultural heritage, defined as the legacy of inherited prac-
Lloy Pinedo
[email protected]
tices, traditions, values, and artistic expressions that char-
1
ATEC Management Research Group; Faculty of Economic Sciences, acterise a society, represents an essential dimension and a
Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Jr. Maynas N° 177, Tarapoto, Perú
2
distinctive element of the development of communities.
Faculty of Systems and Informatics Engineering, Universidad Nacional
de San Martín, Jr. Maynas N° 177, Tarapoto, Perú
This legacy encompasses everything from local history
3
Tourism Development and International Business Research Group; and traditions to artistic expressions and past ways of
Faculty of Economic, Administrative and Accounting Sciences, life that have been preserved over time. By focusing on
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Alto Amazonas, Prolongación
Libertad 1220‑1228, Yurimaguas, Perú
cultural heritage, we highlight not only its historical and
4
Tourism Development and International Business Research Group; aesthetic value but also its role in shaping collective iden-
Faculty of International Business and Tourism, Universidad Nacional tity and contributing to cultural enrichment and diver-
Autonoma de Alto Amazonas, Prolongación Libertad 1220‑1228,
Yurimaguas, Perú
sity (Lerario 2022). The effective management of these
elements not only preserves and values local culture but

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Vidaurre‑Rojas et al. Built Heritage (2024) 8:12 Page 2 of 12

also projects it, showcasing its attractions and potentiali- digital competencies, as ICTs are efficient alternatives for
ties. This, in turn, facilitates the inclusion of local culture the creation and dissemination of information. Although
in tourism projects and initiatives at any stage, enhancing such tools do not guarantee the success of the processes
both cultural identity and tourist appeal (Méndez-Picazo, carried out, it is important to maximise their use.
Galindo-Martín and Castaño-Martínez 2021; Vlasov On the other hand, incorrect dissemination of the
et al. 2022). Specifically, the enrichment and promotion benefits presented by a culture limits the social and
of cultural development amplify the tourism dynamic tourism sector from accessing information that moti-
and add value to communities, highlighting their unique vates inbound tourism. More importantly, it prevents
aspects and attractions (Lei, Suntikul and Chen 2023; the native community from being recognised by its own
Viken, Höckert and Grimwood 2021). characteristics due to the influence or imposition of
Peru is a country known for its great multicultural, external elements (Wang et al. 2023). This causes natural
natural, and social wealth (Ramírez Villacorta 2021). This and cultural resources to be underutilised as tourist ele-
multiculturalism broadens the vision of indigenous peo- ments or products, which impedes socioeconomic devel-
ples, referring to an idea of national thought (Perusset opment and neglects the strengthening, transformation,
2022). One of the representative cities of Peruvian mul- instrumentalisation, and sustainability of development
ticulturalism is Lamas, which is by law considered part (Naranjo Llupart 2022; Silva et al. 2022).
of the cultural, folkloric, and tourist heritage of the San According to the above, this article seeks to improve
Martín region (Congress of the Republic of Peru 2003) cultural dissemination in the Provincial Municipality of
since it presents the legacy of the Chanca culture in cus- Lamas through the proposal of a social media adoption
tomary expressions of handicrafts, festivities, language, strategy, with the aim of exploiting the resources of the
music, and clothing, among others. digital society and, above all, exposing and making the
However, despite the recognition of its multicultural appropriate and correct cultural information of the dis-
value, in Lamas, there is an underutilisation of herit- trict of Lamas available locally, provincially, nationally,
age resources, with cultural promotion often omitting and internationally.
native elements in favour of external influences. This is
manifested in the prevalence of nonrepresentative tour- 1.1 Social media
ist images of the local culture, such as a European-style Social media, in the cultural and tourism fields, has
castle, suggesting cultural alienation (Galarza Schoenfeld, emerged as a tool that allows the preservation and pro-
López Mero and Mendoza Muñoz 2020). Lamas was cho- motion of cultural heritage in different regions of the
sen as a case study due to the unique dynamics of coex- world. Jin and Liu (2022) and Leung (2022) argue that
istence and conflict between different cultural elements, digital platforms offer unique opportunities for the
both tangible and intangible, which include colonial presentation and communication of cultural values and
architecture affected by an earthquake and indigenous traditions, allowing the creation of an authentic and
festivities. This study seeks to understand how differ- meaningful experience for the audience, which often
ent communities, both indigenous and local, relate and includes potential tourists. This virtual experience often
contribute to the conservation and promotion of their motivates individuals to explore the promoted places in
heritage. person, thus generating a virtuous cycle between digital
The research of Gordillo Mera et al. (2021) and Yeh promotion and real tourism.
et al. (2021) highlights the importance of promoting The strategic use of social networks in the promotion
culture through appropriate tools, especially in the cur- of cultural resources goes beyond simple publications.
rent era of globalisation and mass communication. Marchand et al. (2021) highlight that effective communi-
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) cation through social networks involves interacting with
and, in particular, social media have become significant the public, listening to people’s concerns and adapting
means of sharing and managing information, transform- to people’s interests and needs. The adoption of social
ing social dynamics and communication (Pappas et al. media by local governments and heritage management
2023; Salgado-García, Terán-Bustamante and González- not only increases the visibility of cultural assets but
Zelaya 2024; Van Veldhoven and Vanthienen 2022). also enhances citizens’ participation in decision-making
However, in the municipality of Lamas, insufficient use related to their preservation and promotion (Bokolo
of ICTs has been identified, which is attributed to low 2023). This favours the creation of digital communities
information management capacity and lack of aware- interested in and committed to the heritage presented,
ness of cultural value by administrative staff. According improving the dissemination and conservation of cul-
to Quiroz-Fabra et al. (2022), Rubio Oliveira (2022) and ture (Diaz Mendoza et al. 2023). Active interaction with
Stofkova et al. (2022), it is necessary for staff to develop followers allows for a constant revaluation of cultural
Vidaurre‑Rojas et al. Built Heritage (2024) 8:12 Page 3 of 12

assets in response to the trends and needs of contempo- 2 Methodology

rary society. Studies such as that of Liang et al. (2022) on We cover a case study corresponding to a propositional
World Heritage sites in China and that of Foroughi et al. exploratory level because, to our knowledge, no studies
(2023) on Yazd, Iran, demonstrate how social media has have explicitly described the route or process of propos-
been used to evaluate online participatory practices and ing social media adoption strategies for cultural dissemi-
reveal the cultural significance of built heritage through nation in municipalities with tourist potential. However,
the voices of locals and tourists. These approaches high- various authors (Criado and Rojas-Martín 2016; Sobaci
light the effectiveness of digital platforms in preserving 2016; Valle-Cruz and Sandoval-Almazán 2015) affirm
cultural heritage. that social networks provide governments with new
For Lamas, we apply similar learning methods, inte- channels to quickly disseminate information about trans-
grating community participation into our cultural con- parency and self-promotion to improve their institutional
servation strategy. As Van der Hoeven’s (2019) study of image before society.
historic urban landscapes in the Netherlands shows, the
use of online narrative practices on social media plat- 3 Case study
forms contributes to the conservation of urban heritage. Our focus for the case study is the municipality of
The stories and online maps shared on these platforms Lamas, located in the department of San Martín, Peru.
reveal the various layers of heritage values, actively Lamas stands out as one of the oldest cities in east-
engaging people in urban conservation. This inclusion ern Peru, with a history dating back to around 1350. It
of citizens in information dissemination and decision- was established by Law No. 7848 on October 16, 1933,
making processes through digital platforms ensures during President Óscar R. Benavides’ administration.
more democratic and sustainable cultural management Lamas is a potentially attractive tourist destination that
over time. received the prestigious ’Best Tourism Villages’ award
from the World Tourism Organisation in 2022, thanks to
1.2 Cultural diffusion its outstanding preservation of cultures and traditions,
Cultural dissemination has found social networks to be a celebration of diversity, generation of opportunities, and
powerful ally for expanding and reconnecting with global protection of biodiversity (Ministry of Foreign Trade and
audiences. According to Vicari and Kirby (2023), digital Tourism 2023).
platforms have reconfigured the way in which cultural
manifestations are shared, consumed and reinterpreted, 3.1 Unit of analysis
allowing them to transcend geographical and genera- We surveyed 20 officials from the provincial municipality
tional borders. Multimedia content can facilitate the of Lamas, out of 91 employees as of April 2023. The sam-
presentation and appreciation of works, traditions and ple was nonprobabilistic for convenience, as we selected
cultural expressions, highlighting their relevance in the only officials who were responsible for cultural preserva-
contemporary social fabric. tion and dissemination and who were directly involved in
By democratising access to information, social net- managing Lamas’ cultural heritage. This sample size was
works have promoted diversification in cultural represen- chosen because it represents the key actors in the imple-
tation. Molho (2023) and Münster et al. (2021) argue that mentation of the proposed social media strategy. How-
these platforms allow marginalised and minority com- ever, we recognise that effective promotion of cultural
munities to share their narratives and cultural heritages, heritage through social media is not limited to municipal
challenging stereotypes and promoting intercultural officials. Other important groups, such as local residents,
understanding. Thus, there has been a resurgence and business owners, artists, and educators, also play a fun-
valorisation of traditions that, outside the digital sphere, damental role in this process. Therefore, we will also con-
could have remained in the shadows. sider the perspective and participation of these groups in
The potential of social networks for cultural promo- future phases of the study, acknowledging their essential
tion and preservation lies not only in their capacity for contribution to the dissemination and valorisation of
dissemination but also in their ability to foster interac- Lamas’ cultural heritage through digital platforms.
tion. Lardón-López et al. (2022) maintain that these tools
allow the emergence of virtual communities united by 3.2 Data collection instruments
shared cultural interests. Within these spaces, debate, We developed a closed-ended ad hoc questionnaire
reinterpretation and collaborative creation are encour- divided into two sections. The first section measured the
aged, ensuring that cultural manifestations continue to frequency of cultural dissemination in the municipality of
evolve and adapt to contemporary dynamics and main- Lamas from the perspective of the 20 officials. This sec-
tain their relevance and durability over time. tion was divided into two dimensions: (i) dissemination
Vidaurre‑Rojas et al. Built Heritage (2024) 8:12 Page 4 of 12

of tangible resources (five items) and (ii) dissemination of media. After evaluation, the questionnaire scores were
intangible resources (six items). An additional item was 4.6 and 4.8 for each section, exceeding the established
used to measure the frequency of cultural resource dis- validity threshold of 4.1. The applicability of the question-
semination for tourism purposes. The second section was naire was confirmed, and its consistency for investigating
designed to identify the use of social media strategies for cultural management in local governments and the use of
promoting cultural dissemination in the municipality. social media was ensured.
Three officials were surveyed: one (1) economic develop- To ensure the reliability of the instrument, we con-
ment manager, one (1) submanager of tourism and hand- ducted a pilot test with 15 municipal officials who were
icrafts, and one (1) head of the institutional image unit. not part of the main sample. The resulting Cronbach’s
This section consisted of four dimensions: (i) dissemina- alpha coefficient of 0.75 exceeded the acceptability
tion channels (five items), (ii) social networks (five items), threshold set by Cronbach et al. (1965), ensuring that the
content (four items), and attraction strategies (six items). questionnaire responses were consistent and reliable.
Responses to the first section were measured on a four-
point Likert type scale (never, occasionally, often, and 4 Results and discussion
very often), while the second section adopted a dichoto- 4.1 Cultural diffusion in the municipality of Lamas
mous scale of yes and no. According to Fig. 1, we highlight that crafts are the tan-
Before administering the questionnaire, we imple- gible cultural resource with the highest frequency of dif-
mented a process to validate the internal consistency of fusion in the municipality of Lamas, as observed by 55%
the items using the Delphi method (Linstone and Murray of the officials. In addition, 50% of the officials perceived
1975; Okoli and Pawlowski 2004). For our study, we con- that works of art and technical and scientific achieve-
vened five recognised experts in the field of cultural man- ments are occasionally disseminated, and 20% stated that
agement and social media. Each expert independently information about historical-cultural buildings is never
evaluated the questionnaire, focusing on ten key criteria: disseminated. According to these findings, we infer that
clarity, objectivity, timeliness, organisation, sufficiency, the tangible resources of the municipality are, to a large
intentionality, consistency, coherence, methodology, and extent, often or occasionally diffused.
relevance. We used an ordinal response scale (1 = very The results show the relevance of crafts as tangi-
poor, 2 = poor, 3 = acceptable, 4 = good, 5 = excellent) to ble resources with high diffusion, occupying a promi-
quantify the evaluations. nent place in the cultural assessment and promotion
The Delphi method allows systematic evaluation by of the community. Crafts, according to Koumara-Tsit-
incorporating the perspectives of diverse experts, which sou and Karachalis (2021) and Mayuzumi (2022), are
is fundamental in the context of cultural management a direct manifestation of traditions and local identity
and the adoption of emerging technologies, such as social and are a key attraction for cultural tourism, generating

Fig. 1 Frequency of diffusion of tangible resources (Source: the author)

Vidaurre‑Rojas et al. Built Heritage (2024) 8:12 Page 5 of 12

opportunities for the sustainable economic develop- is an indigenous language used by the original communi-
ment of small businesses and local communities. There- ties of Lamas and spoken by various communities in the
fore, their widespread promotion and dissemination are Amazon region of South America.
required to attract the attention of regional, national and The results show that the dissemination of both intan-
international tourists interested in learning about and gible and tangible resources is low in the municipality of
acquiring artisan products. On the other hand, the lim- Lamas, which corroborates the perception of 55% of offi-
ited diffusion of information about historical-cultural cials, who indicated that heritage resources are occasion-
buildings coincides with the finding for Colombia by Ber- ally disseminated for tourism purposes. In addition to
nal-Pedraza and Licona-Calpe (2020), who note that pub- considering institutional efforts, we observe how social
lic policies have not been implemented at the national media is used by other community actors, such as local
level to promote the preservation of traditional cultural artists, cultural organisations, and the general popula-
housing at the local level. As a result, institutional sup- tion, to actively promote the cultural heritage of Lamas.
port is subject to the disposition of local governments in This community participation expands information dis-
power, and financing varies between support from the semination and enriches the cultural narrative of the
private sector and public resources allocated through municipality, complementing official initiatives.
inconsistent calls. Unlike the case in the municipality of Lamas, encour-
We next consider the dissemination of the munici- aging findings about the importance of the preservation
pality’s intangible cultural resources, which cannot be and dissemination of artistic manifestations have been
physically touched but have a deep cultural and symbolic reported in places such as Lisbon, Portugal, by Campos
meaning for the community and are related to practices, and Barbio (2021), who mention that artistic expression
expressions, knowledge and traditions that are transmit- is treated as a resource for the formulation of cultural
ted from generation to generation and that contribute to and public policies focused on its revaluation and urban
identity and social cohesion. More than 50% of officials marketing. Furthermore, the authors point out that local
(Fig. 2) reported that almost all cultural resources are authorities use urban art with three fundamental strate-
occasionally disseminated. We highlight the low diffusion gic objectives: the construction of landscapes and urban
practiced by cultural agents who play a crucial role in revaluation, the remodelling of the image of the city or
promoting the conservation and communication of her- city brand, and the social promotion of stigmatised ter-
itage resources. Similarly, we observe a limited diffusion ritories and communities. On the other hand, Singh
of oral native and traditions, specifically Kichwa, which and Rana’s (2021) study of cultural diplomacy in India

Fig. 2 Frequency of diffusion of intangible resources (Source: the author)

Vidaurre‑Rojas et al. Built Heritage (2024) 8:12 Page 6 of 12

provides an interesting parallel with our focus on Lamas. 4.2 Use of social media strategies in the municipality
In India, institutional policies in local governments have of Lamas
been successful at promoting popular manifestations as We seek to obtain a concrete understanding of the practi-
tourism assets rather than focusing exclusively on spir- cal use of social media strategies and use this information
itual approaches and religious identities. This success in as a foundation for the design of digital strategies aimed
cultural dispersion and representation in Southeast and at promoting cultural dissemination in the municipal-
East Asia highlights the effectiveness of adapting cultural ity of Lamas. The officials unanimously stated that they
diffusion strategies to local contexts. In Lamas, we also disseminate cultural heritage through only one channel,
seek to explore how local policies and the promotion of social networks, and more particularly, through Face-
specific cultural elements through social networks can book, and its frequency is occasionally. Regarding the
influence the perception and tourist attraction of the content used for cultural dissemination, they mentioned
municipality. that they use photos and videos occasionally; and regard-
Compared to those in the municipality of Lamas, gov- ing attraction strategies, they mentioned that they do not
ernment institutions in Europe and Asia have played a use any due to their lack of knowledge. Table 1 shows the
key role in the preservation and promotion of cultural indicators that were analysed.
heritage, recognising cultural diversity as a resource for The findings suggest that in the municipality of Lamas,
strengthening local identity and attracting tourism. At current efforts to disseminate cultural heritage through
Lamas, we address a similar strategy, focusing on cultural social networks are carried out occasionally and are lim-
conservation as a means to reinforce community identity ited by a restricted focus in terms of diversity of con-
and belonging (Škrabić Perić et al. 2021; Ng et al. 2023). tent and attraction strategies, challenges that are largely
Our analysis describes the cultural heritage of Lamas, attributed to the low institutionalisation of social net-
including archaeological sites, oral traditions and crafts, works in the local environment. This low institutionalisa-
each protected at different levels according to their his- tion is supported by factors such as concern for security;
torical and cultural relevance. The management of this the scarcity of resources for maintenance, control and
heritage is carried out by the local government in col- evaluation; and the absence of a solid governance frame-
laboration with indigenous communities and cultural work (Criado and Villodre 2022). This coincides with the
organisations, ensuring that each group has a say in how finding of Català-Oltra and Penalva-Verdú (2020) that
their heritage is preserved and promoted. communication technologies are incorporated late in
Additionally, we examined the demographic compo- small municipalities, and the municipalities need institu-
sition of Lamas and the specific heritage of each group. tional support to adapt to this new form of administra-
For example, indigenous ceremonial sites have high spir- tion and communication of political action.
itual and cultural value, while craft practices are valued In addition, local governments often use social net-
for both their cultural significance and their economic works as platforms for the communication of political
potential. These different aspects of heritage are pro- events, such as the promulgation of regulations or laws,
moted through investments in cultural infrastructure, institutional agreements, risk warnings or measures
educational programs and events, thus contributing in response to natural disasters (Cho and Melisa 2021;
to cultural tourism and local economic development Hagen et al. 2020; Padeiro, Bueno-Larraz and Freitas
(Amalu et al. 2021; Mwongoso, Sirima and Mgonja 2023; 2021). Although this communication is relevant in itself,
Nooripoor et al. 2021; Wani et al. 2023). According to it is evident that cultural dissemination at the munici-
Giannakopoulou and Kaliampakos (2020), to achieve sus- pal level receives minimal attention, a fact that could be
tainable benefits, it is crucial to have solid cultural poli- attributed to low perception of the importance of cultural
cies that integrate all these dimensions. dissemination, as well as a lack of central government

Table 1 Evaluated indicators

Social media strategies
Broadcast channels Social networks Content Attraction strategies

- Web page - Facebook - Photos - Content Marketing

- Social networks - Instagram - Videos - Online events
- Email - Tik Tok - Audios - Webinars
- Blogs - Twitter - Infographics - Live broadcasts- Influencers
- Podcast - YouTube - Storytelling
Vidaurre‑Rojas et al. Built Heritage (2024) 8:12 Page 7 of 12

support to develop officials’ competencies in cultural The strategy for adopting social networks for cul-
management and the use of digital tools, provide tech- tural dissemination in the municipality of Lamas is pre-
nological resources and encourage the preservation and sented as a proposal through a systematic plan. Before
promotion of local culture (Bernal-Pedraza and Licona- its implementation, indicators are evaluated to measure
Calpe 2020). the pre- and postimpact of social networks. The indica-
tors include the number of followers on the fan page of
4.3 Social media adoption strategy for cultural the municipality of Lamas, the number of reactions to
dissemination the dissemination of heritage, reposts, the degree of com-
To improve the poor cultural dissemination of the munic- mitment of tourists and residents with digital resources,
ipality of Lamas, we propose a strategy for adopting social and the number of tourists who visit a certain heritage
media tools that will expand the communication and resource, among others.
preservation of the tangible and intangible heritage of the Figure 3 shows the scheme for the adoption of the
municipality, which are sources of high tourism poten- social media strategy, which begins with the formation
tial. The strategy seeks to improve the understanding of of a multidisciplinary team for cultural management
and approach to the communication of cultural herit- in the municipality of Lamas, selected from the main
age within the local municipality through digital mecha- areas or subareas linked to heritage preservation and
nisms, considering identity as a central axis in municipal communication. These include the Sub-Management
management and thinking about the cultural legacy that of Culture, Sub-Management of Social Programs, Sub-
will be transmitted to new generations. Considering this Management of Indigenous Affairs, Sub-Management
area of action as a transversal axis within the role of the of Tourism and Crafts, Sub-Management of Local Eco-
municipality favours local development and respect for nomic Development and the Institutional Image Unit.
cultural diversity in the context of sociocultural dynam- Next, a budget must be prepared for the operational
ics, such as migration (San-Martín-Salgado et al. 2020). activities of the strategy, which must be integrated into

Fig. 3 Outline of the social media adoption strategy for cultural dissemination (Source: the author). (Experts who validated the instrument: Mg.
Tomas Cotrina Trigozo (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5959-5772), Dr. Rony Flores Ramírez (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9171-6172), Dra. Karla Patricia
Martell Alfaro (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-8740), Mg. Cinthya Torres Silva (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8543-6975), M. Sc. Ruth Nataly Aragón
Navarrete (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7967-0741)
Vidaurre‑Rojas et al. Built Heritage (2024) 8:12 Page 8 of 12

the municipality’s expenses. Then, the officials on the However, the effectiveness of social media for cultural
team that will be in charge of implementing the strategy dissemination also entails notable challenges. One is the
should receive training in basic cultural management competition for attention in an information-saturated
skills and the use of digital tools. In addition, an inven- online environment. Municipalities must strive both to
tory of heritage resources must be carried out in coor- create content that is visually attractive and narratively
dination with the cultural agents of Lamas and the local distinctive and to use and enhance content created by
population according to the ’Guide for the preparation social media users. Promoting specific hashtags, such as
of inventories on intangible heritage in urban contexts’ #LamasPueblo, can be an effective tool for making the
proposed by Martínez-Ordóñez and Hernández-Mac- place visible and encouraging members of the local com-
edo (2021). In addition, coordination and awareness- munity and visitors to share their experiences and per-
raising must be carried out with native communities ceptions. Moreover, social media should be seen not only
to articulate the interests of the population in the dis- as a means for superficial cultural promotion but also as
semination of heritage for tourism purposes. The next a vehicle for education about and the preservation of cul-
stage concerns preparing the dissemination plan, which tural heritage. The stories transmitted through these plat-
includes the cultural dissemination schedule accord- forms, by both municipality officials and users, can keep
ing to the inventoried dates on which cultural events traditions alive, preserve historical memory and foster a
are celebrated or commemorated, if applicable, in addi- sense of cultural identity. Direct interaction with the pub-
tion to the selection of content and strategies to attract lic, allowing real-time questions and answers, promotes
broader audiences through social networks. meaningful dialogue that deepens the understanding and
In Table 2, we describe the actions that must be car- appreciation of local culture.
ried out in the municipality of Lamas to improve the
cultural dissemination of heritage through the adoption 4.4 Adoption challenges
of a social media strategy. Despite the obvious benefits that social media can offer
Our proposal reveals that social media has evolved to cultural dissemination in municipalities with tour-
from a simple online communication platform to a ism potential, such as Lamas, it is essential to recognise
useful tool for cultural dissemination in municipalities that its adoption entails challenges that can influence the
with tourism potential since its global reach and ability effectiveness of cultural promotion strategies and must
to create instant connections have revolutionised the be approached with caution and consideration. The fol-
way in which municipalities can present their cultural lowing limitations are complemented by the observations
wealth to the world and attract travellers seeking genu- of Criado and Villodre (2022) regarding the low institu-
ine and enriching cultural experiences. In this context, tionalisation of social networks in the government.
it is imperative to emphasise the importance and value
of social media in cultural promotion and to demystify 4.4.1 Content saturation
the notion that its use is limited solely to political issues The digital age is characterised by the constant genera-
since these digital channels provide not only a means tion of information online. In this saturated environment,
for political expression but also a virtual showcase for the fight to capture the attention of the public is more
the artistic expressions, traditions, customs and cul- challenging. Municipalities with tourism potential that
tural heritage that define a municipality. This online seek to highlight their culture must face constant com-
exhibition can transcend geographic boundaries, cap- petition for the public’s attention. This requires the work
turing the attention and interest of cultural explorers team to creatively develop attractive and relevant content
seeking authentic destinations. that satisfies the audience and differentiates the munici-
Importantly, social media platforms are more than pality from other destinations.
promotional tools; they can also be active channels of
cultural dissemination. For example, social media facili- 4.4.2 Maintenance and continuous updating
tates the creation of virtual events and dissemination of Effective social media management goes beyond the
real-time information about festivals, exhibitions and initial creation of profiles. It involves a constant com-
cultural activities. This capacity for instant interaction mitment to generating quality content, interacting with
not only fuels audience enthusiasm but can also influ- followers and regularly updating information. However,
ence people’s decision to visit the municipality. Online this demand on time and resources can be overwhelm-
interaction allows potential visitors to engage with the ing, especially for municipalities with staffing and fund-
culture before they arrive, creating an early and lasting ing limitations. A lack of constant attention can lead to
connection with the destination. an outdated online presence and ultimately a loss of audi-
ence interest.
Vidaurre‑Rojas et al. Built Heritage (2024) 8:12 Page 9 of 12

Table 2 Actions to adopt the social media strategy for cultural dissemination
Phases Actions to take

Form a work team A work team must be formed and consolidated in municipal governance with officials whose work activities are
linked or related to the cultural management of the municipality, including personnel from the following areas
and subareas:
- Mayor’s Office
- Institutional Image Unit
- Social Development Management
- Sub-Management of Education, Health, Culture and Sports
- Sub-Management of Indigenous Affairs
- Economic Development Management
- Sub-Management of Tourism and Crafts
- Sub-Management of Local Economic Development
Prepare budget plan A budget plan must be developed for the execution of the social media strategy for cultural dissemination. This
may include a budget for field work to carry out a heritage inventory, payment for advertising on social networks,
editing of promotional videos, etc.
Strengthen skills Once the working group responsible for ensuring the cultural dissemination of the municipality has been consoli‑
dated, competencies must be strengthened in two fundamental aspects:
i) Cultural management: Involves training in the planning, organization, implementation and supervision of activi‑
ties and projects related to culture, as well as the administration of resources, the promotion of artistic and cultural
expressions, and the preservation of cultural heritage, with the aim of enriching the cultural life of the community
and promoting sustainable cultural development.
ii) Use of digital tools: Corresponds to developing activities to strengthen skills in the use of a variety of digital
platforms relevant to cultural dissemination, such as social networks (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), visual content
platforms (YouTube, Vimeo), blogs and websites. Training is also necessary regarding the production of multimedia
content, such as videos, photos and graphics, and effective social media marketing strategies, such as scheduling
posts and creating engaging content.
Inventory cultural resources This is a crucial phase for planning effective cultural dissemination. The tangible and intangible assets located
within the municipality must be inventoried using record cards. The process must be inclusive and collaborative,
involving the residents of the communities and respecting traditions and customs at all times.
Coordinating community interests Along with taking inventory of cultural resources, it is important to coordinate community interests and articu‑
late the communities’ purpose regarding the dissemination of their cultural heritage for preservation and tour‑
ism purposes, as well as for the implementation of the social media strategy. This will allow integrative work
between municipal officials and the local community in an effort to promote the socioeconomic development
of the municipality of Lamas.
Prepare cultural dissemination plan The cultural dissemination plan involves 5 stages:
- Stage 1: Prepare dissemination schedule
The period in which the cultural heritage of the municipality will be disseminated must be scheduled. It is impor‑
tant to account for the dates of festivals or specific commemorations according to the inventory prepared. Like‑
wise, it must be determined which channels, contents and attraction strategies will be used for each case.
- Stage 2: Select digital broadcast channels
It is suggested that all cultural resources be available on a web page, as well as on social networks, such as Face‑
book, Instagram, Tik Tok, Twitter and YouTube. In all cases, dissemination must be widespread to generate greater
reach and influence the decisions of potential tourists regarding visits to the municipality of Lamas. It is suggested
that the communications provide links to the profiles created in the different cultural dissemination channels
of the municipality and use hashtags. On the other hand, the use of blogs is also suggested to receive comments
from interested parties. Moreover, podcasts can be used to manifest intangible traditions, such as myths, legends,
or stories, and even broadcast interviews with cultural or indigenous agents of the municipality.
- Stage 3: Prepare digital content
The dissemination content must be varied and attractive. It is recommended to use referential photographs of cul‑
tural resources, videos, audios and infographics that reveal the different cultural manifestations. Here, the same
graphic line must be maintained, representing the colours of the municipality, to generate a greater impact
on user retention regarding digital content.
- Stage 4: Apply digital attraction strategies
Cultural dissemination must integrate attraction strategies to capture the attention of digital media users. To
this end, content marketing can be applied, with online cultural events, webinars on cultural manifestations, live
broadcasts of cultural events, heritage information releases by influencers and storytelling to dynamically show
the history of the municipal assets. Multiple digital attraction strategies can be used according to their conveni‑
ence for officials and the availability of the different inventoried resources.
- Stage 5: Spread cultural heritage
Finally, cultural heritage must be disseminated with consideration of the stages described above. Dissemination
through digital media has greater reach and a high probability of attracting potential specialized or general visitors
to the municipality and thereby increasing the socioeconomic development of the town.
Vidaurre‑Rojas et al. Built Heritage (2024) 8:12 Page 10 of 12

4.4.3 Information security revaluation and preservation of their heritage. Measuring

Cultural dissemination through social media often the impact of these social media strategies will be crucial
involves the publication of event details, personal data or for validating their effectiveness in improving the cultural
sensitive information. Protecting the privacy and security dissemination of the municipality of Lamas.
of this information is critical. Concerns about unauthor- The main limitation is the nature of the research design.
ised exposure or misuse of data must be addressed with Since we covered a propositional study for a particu-
robust information security strategies and the implemen- lar case, the findings cannot be generalised to the situa-
tation of clear privacy policies. tion of cultural diffusion in other municipalities of Peru,
The above three limitations of the adoption of the despite the importance of formulating digital strategies
social media strategy for cultural dissemination in the in complement with other cultural dissemination mecha-
municipality of Lamas lead to the need to propose miti- nisms in municipalities with tourism potential. Future
gation actions. In addition, although our proposal aims research could follow the implementation or adjustment
at cultural dissemination through digital means, we must of similar strategies in other municipalities, accounting
remember the importance of dissemination through tra- for the established phases of the strategy and measuring
ditional media, such as television, radio, and newspapers, the impact on cultural diffusion through indicators such
to reach a broader audience that lacks access to digital as the number of followers, reactions, reposts, and tour-
channels (digital divide); thus, the complementarity of ist attendance. Likewise, we suggest developing research
both dissemination mechanisms is recommended. to measure the level of cultural management in govern-
ments and the actions carried out to promote tourism
development through the use of cultural heritage.
5 Conclusions
Acknowledgements
The municipality of Lamas, awarded the ’Best Tourism The authors appreciate the participation of the officials from the Provincial
Villages’ seal by the World Tourism Organisation, stands Municipality of Lamas in the surveys.
out for its global tourism potential, thanks to the preser-
Authors’ contributions
vation of its cultures and traditions, the celebration of its Conceptualisation: PVR; SJVR; LP; VRH; TPLS; JGSD. Data Curation: LP; MVC;
diversity, the generation of opportunities, and the protec- JRNC; ACG; RECO. Formal Analysis: PVR; SJVR; LP; VRH; TPLS; RECO. Funding
tion of biodiversity. However, the municipality faces chal- Acquisition: PVR; SJVR; VRH; TPLS; JGSD. Investigation: All authors. Methodol‑
ogy: PVR; SJVR; LP; MVC; JRNC; VRH; TPLS; JGSD; ACG. Project Administration:
lenges in disseminating cultural resources due to officials’ PVR; SJVR; LP; MVC; RECO. Supervision: PVR; LP; ACG; RECO. Visualisation: LP;
limited skills in cultural management and information MVC; JRNC; ACG. Writing - Original Draft: All authors. Writing - Review & Edit‑
technologies. The lack of policies for the institutionali- ing: All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

sation of social media tools that promote collaborative Funding

work between officials and residents restricts the revalu- The research work was fully funded by the Universidad Nacional de San Martín
ation and dissemination of these resources to a wider through Resolution No. 611-2022-UNSM/CU-R.

audience, which is crucial for attracting visitors and pro- Availability of data and materials
moting socioeconomic development. Not applicable.
This research contributes both theoretically and prac-
tically to the field of cultural management. Theoretically, Declarations
it describes how the use of social media and digital tools
Competing interests
can facilitate the dissemination of the cultural heritage The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
of tourism-based municipalities, thereby strengthening
their public policies related to cultural promotion and
Received: 19 August 2023 Accepted: 7 March 2024
preservation. This paper proposes a new approach for the
academic community to consider the viability of using
social networks in the cultural context, which can signifi-
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