Community Tourism Conditions and Sustainable Management of a Community Tourism Association: The Case of Cruz Pata, Peru

Abstract

Community tourism is generally carried out in areas and communities with a low level of development with a vast natural and cultural heritage that has the potential to attract tourists. Tourism development in these areas must take place in a planned manner, promoting economic, social and environmental development that generates decent employment that improves the quality of life of the population and guarantees the appreciation and conservation of natural and cultural heritage. This study analyzes the conditions of community tourism and the management of the Association of Tourism, Crafts, and Defense of Cultural Heritage Karajía, Amazonas, Peru. The study was descriptive, with a non-experimental cross-sectional design, using a matrix of the minimum conditions as a technique for developing community tourism and the survey of the management with a sample of 50 members of the association. The results show that it is feasible and meets the conditions of the Guidelines for the Development of Community Tourism in Peru to be part of the Community Tourism Strategy by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism with a score of 26.84, and the management of the Association of Tourism, Crafts, and Defense of Cultural Heritage Karajía presented a medium level with 72%. It was concluded that the community tourism enterprise managed by the Karajía Communal Tourism Association meets the minimum conditions for developing community tourism in Peru, however, it needs to strengthen the management of the enterprise.

1. Introduction

According to Maldonado et al. [1], the first scientific article related to community tourism was published at the beginning of the 1980s and after a first period of uncertainty with a few publications, its exponential growth began in 2010 when community tourism became an object of study of great interest, and its demand remains up to today. Community tourism arose from the idea of redesigning work objectives within tourism by switching the focus to a more sustainable approach through innovation, relationships with marginalized groups, and investment in small communities to contribute to their economy [2,3,4,5,6]. Simultaneously, community tourism aims to turn tourism into a more human activity since it involves a process of encounter and dialogue between two cultures open to solidarity, which can only happen when culture, nature, and people authentically come together. Community tourism also generally refers to all of the activities that can be developed in the rural environment and are interesting for city inhabitants due to the exotic and unique characteristics that make them different from their normal lifestyle [7,8,9,10]. The advocate traveler of this type of tourism is interested in getting to know the cultural and natural heritage, the typical lifestyle, and the work that is developed in the rural context. Additionally, Toselli [11] states that this type of tourism can be used as a positive tool for local and regional development from a socioeconomic perspective that enables an equal distribution of economic, social, and cultural benefits in the host communities. This can be reflected in education, employment generation, and greater income, which will contribute to eradicating poverty in developing countries.

In Latin America, Ecuador is considered as one of the countries that has implemented and developed community tourism in its territory due to its network approach and the initiatives launched to support marketing; at the same time, the community sector has become the third key player in the country’s tourism public policy, being recognized within the Ecuadorian tourism law [12]. However, in the case of Peru, tourism is a growing economic activity due to the endless natural and cultural resources in the country that attract thousands of people worldwide. The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (2016) states that the tourism sector represents 3.9% of the national GDP, being the third largest contributor to social inclusion, since it drives new employment generation and the creation of services to meet tourism consumption within the national territory.

One of the tourist destinations with great development potential for this type of tourism in the Amazonian-Peru is the community of Cruz Pata, located in the Trita District, in the Province of Luya. This community hosts the Karajía Archeological Site, which consists of pre-Hispanic tombs located in the opening of a cliff that belong to the Chachapoya culture that flourished during the Late Intermediate Period (1100–1470 AD), and the site is managed by the Association of Tourism, Crafts, and Defense of Karajía’s Cultural Heritage. Álvarez-García et al. [2] highlight the importance of strengthening the community tourism process between the private, public, and community sectors to decrease dependency and increase the self-sufficiency of each space. Aside from the importance of this tourist resource, which is a source of interest for those that wish to know more about this venture, communities play a priority role in its development, since they are the key players in the cultural and natural conservation of our heritage. For this reason, we must be aware that the responsibility is not only based on preserving a culture for observation purposes, but rather on boosting and encouraging community inclusion and participation in tourism activities.

To support this study, various studies were taken into account [13,14,15,16,17] to ensure that entering a model such as that of rural community tourism may be a ‘Good Living’ option as a sustainability model, not only for local livelihoods, but even for survival. It does not seek to commercialize culture but rather rescue it; it does not encourage the use of landscapes but rather the preservation of life. Rural community tourism is praiseworthy since tourist activities can be performed in all territories, regardless of their initial conditions (poverty, conflict, or unmet basic needs), and the challenge here is to generate more favorable conditions to develop tourism.

According to the challenges and based on the found literature, the objective was to determine the conditions of community tourism of the Cruz Pata enterprise and the management of the Karajía Association of Tourism, Crafts, and Defense of Cultural Heritage. As it is a descriptive study, the formulation of a hypothesis was not considered necessary.

This study has both theoretical and practical implications as it serves as a study model for other research in community tourism and provides a matrix that government agencies can use that is designed to evaluate enterprises that wish to be part of community tourism and to accelerate their integration of enterprises, benefiting the community and tourists as well as the country’s economy (see Supplementary Materials).

To support this study, a similar study by Huertas [13] was considered, which confirmed that tourism is a cross-sectional activity with low entry and exit barriers that is perceived as a source of income for small local market agents in which despite not having great bargaining power, they are able to generate huge revenues.

2. Literature Review

2.1. Community Tourism Conditions

Montalvo [18] showed that the rural community tourism in the three Kichwa del Alto Napo communities of the Ecuadorian Amazonian region could not be substituted with other activities. The focus of this tourism is more as an alternative factor than an economic activity, and as several authors state [19,20,21], it is a way for community members to manage their cultural heritage in order to enhance it and give it value. The intent of its inhabitants to join the global market economy is increasing, and a social crisis can be reflected in the unmet primary needs, loss of cultural identity, and organizational disassociation.

Likewise, Forneris [22] stated that rural community rural tourism is a modality that allows the generation of income and an improvement in the quality of life of the Lanin-Argentina community members. Additionally, the presence of native communities, which are characterized by their ancestral customs, along with the diversity of natural resources, opens up the possibility of developing tourism and recreational proposals. Native people from the community can be part of the sustainable development process, which starts all the way from the planning stage up to the equal allocation of the economic resources earned [23,24,25].

Mamani [26] revealed the socioeconomic impacts generated by rural tourism in the Karina–Chucuito community. Furthermore, Mamani stated that the inhabitants of the Karina community already had basic knowledge regarding the development of rural tourism as they had been trained by local governments. It was also concluded that the inhabitants perceived their economic situation as being stable because tourism is the source of income for several families, which helps in improving their entrepreneurship to provide a better image and offer more comfort and quality services to tourists [27,28].

Córdova et al. [29] stated that tourism activities in the Tupe District, regarding rural community tourism and ecotourism, contribute to the district’s sustainable development since it has the necessary resources to develop such activities and offer interactions so that tourists can perform daily life activities just like the community members and can get to know more about the local area and its customs and traditions. Moreover, ecotourism makes it possible to develop diverse activities such as interpretative trekking and the observation of ecosystems.

Mendoza [30] stated that rural community tourism in the Janac zone is primarily characterized by the daily activities of farmers or community members and is represented through the day-to-day conditions and customs of the area. However, it is common to see people from the community engaged in tourism management. The negative factors include the lack of environmental projects, lack of coordination with local governments, and the little publicity on virtual networks.

2.2. Sustainable Management

In his research, Machaca [31] assessed the experience enterprises had in managing indigenous and rural community-based tourism in Bolivia by comparing current practices with public policies to suggest management guidelines that are oriented toward economic, sociocultural, and ecological sustainability. To summarize, the author stated that community tourism is beneficial because it makes it possible to access a better quality of life and represents a challenge for private tourism companies that control the market [32,33]; in terms of management, community tourism is still developing. Thanks to the support of international NGOs in protected areas, many ideas have been developed to implement business ideas that contribute to their preservation. In Bolivia, the management and benefit of community tourism enterprises, in general, are collective and consensual.

Ascanta [34] analyzed a tourism management model for the development of community tourism in the community of Oyacachi and its proper administration. The author summarizes the importance of having a tourism management model in an organization, especially in a community one, since crucial points and knowledge can be clarified with it. The tourism management model for community tourism development in the community of Oyacachi was designed based on three balanced components: theory-integrating processes, strategy-integrating processes, and operations-stakeholders and instructions). The author mentioned that the authorities in charge of the community tourism center of Oyakachi must update its official and legal procedures, especially those aligned with a single set of goals.

Huaraca [35] analyzed the conceptual evolution of community tourism, its management features, and characteristics in Ecuador as an international reference. The findings helped to define sustainable community tourism and marked the development of Ecuadorian community tourism. The experience of Ecuador in community tourism is recognized worldwide and is well-known for the diversity of regional and cultural expressions that are reflected in national government instruments. It is also recognized as one of the central axes of development. Huaraca considered governmental and institutional support to be crucial aspects when implementing projects and initiatives that represent different stages of tourism’s life cycle as well as the pattern and scope of the supply and demand structure.

According to the literature review and considering the different perspectives that have been presented by the authors, it can be stated that community tourism is a type of business organization based on the ownership and self-management of community heritage resources [6,36,37]. Community tourism focuses on democratic and solidarity work practices and distributing revenue resulting from providing tourism services as well as promoting cross-cultural quality meetings with tourists (International Labor Organization [ILO], 2005). Even though community tourism is not normally associated with a specific tourism product or resource, it is related to ecotourism practices [38], since community tourism seeks to preserve natural areas and develop the host population. Nevertheless, the activities within community tourism can be carried out as cultural and adventure tourism activities, among others [38].

However, community tourism is developed in a specific destination and local stakeholders are in charge of planning tourism activities; communities are the main activity axis, and thus the ones that benefit the most. Through this type of tourism, communities seek to create a link with tourists, allowing them to boost local socioeconomic development and preserve the heritage, cultural, and natural resources that are part of the territory [39]. Likewise, visitors also interact with small- and medium-sized enterprises that provide tourism services as well as with the context or environment where these activities are performed [40]. For this reason, community tourism represents an opportunity to connect economic feasibility, ecosystem preservation, and sociocultural dialogue [41]. Therefore, community tourism is presented as a type of sustainable tourism that seeks, on one hand, to improve the socioeconomic development of the population living in certain destinations, and on the other hand, it intends to preserve and promote respect toward local resources by providing value and implementing new sustainable types of management [41]. However, it is important to consider that poor management or a lack of control of interactions can lead to both positive and negative sociocultural or environmental impacts, either between stakeholders or in the same environment where tourism activities take place [42].

According to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism [43], community tourism refers to tourism activities that are performed in a rural environment in a planned and sustainable way through management models with the active participation and leadership of the local population, represented by community-based organizations. Community tourism is harmoniously integrated with traditional local economic activities to contribute to the development of the community; the natural environment and culture are the key factors that make a difference when creating the tourism product. The minimum conditions to develop community tourism that will allow for the assessment of the new and previously established ventures are based on six criteria or conditions: (i) tourism calling; (ii) community-based organization; (iii) tourism service provision; (iv) demand; (v) cultural and natural heritage; and (vi) proposal of the tourism product.

There is no specific management model for touristic destinations; each territory is unique and designs its own management according to its needs, contexts, and stakeholders. Therefore, the management has to be flexible, dynamic, and adaptable to the reality of each territory. According to the World Tourism Organization [44], destination management coordinates all the elements that shape a tourist destination (tourist attractions, facilities, access, marketing, and prices), and in order for this to be responsible and sustainable, it needs to include a process that efficiently and harmoniously addresses the interactions between visitors, the industry providing the services, the hosting community, and the environment from a broader perspective (natural and cultural resources). Additionally, tourism activities involve all productive processes carried out in the industry such as accommodation, commerce, food and drink, shops, artisanal production, mobility, leisure or rentals (National Institute of Statistics and Geography) [45].

Likewise, the National Tourism Service ([SERNATUR], 2016) states that a governance structure of the destination must be formed as a tourism board or a similar committee, which comprises responsible and empowered members with coordinated teamwork. It also states that the tourism governance structure must contribute to strengthening the coordination between local communities, municipalities, the private sector, and institutions linked to tourism management. According to Guzmán et al. [46], tourism planning is a tool that allows for the strategic management and organization of the actions of companies and their affiliate entities to reach goals through the mission statement. Through management, tourism companies can monitor the tourists’ satisfaction and identify bottlenecks or critical points in their processes and establish clearer goals in the long-term [47].

3. Materials and Methods

This was a qualitative and quantitative research with a non-experimental-descriptive design. For the community tourism variable, the matrix of minimum conditions for the development of community tourism in Peru was used as a technique, adapted according to the provisions of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism ([MINCETUR], [43]), to evaluate the Cruz Pata venture, based on six conditions, validated through the judgment of three tourism experts (

Table 1. Minimum conditions of community tourism in Peru.

Conditions	Indicators
(i) Touristic calling	Two (02) variables have been established: - Touristic resource; - Touristic destination, route, corridor or circuit.
(ii) Community-based organization	Three (03) variables have been established: - Organization; - Involvement of women and youth; - Tourism management.
(iii) Touristic service provision	Four (04) variables have been established: - Touristic facilities; - Tourism plant (hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, etc.); - Basic infrastructure and connectivity; - Touristic information and assistance in the area.
(iv) Demand	Four (04) variables have been established: - Visitors inflow; - Stay of visitors in the area; - Market definition; - Promotion strategies.
(v) Cultural and natural heritage	Three (03) variables have been established: - Responsible and efficient use of natural and cultural resources; - Preservation of its traditions and customs; - Enterprise management.
(vi) Proposal of the tourism product	Three (03) variables have been established: - Tourism activities; - Territory product (emblematic products recognized and declared, which have been valued); - Territorial content (tourist resources with qualities to attract flows and distinguish themselves nationally and internationally).

):

To obtain the final results of the evaluation of the minimum conditions for the development of community tourism for the Cruz Pata enterprise, 19 indicators of the matrix were taken into account. The highest value assigned to each indicator in the matrix was four (4), and the lowest value was one (1). The weighted value, which was 10, is the general sum of the values assigned to the indicators (1 + 2 + 3 + 4). You can see

Table 2. Procedure to evaluate the community tourism conditions.

Description	Details	Quantity
Number of indicators	The 19 indicators in the matrix.	19
Maximum value	Refers to the highest value assigned to each indicator in the matrix, from 1 to 4.	4
Minimum value	Refers to the lowest value assigned to each indicator in the matrix, from 1 to 4.	1
Weighted value	General sum of the values assigned to the indicators (1 + 2 + 3 + 4).	10
Number of established levels	A total of four levels were established (optimal, feasible, in process, and not feasible).	4
Range measurement	In order for the range to have the same size, it was calculated as follows: R = ((((4 × 19) − (1 × 19)) × 10)/4)	142.5

:

A total of four levels was established (optimal, viable, in process, and not viable) and for the range to have the same measurement, it was calculated as follows: the range measurement (R) is equal to the maximum value of the indicator (VMax) multiplied by the number of indicators (NI), subtracting the minimum value of the indicator (VMin) multiplied by the NI. The total result is multiplied by the weighted value (P), and this result is divided by the maximum value of the indicator (VMax). Subsequently, this result is divided by the NI, leaving the formula expressed as follows:

R = [[[(VMax × NI) − (VMin × NI)]× P]/VMax]/NI

Replacing: R = [[[(4 × 19) − (1 × 19)) × 10)/4]/19

R = 7.5

In this sense, the range measurement for the four established levels will be 7.5.

Thus, the range of levels for the evaluation of community tourism conditions was defined as follows (

Table 3. Range of levels for the evaluation of community tourism conditions.

Levels	Range of Levels	Description
Optimal	More than 32.5 up to 40	Quantity 1 of the “optimal” range is “quantity 2” of the viable range (RV), which is 32.5. To calculate quantity 2 of the “optimal” range, quantity 1 of the optimal range (RO) is added to the range measurement (MR). The following formula is obtained: Quantity 2 = (Quantity 1 RO + MR). Replacing you get: 32.5 + 7.5 = 40
Feasible	More than 25 up to 32.5	Quantity 1 of the “feasible” range is quantity 2 of the range in process (RP), which is 25. To calculate quantity 2 of the “feasible” range, quantity 1 of the feasible range (RV) is added to the range measure (MR). The following formula is obtained: Quantity 2 = (Quantity 1 RV + MR). Replacing you get: 25 + 7.5 = 32.5
In Process	More than 17.5 to 25	Quantity 1 of the “in process” (RP) range is quantity 2 of the not viable range (RNV), which is 17.5. To calculate quantity 2 of the “in process” range, quantity 1 of the in process (RP) range is added to the range measurement (MR). The following formula is obtained: Quantity 2 = (Quantity 1 RP + MR). Replacing you get: 17.5 + 7.5 = 25.
Not Feasible	From 10 to 17.5	To calculate quantity 1 of the “not feasible” range, we multiply the minimum value of the indicator (VMin) by the weighted value (P). The following formula is obtained: Quantity 1 = (VMin × P). Replacing you get: 1 × 10 = 10. To calculate quantity 2 of the “not feasible” range, the result of quantity 1 is added to the range measurement (MR). The following formula is obtained: Quantity 2 = (Quantity 1 + MR). Replacing you get: 10 + 7.5 = 17.5

):

For the management variable, the population consisted of 50 members, representing 100% of the members of the Karajía Association of Tourism, Crafts, and Defense of Cultural Heritage. The survey technique was used by applying a questionnaire validated with three expert opinions, which was designed on a Likert scale (always = 5; almost always = 4; sometimes = 3; almost never = 2; and never = 1) with a total of 22 items; in which the dimensions planning, organization, direction, and control were evaluated. For data analysis, descriptive statistics were evaluated using the SPSS statistical program V.26 and the results are expressed in a single table.

4. Results

In this section, the research results are shown:

4.1. Condition: Touristic Calling

In the

Table 4. Study variables and weighting of the touristic calling condition.

Conditions	Variables	Weighting Factor	Calculation	Observations
Touristic Calling	Touristic Resources	10	Very High = 4	The Karajía Archeological Site is registered in the geo-referential information system-SIGMINCETUR, with a hierarchy of levels 03. The fact of being categorized, ranked, and migrated to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (MINCETUR) is important because it is the basis to develop policies, plans, and sectoral programs to promote public and private investment.
	Touristic Destination, Touristic Corridor or Circuit	10	Very High = 4	The Karajía Archeological Site is part of a tourist destination, route, corridor, or circuit that is frequently commercialized by travel and tourism agencies. This important touristic resource frequently receives national and international visitors.

, for the touristic calling condition, two (02) variables were established: touristic resource and touristic destination, route, touristic corridor, or circuit; establishing indicators: low (not recommended) = 1; medium = 2; high = 3; and very high (optimal) = 4.

4.2. Condition: Community-Based Organization

In the

Table 5. Study variables and weighting of the touristic management condition.

Conditions	Variables	Weighting Factor	Calculation	Observations
Community-Based Organization	Organization	10	Very High = 4	The Karajía enterprise is organized through the Association of Tourism, Crafts and Defense of Karajía’s Cultural Heritage, which manages the archeological site of sarcophagi of Karajía and it has the current power to exercise its functions.
	Involvement of Women and Youth	10	High = 3	The Karajía enterprise includes the active participation of women and youth who benefit from tourism by providing services such as tour guides, muleteers, and selling their artisanal products.
	Touristic Management	10	Medium = 2	The Association of Tourism, Crafts and Defense of Karajía’s Cultural Heritage carries out procedures to promote tourism activities in its destination, but in a limited way. Management is a fundamental element that requires the coordination of the public and private sectors, the organized civil society and the academic sector in order to develop tourism in a sustainable way. In this sense, the association’s management is limited.

, for the condition of community-based organization, three (03) variables were established: organization, involvement of women and youth, and touristic management; establishing indicators: low (not recommended) = 1; medium = 2; high = 3; and very high (optimal) = 4.

4.3. Condition: Touristic Service Provision

In the

Table 6. Study variables and weighting of the condition of touristic service provision.

Conditions	Variables	Weighting Factor	Calculation	Observations
Touristic Offer	Touristic Facilities	10	Medium = 2	The Archeological Site of Karajía has limited tourist facilities. Although it has an access path to the touristic resource and resting areas, these are not enough to provide a satisfactory experience for tourists. A tourist center with a parking area, ticket office, restrooms, an area to sell crafts and horse stables need to be implemented. Furthermore, improvements need to be made in the access path to the tourist resource and resting areas and tourist signaling and an area for stables at the entrance of the Archeological Site of Karajía should be implemented.
	Tourism Plant	10	Medium = 2	The enterprise has private touristic services, tour guides, muleteers, and craftspeople; as these are very limited, the quality of the service is poor. The enterprise does not provide accommodation services, restaurants, and travel agencies.
	Basic Infrastructure and Connectivity	10	High = 3	The enterprise has basic services, and the connectivity status is steady since it is close to the regional support center. From the Chachapoyas support center to Luya, there is a paved road, and from Luya to the annex of Cruz Pata, there is an unpaved road. The walk starts from there to the Karajía Archeological Site through a path that is in good conditions.
	Touristic Information and Assistance in the Zone	10	Medium = 2	The enterprise has a touristic information office from the Association of Tourism, Crafts and Defense of Karajía’s Cultural Heritage, and it also has staff to help visitors. The office needs better equipment, and the staff that works in the tourist information office needs more training in subjects such as customer service and English language proficiency.

, for the condition of touristic service provision, four (04) variables were established: touristic facilities, touristic plant, basic infrastructure, and connectivity, touristic information and assistance in the zone; establishing indicators: low (not recommended) = 1; medium = 2; high = 3; and very high (optimal) = 4.

4.4. Condition: Demand

In the

Table 7. Study variables and weighting of the demand condition.

Conditions	Variables	Weighting Factor	Calculation	Observations
Demand	Visitors Inflow	10	Very High = 3	The Karajía Archeological Site is frequently visited by national and international visitors. In 2022, it received 7364 and 1173 national and foreign tourists, respectively, as it is one of the most important resources in the Amazonas department after the Monumental Archeological Zone of Kuelap and the Gocta Waterfall.
	Stay of Visitors in the Zone	10	Low = 1	The enterprise does not have conditions to accommodate one-day visitors in the tourist resource. Currently, the Karajía enterprise provides services such as tour guides, muleteers, and craftspeople; however, there are no accommodation and food services. They are also not developing other circuits or touristic activities to motivate tourists to stay longer in the area.
	Market Definition	10	Low = 1	The enterprise has basic definitions that prevent it from establishing segmentation criteria and defining issuing markets and target market consumers; they do not have any market identification where they can orient their offers or their market positioning strategies.
	Promotion Strategies	10	Medium = 2	The enterprise has basic tourism promotion materials, although without reaching target markets, and it does not have a brand image. It lacks a promotion plan and does not plan or take part in an integral strategy with its districts or with the region.

, for the demand condition, four (04) variables were established: visitors’ inflow, stay of visitors in the zone, market definition, and promotion strategies; establishing indicators: low (not recommended) = 1; medium = 2; high = 3; and very high (optimal) = 4.

4.5. Condition: Cultural and Natural Heritage

In the

Table 8. Study variables and weighting of the condition of cultural and natural heritage.

Conditions	Variables	Weighting Factor	Calculation	Observations
Cultural and Natural Heritage	Responsible and Efficient Use of Natural and Cultural Resources	10	Medium = 2	The enterprise responsibly and efficiently uses its natural and cultural resources, since they, as a community, have organized themselves through the Association to promote their conservation. The Karajía Archeological Site needs research, conservation, and enhancement work to make the tourist experience more satisfactory.
	Preservation of its Traditions and Customs	10	Medium = 2	The enterprise preserves its customs and traditions; however, it needs to work more on strengthening its cultural identity so that tourists can see the best part of the enterprise’s customs.
	Enterprise Regulation	10	High = 3	The enterprise has relevant landscape and urban values but with some impacts and environmental issues that could be handled and solved with actions and mitigation plans. It is necessary to work on regulations that promote the preservation of the housing architectural pattern that add aesthetic value to the enterprise.

, for the condition of cultural and natural heritage, three (03) variables were established: responsible and efficient use of natural and cultural resources, preservation of its traditions and customs, and enterprise regulation; establishing indicators: low (not recommended) = 1; medium = 2; high = 3; and very high (optimal) = 4.

4.6. Condition: Touristic Product Proposal

In the

Table 9. Study variables and weighting of the condition of the touristic product proposal.

Conditions	Variables	Weighting Factor	Calculation	Observations
Touristic Product Proposal	Touristic Activities	10	Medium = 2	The enterprise has basic touristic activities with special services or additional scenarios that address basic segments, although it is necessary to develop other touristic activities that add value to the experience of visiting tourists.
	Territory Product	10	Medium = 2	The enterprise has products that are produced in the territory with a certain identity and/or development elements but without unique values that make them hard to replace or that generate high value-added in the touristic experience. Therefore, the value given to handcrafts made of wood and textiles that are produced in the enterprise is medium.
	Territorial Content	10	Medium = 2	The enterprise has touristic resources that can be identified in quantity and quality, with qualities that attract visitors at national and international levels. The main touristic resource is the Karajía Archeological Site, which receives national and foreign tourists, and as previously mentioned, it is one of the main touristic resources of the Amazonian department, after the Monumental Archeological site of Kuelap and Catarata Gocta.

, for the condition of touristic product proposal, three (03) variables were established: touristic activities, territory product, and territorial content; establishing indicators: low (not recommended) = 1; medium = 2; high = 3 and very high (optimal) = 4.

Below shows the final result according to the procedure for the evaluation of community tourism conditions, based on the conditions of tourism calling, community-based organization, tourism service provision, demand, cultural and national heritage, and tourism product proposal.

In the

Table 10. Final results of the value of the community tourism entrepreneurship of Cruz Pata.

No.	Enterprise	Total Score	Result
1	Cruz Pata Enterprise	26.84	Feasible

, the result of the evaluation of the Cruz Pata enterprise was 26.84, qualifying as FEASIBLE, which means that the community tourism enterprise meets the minimum conditions established by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (MINCETUR), according to the evaluation scale.

4.7. Management Results of the Association of Tourism, Crafts, and Defense of Karajía’s Cultural Heritage

In the

Table 11. Management variables.

Level	Planning		Organizing		Leading		Controlling		General Result Management
	F	%	F	%	F	%	F	%	F	%
High	0	0	0	0	4	8.0	0	0	1	2.0
Medium	5	10.0	50	100.0	46	92.0	43	86.0	36	72.0
Low	45	90.0	0	0	0	0	7	14.0	13	26.0
Total	50	100.0	50	100.0	50	100.0	50	100.0	50	100.0

, the planning dimension carried out by the association had a low level of 90%, followed by a medium level of 10%. Simultaneously, the organizing dimension showed a medium level of 100%. The leading dimension showed a medium level of 92% and only 8% at a high level. Similarly, the controlling dimension had a medium level of 86% and a low level of 14%.

As a general result of the management variable, it presented a medium level of 72%, which shows that the Karajía Association of Tourism, Crafts, and Defense of Cultural Heritage, which manages the community tourism enterprise, must seek strategies to strengthen each of the dimensions to achieve adequate management.

5. Discussion

From the obtained data, it can be concluded that the community tourism enterprise of ‘Cruz Pata’ is feasible and complies with the conditions of the Guidelines for the Development of Community Tourism in Peru, and can become a successful business venture, generating a positive and significant impact on tourist satisfaction and local development. These results complement the research of [48] that tourism, in its community modality, is relatively an option of use, value, and social utilization of the territory for any rural community that wants to emerge, so that the full development of its socio-organizational capacities can be achieved. At the same time, Padilla [49] stated that community projects, seen as a progressive mode, are the key to improving the standard of living of the inhabitants in rural zones of the community through the use of touristic resources. Additionally, Toselli [11] stated that this type of tourism can be used as a positive tool for local and regional development from a socioeconomic perspective that enables an equal distribution of economic, social, and cultural profits in receptive communities. This can be reflected in the education, employment generation, and greater income that will contribute to eradicating poverty in developing countries. Likewise, Forneris [22] stated that rural community tourism is a modality that allows income to be generated and improves the community’s quality of life, while simultaneously encouraging the revaluation of culture and opening up the possibility of developing touristic and recreational proposals that are linked to this type of tourism. Similarly, Mamani [26] confirmed that thanks to tourism, many families could receive an income and with that, they could improve their entrepreneurship to provide an excellent image and quality service to tourists. However, Huertas [13] stated that tourism is a cross-sectional activity that is perceived as a source of income for small local market agents, where even though they do not have significant negotiation power, they can generate huge revenues.

Additionally, the results found that the Association of Tourism, Crafts, and Defense of Karajía’s Cultural Heritage is regularly considered as good. According to Zárate-Altamirano et al. [14], community tourism should be based on strategic planning and the management of tourism activities since it brings long-term results for the benefit of the community and the territory. This is related to the statement of Burgos [50], who mentioned that for community tourism to function and be managed correctly, it is essential that communities participate in the management, planning, commercialization, promotion, and marketing of its attractions; moreover, it is important to have the active participation of the state and non-government organizations to provide technical assistance, economic resources, and necessary promotions to deploy community tourism [51]. According to Mendoza [30], community tourism is represented in day-to-day situations that reflect the customs of the zone. Likewise, visitors interact with small and medium enterprises that provide touristic services as well as with the context or environment where activities are performed [40]. Additionally, it is common to see people from the community in tourism management since it has positive aspects that result from admiring the attractions of the place and its originality; the negative factors include the lack of environmental projects, and the lack of coordination with local governments and publicity in virtual networks. According to [52], to achieve tourism development, it is critical for local communities to have the appropriate knowledge, skills, and abilities to manage tourism activity, with community empowerment being the key to success. Furthermore, Dodds and Galaski [53] highlighted the strong connection between empowering local people and community well-being through tourism.

For its part, Montalvo [18] proves that rural community tourism focuses more on alternative factors and economic activity than on a management process performed by people from the community to highlight and value cultural heritage. Furthermore, Machaca [31] expressed that community tourism represents a challenge for private touristic companies that control the market; in terms of management, community tourism is still developing. That is, the management and benefit of community tourism enterprises, in general, are collective and consensual. As opposed to Nae-Wen and Pei-Hun [42], who stated that poor management or a lack of control in the interactions can lead to positive and negative sociocultural or environmental impacts, either between agents or in the same surroundings where tourism activities take place. Likewise, Ascanta [34] emphasized the importance of having a touristic management model within an organization that must update the official and legal processes; they must remain operational all the time, especially, aligned with a single set of goals since tourism activities include companies from different sectors, products, and/or services. At the same time, Huaraca [35] considered that governmental and institutional support are critical aspects when implementing projects and initiatives that represent the different stages of tourism’s life cycle, the pattern, and scope of the supply and demand structure.

6. Conclusions

The general objective of the research was fulfilled, as we found that the Cruz Pata community tourism enterprise, according to the matrix designed, is feasible, as per the obtained evaluation result of 26.84 and the range of levels established for the evaluation of community tourism conditions. It was also determined that the management of the Karajía Association for Tourism, Crafts, and Defense of Cultural Heritage is at a regular (medium) level.

In reference to the first variable, community tourism conditions, the study supports its evaluation based on the conditions of tourism calling, community-based organization, tourism service provision, demand, cultural and natural heritage, and tourism product proposals. This allows us to conclude that the Cruz Pata community tourism enterprise, managed by the Karajía Association of Tourism, Crafts, and Defense of Cultural Heritage, is feasible as it complies with the conditions and Guidelines for the Development of Community Tourism in Peru. Therefore, it has the opportunity to be part of the Community Tourism Strategy of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (MINCETUR), whose purpose is to promote the strengthening and establishment of community-based enterprises through processes that increase the quality of tourism services, organize the supply with the market, and strengthen the individual and collective skills of entrepreneurs.

This study showed that the Cruz Pata enterprise, in the province of Luya, Amazonas Region, is a potential representative of the community tourism strategy as it has great material and immaterial wealth that makes it one of the main tourist destinations that adds to the tourist offerings of the Amazonas Region, since its territory includes an anchor tourist resource, which is the Karajía Archeological Site. Additionally, it has a formally organized local population that is linked to caring for and protecting the site as well as providing services for tourism.

In reference to the second management variable of the Association of Tourism, Crafts, and Defense of Cultural Heritage Karajía and based on the surveys conducted with the partners, it was found that the management was average (medium) in its planning, organization, direction, and control dimensions. This is due to the fact that while the Karajía Association of Tourism, Crafts, and Defense of Cultural Heritage is taking steps to promote tourism in its destination, this is quite limited and should be improved, since management is a fundamental element that requires the organization of the public and private sectors, organized civil society, and academic sector to develop tourism in a sustainable manner.

Community tourism is way to focus on local development that stimulates the economy, strengthens sustainability, and builds identity, however, strategic planning with technical criteria is necessary to meet the needs of tourists and the participating population.