Integration of the local tourism brand into the digital infrastructure: case study of Puhăceni village, Republic of Moldova

Abstract

In the current context of digitalization and the promotion of rural heritage through branding, the village of Puhăceni in the Republic of Moldova stands out as a good practice example in develop-ing a local tourism brand. In 2023, with support from UNDP and the Polish Innovation Fund through the "InnoVillage – Talent Scaling for Sustainable Business" project, the community was empowered to capitalize on its local identity through innovation and entrepreneurship. This study explores the process of building and digitalizing the tourism identity of Puhăceni vil-lage, offering an innovative rural branding model aligned with current trends in sustainable tour-ism. The village’s brand, rooted in a local legend and the ecological uniqueness of the "bicycle village," has created a distinct, coherent, and memorable identity actively supported by the com-munity. By integrating the brand into the virtual assistant VillageTravelBot, the locality succeeded in transforming the tourism experience into a personalized, interactive, and continuous digital dia-logue. The chatbot facilitates access to structured information on tours, local experiences, and services, enables bookings, and collects real-time feedback. The SWOT and PESTEL analyses reveal the strengths of this initiative: brand uniqueness, community engagement, and efficient use of modern technologies, as well as challenges such as digital infrastructure, technological literacy, and pro-ject sustainability. The results show that digitalizing the tourism identity has contributed to increased visitor flows, stimulated the local economy, and strengthened the village’s authentic and eco-friendly image. The Puhăceni model provides a valuable example of integrating tradition with innovation, with strong replication potential for other rural communities in Eastern Europe.