Living in Peru : your everyday companion

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

The airlines market in Peru may register a growth up to 25% this year, due to the strong demand from the users and the frequent promotions launched by several airlines, reported LAN Perú.

“At present, many people prefer to travel by air, because they have realized all the advantages of this, compared to other means of transportation, especially regarding timing,” said LAN Peru President, Emilio Rodríguez Larrain.

He said that in the majority of cities that they serve, the increasing demand has allowed them to operate eight and even 16 flights per day.

He added that the campaign to boost tourism in Cusco despite the closure of Machu Picchu is giving good results: the drop was only of 5% instead of the 35% that was expected.

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LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

At least 360 tourists could not fly over the famous Nasca lines due to the first day of the indefinite strike that local air tourism companies have started in protest for a new rule that bans the operation of aircrafts more than 20 years old.

Issues started when the 13 companies currently operating in the area refused to obey this disposition, and another one that stipulates that all flights must carry a co-pilot, claiming that this is an attempt against freedom of enterprise and employment.

This situation has generated losses worth US $70,000 among other tourism operators (hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, handicrafts shops, etc.) according to the Chamber of Tourism of Nasca; in addition, the Municipality of Vista Alegre was also affected since there was no collection of airport usage fees.

The questioned new rule was established after a plane crashed near the lines a few days ago, causing six deaths.

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LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Cusco will launch this year the Cusco 2010 Festivities program Fiestas del Cusco 2010 with a ceremony to be held at Government's Palace (Lima), on April 28.

The main event to be promoted this year is the festivity of the Our Lady of The Carmen of Paucartambo, thus this town's Municipality will in charge of organizing the festival and taking it to Lima.

The announcement was made by the Mayor of Cusco, Luis Florez Garcia, after having a work meeting with the Secretary of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Manuel Figueroa Quintana, and representatives of Tourism Minister.

In addition, authorities expect to bring Cusco festivals to another level, thus attracting more tourists to Cusco during the Inti Raymi festivities, in June.

Have news you'd like to see in LivinginPeru.com? Contribute an article, whether it's translated or based on your own reporting. Contact editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

US embassy in Lima announces that since March 29 all visa applicants must fill an online form.

According to the Embassy, the new procedures seek to make the paperwork easier and faster. This new electronic online form DS-160 for non-immigrant visas will replace the DS-156, DS-157 and DS-158 forms, integrating them in a whole document.

Once this online form is properly filled, including an scanned photo, it will be sent via internet, which will reduce the waiting time.

The embassy encourages to fill in this form at least two days before the interview, where applicants must take only their confirmation receipt and a 5x5cm photo.

Filling this form is does not involve any payment, but the fees for applying to a visa will continue being paid at Continental Bank.

This online electronic form, and all the detailed instructions on how to fill it in, can be found at the US State Department website: https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/

Have news you'd like to see in LivinginPeru.com? Contribute an article, whether it's translated or based on your own reporting. Contact editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Ferrocarril Central Andino (Central Andean Railroad) informs that the touristic service Lima-Huancayo-Lima will depart for the third time in 2010 on Friday, March 19.

Meanwhile, a special service intended for Holy Week will depart from Lima on Thursday, April 1, according to a press release.

Both services will depart from Desamparados Station, located behind Government Palace, in Lima Downtown.

In addition, Junin region is preparing a touristic circuit including visits to villages and towns around Huancayo, Jauja, Concepción and Chupaca, located in the Mantaro Valley.

Ferrocarril Central Andino also says that they will not increase their fares, unlike bus services which usually rise their prices to take advantage of the demand increase on Easter Holidays.

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LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

The demand of luxury cruises on the Amazon river is increasing, several months after some incidents related to security issues, says Adela Acosta, General Manager or Amazon River Expeditions agency.

According to TNews, Acosta says that the number of tourists arriving in Iquitos interested in booking luxury cruises has significantly increased: only in January it rose by 50%.

She told Gestión that the rains that hit Cusco forced many tourists to cancel their reservations to Peru, but many of them decided to change their destination from Cusco to Iquitos.

Luxury cruises along the Amazon take four days as an average, with an investment of US$ 2,000 per tourist.

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LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

The Regional President of Ayacucho, Ernesto Molina Chávez, estimates that the region, which is widely known because of its spectacular Holy Week (Easter Holidays) Catholic rituals and celebrations, will receive between 20,000 and 25,000 visitors during these dates.

“We usually receive an average of US $15,000 tourists; however, expectations are greater now since domestic tourism is increasing and we are enjoying of peace and a favorable economic moment,” he said, according to TNews.

He explained that the organizing committee is led by the Archbishop of Ayacucho, Luis Sebastiani Aguirre, and conformed by representatives of the regional government and another sectors.

However, he also asked all the companies related to tourism business (transports, accommodation, restaurants, travel agencies, etc.) not to increase their prices during the Holy Week.

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Andina

Airport lounges can ease some of the pain of traveling, and the SUMAQ VIP lounge of Lima's international airport has been voted the world's best for 2010 by independent airport lounge program Priority Pass.

Priority Pass, the world's biggest membership program that gives frequent travelers access to airport lounges regardless of their class of travel or which airline they've flown, asked more than 30,000 passengers from all over the world to pick their favorite lounge from among a 600-strong list.

The lounge at Peru's Jorge Chavez International Airport came up tops, reclaiming its 2009 position, with travelers praising its business facilities and relaxation rooms that have blankets, pillows and showers.

"The awards reflect truly exemplary service standards from the SUMAQ VIP Lounge and our other award winners," Jonathan French, head of brand at Priority Pass, said in a statement.

By region, Continental Presidents Club, Terminal E, Houston, Texas, was voted the best lounge in North America and Zurich's Panorama Lounge the best in Europe. In the Asia Pacific, KAL Lounge, Concourse A, in Seoul's Incheon Airport was in first place while Bahrain's Dilmun Lounge was the top in the Middle East and Africa.

Have news you'd like to see in LivinginPeru.com? Contribute an article, whether it's translated or based on your own reporting. Contact editor@livinginperu.com.

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Cusco's Regional Directorate of Foreign Trade and Tourism will launch in a few days a promotional campaign seeking to attract Limenian visitors to this Andean region during the Easter Holidays, which are scheduled for April this year.

Easter Holidays are commonly known in Peru as Semana Santa (Holy Week).

"While the main tourist destination in Peru during Easter Holidays is Ayacucho, and despite the fact that we are still having our rainy season, we are launching a promotional campaign to attract more visitors to our local Easter Holidays celebrations,” said Victor Hugo Perez, Director of Tourism.

He mentioned as an example the procession of the Lord of the Earthquakes, the most important Holy Week celebration in Cusco, whose origin dates back to 1650, when the town underwent a devastating earthquake.

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LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

The Regional Direction of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Dircetur) will participate in the 14th Internationale Tourismus Börse-ITB 2010, or the Berlin's Tourism Fair, aiming to inform the visitors about the situation at Machu Picchu.

The director of Tourism of Dircetur, Margarita Garcia Sotomayor, explained that this will be a good oportunity to show the world that the Inca Sanctuary is intact despite the heavy rains, and to tell the world that it will reopened on April 1.

Cecilia Bakula, Director of National Institute of Culture, confirmed that the Inca  Trail will be opened by that date.

Bakula thinks the Santa Teresa-Hidroelectrica road should also be allowed to be open to the tourists, and asked the Regional Government of Cusco to work on that.

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