Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Approximately 200 tourists were stranded at Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport in Cusco this morning after LAN Peru canceled two flights that had been scheduled to fly to Lima.

According to a correspondent for Terra News, the majority of the tourists were Spanish, Italian, Colombian, Argentinean, Peruvian and from the United States.

It was reported that they were making their way back to Lima after having taken part in the Inti Raymi festival that was held in Cusco on Tuesday.

When asked why their flight had been canceled, several tourists affirmed that LAN had told them they could not depart because of bad weather.

Suspicion was raised, however, when a TACA flight took off and then two LAN flights departed for their destinations.

Tourists complained that LAN Peru did not want to refund their money and stated they would not be provided another flight until Sunday.

When questioned on the inconvenience, LAN representatives assured that passengers would be able to take a later flight this afternoon and another one tomorrow afternoon.

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts - a hotel chain with establishments in ten U.S. states and forty hotels in countries such as Canada, Mexico and England among others - has announced the construction of a $264 million luxury hotel on La Florida beach in northern Peru.

According to Francisco Martinez, the general manager of Inversiones y Negocios Pafra, the hotel will have 1,500 rooms along with 750 apartments.

The hotel is to be located in Tumbes, one of Peru's northernmost regions, which is known for its fine beaches and warm weather.

The hotel complex will be located 35 minutes from the city of Tumbes, between Zorritos and Punta Sal beaches, two of the country's most well known beaches.

This mega project, which is the hotel chain's first investment in South America, will also include an area where cruise ships will be able to dock and an area where guests can do water sports.

Martinez, one of the project's Peruvian partners, has affirmed that one of the most important issues facing the construction of the hotel is environmental protection.

He announced that $15 million would be invested in the construction of a water treatment plant and that studies were being done for the construction of a natural-gas turbine that produced electricity as well as a plant that produced wind-generated electricity.

It has been estimated that the hotel will be ready to operate in April 2010. Construction of the hotel is to begin in September 2008.

Hotel chain Acqua Hotel Resort Spa announced today they will invest more than 10 million dollars in the construction of a five star hotel located in the valley of Urubamba, about 80 km from Cusco city.

Acqua’s marketing manager, Gonzalo Tafur, said that the hotel spa will have 115 colonial rooms, including a presidential suite, 15 suites and 99 standard rooms.

“The 500 square-meter presidential suite will include two bedrooms (a matrimonial and a double room), two living rooms, one dining room, a terrace, a pool, an observatory, as well as a movie and music theater”, detailed Tafur to Andina news agency.

Furthermore, the project will include the construction of an artificial lake, two restaurants, a bar, a sushi bar, an art gallery, a library, a museum, and a movie theater for 25 people, he added.

Tafur detailed that the total area of the hotel is ten hectares, but they will only use six hectares in the first stage of construction.

The remaining four hectares will be used for the second stage, which will take place in 2010.

News source: ANDINA

Foreigners who entered Peru as tourists and wish to change their migratory status to workers must compulsory apply for an authorization to sign any labor contract at the General Immigration Bureau and Naturalization (DIGEMIN), the representative of this institution Juan Álvarez Manrique stated Thursday.

Only the people included in the legislative decree 689 and its regulations will be exonerated.

These norms consider exceptions regarding the percentage limit of foreigners who can work in a Peruvian enterprise.

According to the Digemin, the restrictions about hiring foreign workers do not include people who are married a Peruvian or who have Peruvian brothers or sisters.

Foreigners with immigrant visa, foreigners whose country has an agreement of labor reciprocity or double nationality with Peru, employees of foreign enterprises dedicated to the international service of land, air or aquatic transport with foreign flags and registration, are not included either.

Artists, athletes, and in general all those foreigners who perform in public shows in Peru during a maximum of three months are not included either.

News source: ANDINA

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Over 500,000 foreign tourists visited Peru in the first three months of this year, reported Pablo López de Romaña, the Andean country's vice minister of tourism.

When compared to the first three months of 2007, Peru saw a 12.3 percent increase to 502,942 foreigners visiting the City of Kings and the recently nominated world wonder.

In a national police conference focused on increasing safety for tourists in Peru, the vice minister also stated that tourism had generated $2 billion in 2007, showing a 24.7 percent increase when compared to 2006.

"We have the necessary potential to place ourselves among the world's top ten destinations," said the vice minister, explaining that Peru was a country where tourists stayed for long periods of time and spent important quantities of money.

He added that reports issued by Prom Peru, the country's tourism promotion agency, showed that the Andean nation was ranked third among the countries in Latin America which received the greatest quantities of tourism-generated dollars.

It was reported that only tourism in Mexico and Brazil generated more money than tourism in Peru.

Tourism is the best tool we have to fight poverty, affirmed López de Romaña, stating that the ministry of tourism would continue working on attracting tourists that spend significant amounts of money.

"We don't need million of tourists, just an important and sustained number that will generate economic movement for the country's neediest," said the vice minister.

In an effort to provide local and foreign tourists with a unique opportunity to learn more about the Inca religious ceremonies, this year’s Inti Raymi Festival at the Sacsayhuaman Fortress in Cusco will be translated into French, English and Spanish.

The head of Cusco’s Municipal Office of Festivities, Ismael Zuta, explained that simultaneous interpretation devices will be available to people who pay for their admission to the main Inti Raymi ceremony at Sacsayhuaman.

Zuta mentioned that the Inti Raymi or “Festival of the Sun” which is conducted in Quechua-Peru's main indigenous language- will be simultaneously interpreted into English, French and Spanish.

He clarified that 859 interpretation receivers will be available only to those who have paid to occupy a seat to witness the Inti Raymi festival held on June 21. The cost of the ticket is 90 dollars.

”Interpreters will be located at strategic points of the Sacsayhuaman esplanade. Simultaneous interpretation will be broadcast over three local radio stations. Visitors wishing to listen to the ceremony in French will choose the frequency that offers this option, " he told Andina news agency.

Zuta pointed out that the development of this initiative came at the request of the audience and because there many foreign tourists who come to this event and do not understand Quechua nor Spanish.

He said that the visitors, after paying his ticket for admission, will be given informational brochures , a script summary of Inti Raymi, a DVD and other informational materials.

The staging of Inti Raymi will take place at the Sacsayhuaman Fortress and expects to receive some 110 thousand people, between local and foreign tourists.

News source: ANDINA

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Peru jumped 16 places to 86th in the second annual Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2008, published by the World Economic Forum, said today the associate director and senior economist of the institution, Irene Mia.

This year’s Report, under the theme Balancing Economic Development and Environmental Sustainability, places a particular focus on this issue, both through a reinforced environmental component of the Index used to measure travel & tourism (T&T) competitiveness and through topics covered by the analytical chapters.

The Report includes an analysis of the rankings of the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI). It also features detailed profiles for the 130 economies covered, together with data tables for each indicator used in the Index’s computation.

According to the second annual Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2008, Peru's competitiveness advantages are prevalence of foreign ownership, business impact of rules on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and the openness of bilateral Air Service Agreements.

Also, environmental treaty ratification, availability of seat kilometers, hotel rooms, Internet users, hotel price index, ease of hiring foreign labor, number of World Heritage natural sites, protected areas, number of international fairs and exhibitions, among others.

On the other hand, the report says Peru's disadvantages are focused on property rights, transparency of government policymaking, time required to start a business and stringency of environmental regualtion.

Also, business costs of terrorism and costs of crime and violence, reliability of police services, road traffic accidents, access to improved sanitation and improved drinking water, hospital beds, quality of air transport infrastructure, airport density, number of operating airlines.

Mia said that compared to Colombia, Perú offers better security to foreign visitors, while compared to Mexico it offers lower hotel and fuel prices.

“Notwithstanding, compared to Costa Rica or Brazil, Perú still has to strengthen security”, she added.

Switzerland, Austria and Germany have the most conducive environments for developing the travel and tourism industry, according to the second annual Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2008.

Australia, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Sweden, Canada and France complete the top-10 list.

News source: ANDINA

For the second consecutive year, Hotel Monasterio in Cusco ranks among the five most luxurious hotels in South America, according to Ultratravel magazine, part of the Daily Telegraph group in the United States.

The Ultratravel 100 is a list based on a reader opinion poll carried out by the magazine.

This poll awards the top 100 airlines, hotels, travel companies, countries, cruise companies, spas and ski resorts that readers regard as the best providers in the world of luxury travel.

Hotel Monasterio, which belongs to the English chain Orient Express, has stood out among the most luxurious five hotels in South America for more than six consecutive years, placing the imperial city of Cusco among the most favorite destinations for upscale tourists.

The Hotel Monasterio was built over the ancient San Antonio Monastery in Cusco.

The Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Orient Express hotel, is also one of the runners up in this category, while the winner is the Alvear Palace, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The other runners up in this category are the Four Seasons Hotel in Buenos Aires, and the Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya, in Yucatan, Mexico.

News source: ANDINA

Casa Andina to open three-star hotel in Trujillo in 2009

Casa Andina hotel chain will open a three-star hotel in the northern city of Trujillo (La Libertad) in the first quarter of 2009, announced today the company's marketing manager, Hernán Carranza. It is worth noting that last February, Casa Andina general manager, Juan Stoessel, mentioned that the company was evaluating investment projects in different cities of northern Peru including Trujillo, Chiclayo (Lambayeque) and Piura. (ANDINA - click here to read complete article)




Walk of Traditions, from Barranco to Rímac

The diversity of Lima’s architecture and styles turns this city into one of the most interesting Latin American capitals for tourism. One of its attractiveness is the bohemian district of Barranco, where the Bridge of Sighs, immortalized by Chabuca Granda in the waltz “La flor de la Canela”, lies. This bridge is Forty meters long and three meters wide, built in 1876 to join the seaside of two streets, without imagining that after some years it would turn into an encounter point for faithful lovers. (ANDINA - click here to read complete article)