Peru has been named South America’s Leading Destination at the World Travel Awards 2026, earning five country-level distinctions alongside a sixth award for Machu Picchu. Together, the recognitions cover much of what draws travelers here: food, cultural heritage, biodiversity and the opportunity to experience very different landscapes within a single trip.
This marks Peru’s fourth consecutive win as South America’s Leading Destination, following its recognition in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The six awards highlighted by PROMPERÚ are:
- South America’s Leading Destination: Peru
- South America’s Leading Culinary Destination: Peru
- South America’s Leading Cultural Destination: Peru
- South America’s Leading Nature Destination: Peru
- South America’s Leading Contributor to Sustainable Tourism: Peru
- South America’s Leading Tourist Attraction: Machu Picchu, Peru.
For travelers, these categories offer several ways to approach the country. Food can become the starting point for understanding a place: its ingredients, the people who produce them and the traditions that shape how they are prepared. Cultural travel connects archaeological heritage with customs that remain part of everyday life, while Peru’s natural diversity opens up markedly different experiences across the coast, Andes and Amazon.
In its announcement, PROMPERÚ emphasized that the results reflect the breadth of Peru’s tourism offering. The culinary, cultural and nature awards, the agency said, highlight the relationship between the country’s gastronomy, historical heritage, living traditions and biodiversity.
Machu Picchu’s recognition brings that relationship into particularly clear focus. The Inca site in Cusco combines architecture and landscape in a setting that remains one of Peru’s most recognizable images. Its appeal lies both in the structures themselves and in their integration with the surrounding mountains.
The sustainable tourism distinction adds another dimension to the announcement. PROMPERÚ linked the recognition to the importance of protecting natural and cultural heritage while creating opportunities for local communities. That ambition matters beyond an awards ceremony: the lasting value of tourism also depends on how it supports the people and places visitors come to encounter.
PROMPERÚ, Peru’s export and tourism promotion agency, said it will continue promoting the country’s destinations and experiences internationally. For anyone considering a visit, the range of awards offers a useful starting point: a trip can bring together food, history and nature, with time to understand the connections between them.
