The number of tourists amounts to a 1% increase over 2018. Peru’s National Chamber of Tourism (Canatur) indicates limited airport capacity as barrier for growth.
Though it’s just a slight growth, Peru’s 1% increase is significant in relation to other countries in the region. In a statement, the president of Canatur, Carlos Canales stated that Chile, Ecuador, Argentina, and Brasil all experienced a decrease in tourists.
One of the reasons why the numbers are stagnant is the limited capacity of the Jorge Chavez International Airport. According to Canales, there are four international airlines -from Germany, Switzerland, Spain and the U.S. – that wish to but are unable to establish routes to Peru because of scheduling and infrastructure obstacles.
A few big events in 2019 helped with the increase in number of tourists, including: the Dakar race in January; the Pan American Games and Paralympic Games in July; and the final for the Libertadores Cup in November.
Chilean tourists amounted to 27% of the total number that came to Peru in 2019. Canatur continues to organize international expos and promotional events around the world to attract new tourist markets. Last year, Peru held such events in Beijing and Shanghai.
This year, Peru will participate in the Matka fair held in Helsinki, Finland where travel agents from all Scandinavian countries will convene. Canales estimates Peru can capture approximately 20,000 tourists by participating in the event. Peru will also be participate in expo events in Portugal in March, 2020.
Source: americaeconomia.com, peru21.pe
Cover photo: Andina
