By the end of this year, Peru is expected to receive approximately 3.3 million international tourists, according to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur), the best figure since the pandemic. This would mean 32% more than the foreign citizens our country hosted in 2023.
According to the latest report from Mincetur, the first five months of the year totaled 1,290,087 international tourists, representing a growth of 52.8% compared to the same period in 2023, with an additional flow of 446,000 foreign tourists in Peru.
However, although these are encouraging figures, we have not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels. We are at 71% of what was expected in that period, but with this new projection it is expected to narrow the gap and get closer to 76%. In that sense, it is expected that the barrier will be surpassed only in 2026.
How are we doing?
The growth of inbound tourism in the first five months of the year was Influenced by people mainly from Chile (309,000) with a participation of 23.9% of the total universe; United States (234,000), representing 18.2%; Ecuador (11,000), 8.6%; Bolivia (74,000), 5.8%; Brazil (69,000) and Colombia (65,000), with 5.4% and 5% respectively.
“Chile is always number one in terms of inbound tourism due to border tourism. However, it is the North Americans who stay the longest in our country. We are talking about at least 15 days and this translates into a significant expenditure of US$120 to US$130 per person per day,” says Juan Stoessel, CEO of Casa Andina.
He also points out that the average ticket for a foreign tourist in general is around US$100. Americans would exceed this amount, but the French would be below it with a ticket of between US$80 and US$90.
It is important to note that the tourism sector has seen sustained growth over the past five years and that the gap with 2019 figures could be partly due to the shortage of aircraft.
“After the pandemic, there was a significant reduction in the number of planes in operation. In Peru, for example, we currently have a 10% deficit of international flights and globally the figure is 15%. We are in the process of recovery,” explains Stoessel.
internal tourism
The celebration of the Fiestas Patrias would translate into the growth of the tourism sector. According to estimates by SKY Airline, From July 25 to 30, more than 48,000 tourists will travel between Lima and the interior of the country on 310 flights. Along these lines, it is projected that Cusco will lead the demand with 15,000 visitors, followed by Arequipa, with a reach of up to 8,400 national tourists.
Meanwhile, warm places like Tumbes and Piura will attract 3,400 and 3,000 users, respectively. As for the cities in the Amazon, such as Iquitos, Pucallpa and Tarapoto, they will add 9,000 tourists. While the Juliaca and Ayacucho reserves will gather 2,700 and 1,700, respectively.
The Lima Chamber of Commerce forecasts a 12% increase in sales of tourism and hotel services, compared to 2023.
Entry of international tourists
The Jorge Chávez International Airport received 815,000 tourists (63.2% of the universe), the Santa Rosa Border Control Post in Tacna registered the entry of 235,000 (18.2%), the Binational Border Attention Center in Tumbes reported 90,000 (7%) and the Puno Border Control Post 69,000 (5.4%).
Source: Larepublica
Alia is a professional author and journalist, working at 247 news agency. She writes on various topics from economy news to general interest pieces, providing readers with relevant and informative content. With years of experience, she brings a unique perspective and in-depth analysis to her work.
