Airport crisis put in check the recovery of tourism: what terminals are in “autopilot”?

Peru lacks more than one million tourists who were lost from the pandemic. The most enthusiastic projections aim to continue reducing that gap, but they see complicated for this year to overcome the figures of 2019. various factors are erected, including: trust and uncertainty, summarizes Carlos Loayza, general manager of the National Chamber of Tourism (Canatur) to this newspaper.

“They tell us from the outside: they have in Peru Really rich things, but if there is political and social instability, this complicates the perception of security, which is crucial to attract tourists”He said.

One of the taras that is wearing the slow recovery of tourism is the critical situation that airports are going through. The case of the new Jorge Chávez that according to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MTC) must be inaugurated in March, keeps the population, airlines and aerial guilds such as airlines as IATA and Aetaisince the integral tests are needed, as stated by Ositran.

“We have to insist that air and land connectivity be improved. The delay of its opening has undoubtedly impacted this feeling of trust and certainty that the traveler seeks to have, ”he added.

“Being postponing it twice, what about this country? It is not serious. That affects us tourist, but we need that new airport because there are many airlines who want to get to Perubut in the current conditions they cannot do it, ”Loayza criticized.

Therefore, he points out, new policies are needed connectivitythat decentralize the arrival of flights to the country as the case of Colombia that, for example, before the pandemia was behind Peru with 3 million annual visitors and at the end of 2025 it is pointing at 7 million after breaking records last year (6.7 million), being the United States that visits it the most, through its Five first -order airports.

Peru? It has been relegated at 3.2 million without exceeding 4.3 of the pre -Pandandemics, according to data from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur).

Colombia duplicates the figure of tourists to Peru

“In Colombia, they not only arrive at the airport The goldin Bogotá, but many regional airports such as Medellín, Cartagena And even Cúcuta, which is not tourist, but is very close to Venezuela”He said.

Instead, Peru’s airports “International calls” They are only named, since they do not have the frequency or the flow of expected passengers, he criticized.

“You have a Chachapoyas With Kuélap and Gocta, which is really a raw diamond, still to exploit it, and with a very fine hotel, but what does it have? A good airport. The plane arrives with 70 passengers once or twice a day. That does not supply, ”he said.

The Jaén Terminal was another access road to AmazonIt is in repairs. This week, Latam announced the suspension of all its flights from and from Jauja Airport (Junín) due to the deterioration on the landing floor, which puts at risk the passengers.

“The national aeronautical system is in crisis. You have an airport in Trujillo, which has a waiting and shipping room that cannot fit more than 100 people, how do we intend to have a better foreigner face if we have those conditions? ”He stressed.

Juan Stoessel, general manager of Casa Andina, coincides, who points to the Republic that the main problem of tourism right now is the infrastructure.

“Since 2018, Peru’s tourism has been limited because Jorge Chávez airport could not receive more flights. Now it is reaching its maximum capacity, and although a new one is being built airportthe current track should be closed this year for remodeling. This problem will not be completely solved until 2026, ”he said.

Juliaca and Arequipa airports at risk

The southern zone of Peru Face two airports with urgent problems to solve. In the case of the terminal of Juliacaif no measures are taken, its closure is scheduled for April. “The landing floor is practically unusable and must be renewed. If the airport stops operating, Puno would be isolated, ”Stessel warned.

What does this imply? Mutilating the southern tourist circuit, removing Puno and the Titicaca“Powerful attractions and harming a region whose tourism follows 70% under pre -Pandandemics.”

Even, an opportunity where Juliaca can capitalize on Bolivia’s loss of competitiveness, he said. The other critical airport in the South is that of Arequipa, whose terminal already collapsed and US $ 30 million is needed.

“He is overflowing with flights. It is time to align the conditions of the contract to the current needs, through an addendum that enables the execution of these works, ”he said.

The problem began in 2011, when the Andean Airports of Peru (AAP) was granted the concession of the airports of Arequipa, Ayacucho, Juliaca, Puerto Maldonado and Tacna.

The consultant in charge of the demand study projected a flow of passengers 51% lower than the real on average. As a result, the infrastructure had to endure a much greater traffic than expected.

The manager of the Association of hotels, restaurants and related (now Peru), Fredy Gamarra, details that at least 10 Airports They present problems and are a ballast for tourism. Chimbote terminals (Áncash) and Ilo (Moquegua) are not operational, while Pisco does not receive commercial flights. Chachapoyas It only receives small airplanes, and in Cajamarca, Jaén’s airport is not working.

“Junín has only one airport (Jauja) that could close, Puno only has Juliaca that seems to stop. There are almost no interregional flights. Everyone has to come to Lima. That is one of our infrastructure defects, ”he said.

On the other hand, the president of the Peruvian agency of travel and tourism agencies (APAVIT), Ricardo Acosta, diagnoses that the lack of direct flights to key regions such as the jungle and the mountains limits the access of tourists International

Maintains that it is necessary to improve the infrastructuremodernize the tracks and increase the capacity of the terminals to reduce waiting times. “The reduction of international flights and the competition of other tourist destinations limit the return to the levels prior to the pandemic,” he said.

Regarding Roadshow (tourist investment turn) that has been promoting MINCETURFreddy Gamarra argues that the effect is still in the long term.

“If investors will invest in Airports When some are not even working, what confidence can have, ”he observed.