Peru has potential to attract 15 million foreign tourists a year

 

Peru is able to attract between 10 and 15 million foreign tourists a year, although that will depend on how authorities handle the country’s tourism potential, reported the National Center of Strategic Planning (Ceplan).

“Peru’s tourism potential over the next 20 years will largely depend on the quality of the service we provide and our ability to see opportunities,” said Fredy Vargas, national director of foresight and strategic studies at Ceplan.

In an interview with Gestion daily, Vargas said Peru should take advantage of the Jorge Chávez International Airport’s soon-to-be expanded facilities, which are expected to welcome between 25 to 30 million passengers by 2016, almost doubling the current capacity.

“We can’t focus everything on Machu Picchu or Cusco[…] We should look towards other tourist spots in the northern Peru route, the jungle and southern highlands,” he said.

Likewise, the official stressed that the country’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur) is doing a very interesting job and exploring different tourist circuits aimed at attracting more local and foreign tourists.

“However, we have to be even more ambitious, this is not only the ministry’s responsibility, but rather a shared one which includes the private and public sector; we have to work together to achieve the goal of taking our country to another level in tourist development,” he said.

Vargas went on to note the Andean nation should focus more on areas such as infrastructure, services and human capital with the aim to offer high quality tourist products and services. “But to develop high quality human capital, it is necessary to improve the education sector,” he added.

Foreign tourist arrivals have increased over the past five years, going from 2.13 million in 2009 to 3.16 million last year. This year, Peru hopes to draw over 3.5 million foreign visitors.

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