Living in Peru : your everyday companion

By LivinginPeru.com

It’s fair to say that the stereotypical tourist in Peru is a foreigner. Mention tourism here, and people will imagine the Israeli backpacking on the Inca trail, the young German mountain climbing in Huaraz, the retired British couple bird-watching in Manu, or the American college students at Calle de las Pizzas. They will probably not think about the family from Surco visiting Huancayo.

A waterfall in Chanchamayo (Photo: Nick Rosen)

That is exactly what hotel owners and tour operators will be thinking about this weekend, however, when Fiestas Patrias will show the economic power of domestic tourism. The four-day weekend, from July 28th-31st, will be the busiest tourism weekend in the country. Some two million Peruvians will be traveling, and according to El Comercio’s Iana Málaga, 80% of the tourists at the top attractions will be coming from Lima.

Domestic tourism is becoming a real economic force in the country, bringing in $3.5 billion in 2010, according to the Peruvian chamber of tourism. According to statistics from Prom Perú, the average Peruvian spends S/.425 ($155) on a six-day trip. While that number is significantly lower than the average expenditure of a foreign tourist, it represents a roughly 50-70% increase over the average expenditures in 2009, writes Carlos Hurtado de Mendoza in El Comercio.

The volume of internal tourism has also increased 30-40% in the first four months of 2011, compared to the same months in 2009.

Domestic tourism also benefits locations that largely miss out on foreign tourism. While foreign tourists tend to crowd into the tourist circuit incorporating Ica, Nazca, Arequipa, Puno and Cusco, local tourists favor different spots. Cruz del Sur’s hottest ticket for Fiestas Patrias is Huancayo, reports El Comercio, and other leading destinations are Lunahuaná, south of Lima, Tarma in the central Andes, and the central jungle regions of Chanchamayo and Satipo.

The northern coast also does a brisk business during the holidays, as sun-starved Limeños seek out a warm stretch of sand. Máncora’s hotels were all booked up almost a week before the start of the holidays, and Punta Sal and Zorritos are also similarly packed.

Fiestas Patrias is just one weekend per year, but it might represent a glimpse into the future. If Peru’s economy continues to grow, and more Peruvians have the disposable income needed to travel, boom times could lie ahead for hoteliers and tour operators in a number of non-traditional tourist destinations.

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1 Comments

# La Ruta Moche says :
26 July, 2011 [ 06:42 ]

Moche Route

Choose a few days for the north coast of Peru means immersed in a universe with its own identity, a place where you can visit archaeological sites that have stunned the world and experience firsthand the traditions that last for thousands of years.
Besides its wealth of archaeological, Moche Route is a paradise for the senses. Since its restorative waters thermale to its peaceful northern beaches.
Here are the destinations to enjoy a tour of Moche Route.

www.larutamoche.com

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