Peru aims for more than 3.5 MN tourist arrivals in 2014
Tourist spots located along the main Peruvian regions are expected to draw more than 3.5 million foreign visitors this year, according the Andean nation’s Foreign Trade and Tourism Ministry (Mincetur). Magali Silva, Mincetur’s head, noted overseas tourists flocking to the country in 2013 amounted to 3.16 million, representing a top-line growth of 11.2 percent from the figure recorded in 2012.
«This year’s target reflects Mincetur’s commitment to work hard to surpass the number of foreign tourists visiting the Andean nation in 2013», Silva said in statements to Andina News Agency. The minister pointed out that among the most popular destinations in Peru stand out the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, located in the country’s south-eastern Cusco region, along with the Nazca lines and the Ballestas Islands, in the coastal southern Ica region.
According to a report carried out by Mincetur, the main source of international tourists to the Andean nation last year was Chile with the arrival of 800,000 visitors, followed by the United States with 400,000 travelers. Likewise, the official data finds tourist arrivals from South American nations to Peru accounted for 57.4 percent of all visitors in 2013, up by 14.5 percent from a year earlier. Meanwhile, arrivals from Asian countries rose by 11.8 percent, while arrivals from North America and Europe increased by 9 percent and 4.4 percent, respectively.
