"Not just Machu Picchu": Peru's commitment to making tourism a national issue

When a traveler thinks of Peru, the first image inevitably springs to mind— Machu Picchu , a jewel of the country's heritage and an unmistakable symbol of its identity. But beyond the Inca citadel, Peru is a melting pot of unique destinations and experiences: from the Amazon rainforest to the northern beaches. It also boasts luxury tourism and religious experiences, such as the new Pope's route that passes through Chiclayo or the Andean Baroque route, which is the finest example of the fusion of Christianity and Inca culture. And, of course, its cuisine.

"We are a living culture. Peru has a lot to offer and a lot to teach," claimed Dina Boluarte , the country's president, at the opening of Peru Travel Mart, the country's most important tourism fair, which began on June 27 in Lima and, this year, has opted to expand its presence to regions such as Cusco, Arequipa, and Chachapoyas, with the aim of showing the world that the sector is now a national issue in Peru.

For Maritza Montero , president of the Peru Travel Mart organizing committee, this 2025 edition is a "success" that has exceeded all expectations and is proof that the country wants to "professionalize the entire sector."

—From your perspective, what would be Peru's greatest strengths as a tourist destination?

—I wouldn't want to say just gastronomy, but it's definitely a very important factor because it's precisely part of and born from our own diversity, our culture, history, and, obviously, nature. Peru isn't just Cusco and Machu Picchu. We have Kuelap, Chan Chan, Choquequirao, the beaches, the adventure part... We have a diversity of products and cultures to visit and be a part of.

—What are the challenges facing the sector in Peru?

— One of the most important challenges is connectivity, especially regional connectivity. Roads are also extremely important, as is hotel infrastructure in some of the developing regions, such as Chachapoyas, the North, Trujillo, or Piura.

—Tourism has very positive impacts on the community, but it can also have negative ones. We're seeing it in Europe, and it's even happened in Machu Picchu... How is Peru preparing for this?

—There are archaeological sites like Machu Picchu that have a serious problem. There's more demand for tickets than we can actually meet, and that's a very serious problem. It's like a bottleneck. Foreigners who come here primarily want to visit Machu Picchu, and the fact that they can't get one sometimes makes them choose another option, but not necessarily in Peru. Still, it's important to address the issue of Machu Picchu tickets, also for the sake of a more formal image, and it doesn't help the community on the social side. It's a very serious problem, and we're working with the public and private sectors, which we hope will be resolved soon. I think that the day we're prepared with these issues, Peru will definitely be able to exceed our target numbers, because that really is an Achilles' heel.

—If you had to tell someone who doesn't know Peru, what do you think they could say that isn't easily found online?

—I would honestly say that, as I mentioned before, it's not just Machu Picchu. It's the coast, the mountains, the jungle, the diversity we have, the culture, the ancient history, and obviously the gastronomy and its people. We have the beautiful northern beaches, the Nazca Lines, we have the jungle, the luxury Amazon cruises... In short, good weather and good people.

—Visitor numbers from Spain in April were already comparable to those for all of 2024. What role does Spain play as a tourist-sending country?

—Spain is one of the source backers, one of the ones that truly nourishes us. It's a very important country, the most important in Europe, and there's very good connectivity. I think Spain can surpass last season's numbers. I travel to Spain often, and I tell you, everyone talks about Peru, its cuisine… There are very good Peruvian restaurants in Spain, and that also makes people start to see Peru differently and say, 'Well, let's go to Peru.'