Peru received 2,976,151 international tourists between January and November 2024. This represents a 31.6% increase compared to the same period in 2023. It also marks a 74.2% recovery of pre-pandemic levels from 2019, according to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur).
Cusco Tops the List of Tourist Attractions
Most foreign visitors explored tourist sites in Cusco. The most popular spot was the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, visited by 981,666 people. Next on the list was the Ollantaytambo Archaeological Park with 495,462 visitors, followed by the Sacsayhuamán Esplanade with 439,139. Other top sites include the Moray Archaeological Complex (393,988) and the Pisaq Archaeological Park (327,877).
Tourists also visited other famous attractions like the Colca Valley and the Santa Catalina Monastery in Arequipa.
Tourists from the U.S. and South America Lead the Way
Most tourists came from Chile (644,953), followed by the U.S. (546,571), Ecuador (270,900), Brazil (170,664), and Bolivia (167,799). Other key visitors came from Colombia (153,504), Spain (125,433), Argentina (107,634), Mexico (95,473), France (72,212), Canada (67,273), Germany (56,418), the United Kingdom (54,210), and Italy (51,097).
Visitors from the Netherlands (25,918), Australia (24,382), Switzerland (15,922), Poland (12,460), Belgium (11,640), and India (9,947) also contributed significantly to the total.
Regional Breakdown of Tourist Arrivals
South America accounted for 51.7% of all tourists, with 1,537,203 visitors. North America followed with 23.8% (709,317), while Europe made up 16.8% (498,828). Asia contributed 3.9% (116,753), and Central America represented 2.7% (80,546) of the total arrivals.
Countries With Surging Numbers of Visitors
Tourists from the Dominican Republic (+43.1%), Guatemala (+34.5%), Poland (+20.9%), Costa Rica (+16.3%), and India (+14.7%) surpassed pre-pandemic numbers. During January to November 2024, Peru welcomed 11,868 visitors from the Dominican Republic, 9,992 from Guatemala, 12,460 from Poland, 22,207 from Costa Rica, and 9,947 from India.
Big Surge in Tourists from Asia
Tourists from Asia increased sharply. The number of visitors from China rose by 84.9%, while those from Japan grew by 96%, and visitors from South Korea increased by 61.4%. Peru received 34,611 tourists from China, 19,294 from Japan, and 16,473 from South Korea during the first 11 months of 2024.
The latest tourism report from Mincetur highlights a steady recovery in Peru’s tourism sector. With nearly 3 million international tourists, the country continues to reclaim its place as one of South America's top destinations.
Source: Gob.pe
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