Tourism to Peru is on the rise, according to the latest statistics from PROMPERÚ. Visitation from the United States rose 7.1 percent between 2017 and 2018, and the organization says it anticipates further growth this year.
In 2018, nearly 4.4 million international visitors arrived in Peru, an increase of 9.6 percent over 2017. In the first half of 2019, inbound tourism generated US$2.51 billion, an increase of 7.1 percent compared to the same period in 2018, making tourism the third-most important international currency source, representing 2.2 percent of GDP. According to the latest Ranking of Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index 2019, Peru ranked fifth in Latin America for international tourism.
Travelers from the United States numbered 641,280, or 14.5 percent of the international total, an increase of 7.1 percent over 2017. This year’s data shows tourism will be even stronger in 2019, with 458,012 Americans entering Peru through August, representing 15.4 percent of total international visitors.
American visitors also spend significant time and money in Peru, averaging 10-night stays and per person expenditures of approximately $1,500, with 40 percent of travelers booking through agencies. The capital city of Lima, historic Cusco and Puno on Lake Titicaca are the primary destinations for American visitors, 59 percent of whom come on vacation and 18 percent to visit friends and family, with 38 percent staying in a 4- or 5-star hotel. The average American visitor in 2018 was also very young, as 50 percent were Millennials and 18 percent were Gen Z.
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