Once again, Peru’s capital city of Lima was ranked among the 10 most visited destinations in Latin America, a report by Mastercard revealed last Tuesday.
The recently-published Mastercard Destination Cities Index affirmed the Peruvian capital was the third most visited metropolis in the region in 2016, with 2.68 million arrivals, after Punta Cana (3.43 million) and Mexico City (3.01 million).
In this sense, Peru’s most important city was followed by Sao Paulo (2.25 million) and Buenos Aires (1.85 million).
Likewise, Punta Cana topped the Overnight International Visitor Spending in Latin America ranking with revenue worth USD 3.83 billion. Lima ranked second (USD 2.82 billion), ahead of Mexico City (USD 2.48 billion) and Buenos Aires (USD 1.80 billion).
Additionally, the Inca country’s capital became the Fastest Growing Destination City by International Overnight Visitors in Latin America (15.2%) between 2009 and 2016.
It was followed by Bogota (9.0%), Punta Cana (8.8%) and Rio de Janeiro (7.4%), among others.
About
Around the world, tourism is driving the economic engines of growth and development.
Since 2009, international travel and spending by overnight visitors to cities have grown faster than real GDP.
To help cities understand key drivers and unlock the value of tourism, Mastercard released its annual Mastercard Destination Cities Index.
The Index is more than just a ranking of the 132 top destination cities of today and tomorrow.
Two Peruvian hotels among the world’s top 30
The renowned digital magazine Condé Nast Traveler included two Peruvian guesthouses among the Best Hotels in the World, part of the Readers’ Choice Awards 2017.
Inkaterra La Casona (Cusco) and Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel are among ‘The Best Hotels in the World’ in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2017 Readers’ Choice Awards. The only Peruvian hotels in the Top 50 list, the Inkaterra properties are listed in 14th and 15th position, respectively. Inkaterra La Casona and Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel also achieved second and third place in the ‘Top Hotels in South America’ category, confirming both are perceived as the best hotels in Peru by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler.
Additionally, three Inkaterra hotels are mentioned in the ‘Top Resorts in South America’ list––Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba (Sacred Valley, Cusco), Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica and Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción (Madre de Dios).
“Conde Nast Traveler´s Readers honor us” stated José Koechlin, Inkaterra founder and chairman. “Having five of our properties among winners in such a prestigious contest is a celebration to ecotourism as a means for sustainable development, a concept pioneered 42 years ago when we opened our first lodge in the Peruvian Amazon.”
Having catered to over 200,000 guests in 2016, Inkaterra showcases Peru’s natural and cultural virtues through authentic experiential travel. Working under a holistic approach, the brand funds scientific research as a basis for biodiversity conservation, education and the wellbeing of local communities. Established amid the pristine nature of the Amazon rainforest of Madre de Dios, the Machu Picchu cloud forest, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and the city of Cusco, Inkaterra seeks inspiration from local cultures when designing its hotels, all built and decorated with native materials in harmony with their environment.
Since 1978, Inkaterra produces flora and fauna inventories to measure its own long-term impact over natural areas. 903 bird species (equivalent to Costa Rica’s total bird diversity) and 372 native orchid species (the world’s largest collection in its habitat, according to the American Orchid Society) have been registered in its grounds, while 29 new species have been recorded by NGO Inkaterra Asociación. More than 4000 team members born and raised in local communities have been trained in hospitality and ecotourism.
The 2017 Readers’ Choice Awards are the result of the votes of 300,000 magazine readers who submitted millions of ratings and tens of thousands of comments, sharing their recent travel experiences of the world’s cities, islands, hotels, resorts, cruise lines, airlines, and airports—good or bad. All winners will be celebrated in the November issue of Condé Nast Traveler, as well as online at www.cntraveler.com/rca.