Lima is being touted as South America's new tourism hub: visitors increasingly want the capital for its gastronomy, sea views and more | Statement | Tourism | Airplanes | Travel | Target | Airport | Restaurants | Hopdals Association of Peru | lime

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This panorama reflects a major deficit in the tourism offering offered Lima For visitors, the city's main gateway and at the same time the country's most important, Jorge Chavez International Airport, receives more than half (two-thirds) of all tourists arriving in Peru.

In 2023 alone, 2.5 million international tourists entered Peru, according to information from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetour) and Migration Monitoring. Of this number, 65% did so through the aforementioned airport.

In this sense, in recent years, more and more Foreign tourists They arrived in Lima and stayed longer than usual due to various improved facilities in the capital. The most important of them, undoubtedly, is The GastronomyAnd the highest recognition it has achieved in the world.

Gastronomy: Lima's main attraction

According to the National Tourism Board (Kanadur), the Gastronomic offer This is one of the main factors that make the King's City one of the favorite holiday destinations for foreign nationals. Many visitors to Lima engage in what is known as gastronomic tourism. The majority come from North America, Chile, Brazil and Colombia. Likewise, Mexico has seen an interesting departure.

For this reason, according to the Association of Hotels of Peru (SHP), the Tourists Now they stay in Lima for 4 to 5 days, not two days like many years ago. The aim is to taste as many dishes as possible and experience the various flavors of Peruvian cuisine.

“In Canatur, we have seen an increase in foreign tourist arrivals in recent years, mainly to Lima. This is because Peruvian gastronomy has different recognitions when it comes to restaurants. Widespread and well-known media have articles dedicated to our cuisine. We're talking The New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, The Washington Post. Tito Alegria, Managing Director of Canatur.

Added to this are the awards and distinctions that many Peruvian restaurants have received. This is evidenced by the fact that Central was selected as the best restaurant in the world in the 2023 edition of The World's 50 Best. This marks the first time since 2002 that a Latin American company has topped the prestigious ranking.

“Lima was the city. However, as it is promoted as a gastronomic destination, tourists are increasingly looking forward to visit this beautiful city, especially to enjoy the gastronomy. In addition, we have a list of the best restaurants in the world, which is a great incentive to promote tourism.” said Tipise Monsalve, head of SHP.

Meanwhile, he noted, when you talk about Peru abroad, people are quick to highlight the level of its gastronomy. He also assured that the association with the country's food is more important than Machu Picchu. “They called you Peru like Machu Picchu. Now synonymous with Peruvian gastronomy. “Foreign tourists, after the pandemic, seek to enjoy life even more, and what better way than through our gastronomy” Mansalve said.

For his part, José Luis Silva, former Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism and representative of the Union of Restaurant Groups and Associations, highlighted Peru's enormous gastronomic variety in each of its regions. For Lima, what is special is that in addition to offering its own characteristic dishes, its restaurants bring together different cuisines from the north, south, center and jungle of the country.

“In addition, in Lima, we have fusion dishes created by combining our own ingredients from other countries such as Japan, China, France, Italy, etc.” he added.

Silva explained that a tourist visiting Peru doesn't come with a plan to relax, that is, to have a good time without spending too much. On the contrary, the tourist coming to the country is educated, tends to spend more, visits archaeological sites, museums, stays in good hotels and of course, gastronomic tourism.

“There are people who come from neighboring countries to eat exclusively. They are willing to spend more. Tourists to Peru spend 3 to 5 times more per day than those visiting the Caribbean coast.“, said.

Mincetour, on the other hand, explained that gastronomic tourism is gaining popularity around the world. Travelers are willing to experiment and try new cuisines as a result of the need to understand cultures as deeply rich and diverse as Peru. For this reason, our gastronomy mesmerizes the world as it offers flavors, aromas and various cooking techniques that delight foreign palates.

A variety of hotel offers

Mansalve explained Trade Most hotel brands are concentrated in Lima (about 30), so most tourists stay in the country's capital. Likewise, he highlighted the fact that Lima is home to world-renowned hotels that provide excellent service to the public.

“We have a list of the best hotels in the world. Foreign tourists feel safer staying at an international chain than a local one because the latter do not know them. The issue of security is very important to them. However, it should be noted that compared to other cities not in the region, Lima is still a safe place.”, he commented.

Another issue that could help boost tourism in Lima, he pointed out, is the restoration of the historic center led by Prolima. ““This work restores this whole area, which is another added value that will greatly help tourism in Lima” expresses.

Other places in Lima

Along with its varied and renowned gastronomic offer, Liam also enjoys other tourist attractions there. A second and more powerful reason is that the city stands out as the only capital city located in South America seafront (Pacific Ocean).

“World media not only highlights Lima's gastronomy, but also lists the city's best attractions. One of them is the view of the Pacific Ocean. We are one of the few US capital cities facing the ocean. Also, the weather is wonderful at this time, coinciding with Lima's founding anniversary.” said Tito Alegria.

Another major factor in the rise of tourism in the City of Kings is connectionIt is a capital city located relatively close to other large cities in South America with a large population.

“Lima is a city just a few hours away from the North American and South American markets. We are less than 5 hours from major cities. “This has given the city the need it has had in recent months.” Alegria explained..

On the other hand, another very important reason is related Historical value of Lima. It is an ancient city where the oldest city in America settled: Carrel.

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“We have the archeological capital of the Americas, which is Cuzco, and we have the oldest city in all of the Americas thanks to Carol, who makes us the cradle of civilization. It has been reported in various press articles from popular media around the world.”, pointed out the managing director of Kannatur.

The final factor and attraction of tourists visiting Lima Exchange rate stability That is. This makes Lima a very safe place to make decisions regarding prices.