For Peru, sustainable tourism has become an essential element of development plans and programmes. In this sense, the Peruvian Promotion Commission for Export and Tourism (PROMPERÚ) reaffirms its commitment to a comprehensive approach to climate change mitigation and joins the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) “Guardians of Nature” initiative.
“80% of the tourism sector depends on nature, so it is crucial that Peru takes a leading role in environmental conservation so that we can offer our visitors a climate-responsible experience that is consistent with the major challenges facing the tourism sector and the planet,” said Amora Carbajal, executive president of PROMPERÚ.
According to the WTTC, the travel and tourism sector can stop and reverse environmental damage, noting that wilderness travel accounts for 20% of global tourism, contributing $343 billion to the global economy each year while generating an estimated 22 million jobs worldwide.
Similarly, the World Travel and Tourism Council has stated that organisations and businesses in the sector are obliged to take positive action to restore the environment, as well as to apply organic solutions to decarbonise in order to achieve the goal of zero global greenhouse gas emissions.
For these reasons, the WTTC has issued an urgent call to governments and the private travel and tourism sector to make a decisive contribution to the fight against global deterioration, biodiversity loss and climate change by taking a positive approach to nature and being ‘nature’s stewards’.
Peru commits to sustainable tourism
It is important to highlight that PROMPERÚ has carried out various actions with the aim of consolidating the country as a competitive, sustainable, quality and safe tourist destination; where, on the basis of a diversified offer, carried out with the participation of the sector’s stakeholders, tourists can enjoy unique experiences in order to contribute to the economic and social development of Peru.
Among the main activities and achievements are the Amazon campaign with ATTA (Adventure Travel Trade Association) and the SIPPO (Swiss Import Promotion Programme) study on sustainable tourism trends in 2019; in 2020, Lima enters the Global Sustainable Destination Management (GDS) ranking and the Alliance with the GDS movement is carried out to promote meeting tourism.
In 2021, Machu Picchu became the first carbon neutral destination and Ollantaytambo was recognised by the UNWTO (World Tourism Organisation) as the best tourist village; this year, Peru has 9 sites in the Top 100 Green Destinations, and has already been awarded in the World Travel Awards “Best Green Destination in the World” and “Best Cruise Destination in the World”.
In addition, international seminars on sustainability have been developed and led by Peru, an E-learning with content oriented towards sustainable tourism, as well as familiarisation trips with local communities, and the development of communication associated with the promotion of living culture, communities and ecotourism.
It should be recalled that Machu Picchu is the first wonder of the world and the first international tourist destination to obtain carbon neutrality certification thanks to the joint work of local civil society and the public and private sectors.
Source: Government of Peru
