Marisol Acosta, Director of Tourism at PromPerú

Marisol Acosta, Director of Tourism at PromPerú

Visit Latin America: What are the stages and when is international tourism going to be reactivated in the country?

During this month of October, the economic reactivation of Peru has entered phase 4. This phase includes the opening of our international borders for commercial flights from cities within a maximum of 4 hours flying time from Lima.  Depending on the evolution of the health situation in Peru, which has improved sustainably, our borders will be opened to new destinations.

VLA: PROMPERU has worked hard to promote the north of the country and new areas open to tourism. Can you tell us how these new destinations have been prepared for the return of visitors?

Our Ministry of Tourism and PROMPERU have maintained a permanent work of coordination at the regional level, for which we have developed an integral tourism promotion plan, hand in hand with the private sector. Adventure destinations, outdoor activities predominate and of course we give priority to safety protocols. Protocols have been established for each of the different actors in the tourism value chain.

In this sense, protocols are being implemented in the destinations in the north of our country, rich in culture and nature, with emblematic itineraries and attractions such as Kuelap (archaeological site), the Route of the Moche (nature and culture), the Amazon (biodiversity), northern beaches such as Mancora and the wonderful treks of Ancash (snow-covered mountains). Likewise, with the aim of training the international commercial channel, we have promoted e-learning platforms and developed webinars abroad with our commercial offices where more than 15,000 travel agents have been trained in recent months. Internally, we have developed training for the domestic trade channel on post-pandemic holidaymaker profiles and market trends, in order to adapt travel proposals to new demands and prepare destinations to adapt to them.

VLA: What will be the conditions and volumes of travelers authorized to access monuments and archaeological sites in the coming months?

Stimulus plans are being defined to ensure that the protocols are properly applied. The Machu Picchu site has already approved protocols. It will open with a reduced capacity, more or less 50% of what was allowed in the past.

In this particular case of Machu Picchu, access will be allowed to 675 people per day, in groups of a maximum of 8 people (7 passengers + 1 guide); they will enter every hour and must maintain a distance of 20 meters between groups. At the same time, 4 routes have been activated. Temperature of the visitors will be tested at the entrance and if it is equal to or higher than 38°, they will not be allowed to enter the archaeological park. We will update the information on tourist protocols in our communication platforms.

VLA: In July 2021, the new Pachacámac Museum will be opened. Can you tell us what collection will exhibited and what will visitors learn there?

The Pachacámac culture was an important administrative and cultural centre of our capital. The new museum will reflect the importance of this sanctuary for the civilization of the time.

The new museum will fit harmoniously into the archaeological landscape, with an exhibition area of approximately one thousand square metres. The building will be made up of different areas: a first major area for the permanent exhibition and a minor area for temporary exhibitions. The museum will also have tactile resources and QR codes to allow visitors to interact and discover more about this important archaeological site.

More details on this important project can be found here: http://pachacamac.cultura.pe/museo-de-sitio/nuevo-museo

VLA: What message would you like to send to tourism professionals?

Peru is an ancient country that has known how to overcome difficult situations throughout its history. We are preparing to welcome travelers from all over the world again so that tourism returns in a responsible and sustainable manner. This is why we are implementing biosecurity protocols so that tourists can visit us safely and with confidence, and so that they can enjoy all our wonderful destinations, discover our history, our warm people and fall in love with our incomparable gastronomy.