This was assured by María Del Sol Velásquez- Director of Tourism of PROMPERÚ belonging to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism of Peru in reference to the sanctuary of Machu Picchu (one of the New 7 Wonders of the World since July 2007) and the Amazon River (one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature since 2011).
The Peruvian official explained that the recognition (of two destinations within Peru as Wonders of the World) had a significant impact on multiple facets. “In fact, in the field of tourism, the flow of national and international tourists has increased significantly and has obviously contributed to the growth of the Peruvian sector and economy. Investments in infrastructure, transport services, restaurants, services to improve the tourist experience and obviously local employment have been encouraged.”
And he added “on the other hand, also thanks to the popularity of Machu Picchu, that has attracted the attention of the film industry and other media to come and film here in Peru, through a strategy that we have in PromPeru, which is Filming Peru. And thanks to this strategy some producers have already come to film some films, such as the movie: Transformers, The Awakening of the Beasts, and the last one that is about to come out, is that of the Paddington bear, which has also been filmed in Machu Picchu as a location. So, this helps us not only to promote the destination globally, but also generates employment for all the investment that is generated in the place, such as the contracting of transport, accommodation, among other things.”
Two Wonders of the World
In this context, María Del Sol Velásquez – Director of Tourism of PromPeru belonging to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism of Peru – referred to what it means for the country to have two Wonders of the World.
“For us, the choice of the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu and the Amazon as Wonders of the Modern World means one more source of pride for our country. For us Peruvians, these recognitions highlight not only our history, but our culture and biodiversity. Machu Picchu is an impressive symbol of architecture, engineering and creativity of the Inca empire. And the Amazon is considered the lung of the world. It is actually a paradise of flora and fauna. It is one of the places with the greatest biological diversity on the entire planet. Those two recognitions are great opportunities for us, to promote tourism and other sectors also in the country. But it also represents a great responsibility because we must maintain and preserve them, so that not only the Peruvian traveler can access them in the long term, but also the international traveler.”
As for the consultation of how many tourists visit Machu Picchu each year and whether the arrival of tourists increased since the declaration of the place as Wonder of the World, the PromPeru official said that between 2008 and 2023 between 900,000 and 1 and a half million visitors have arrived on average to Machu Picchu per year. “Since the declaration as Wonder of the World, the arrival of tourists has increased considerably, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Foreign Trade of Peru in 2019, a year before the pandemic, the visit of approximately 1,585,000 tourists was received, and this has represented 98% growth compared to 2017,” he explained.
Amazon and other places
Regarding the tourist activities they offer in the Amazon River or the Peruvian Amazon, María Del Sol Velásquez commented “there are a lot of activities. It is possible, for example, to sail on the Amazon River on a splendid cruise, which are similar to luxury hotels. And I can tell you that you open the window and you are watching the sunrise in the same Amazon, having a privileged view of the jungle, where you will be in special contact with all the natural and cultural richness that exists. In addition, these cruises also visit the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, which is the second largest protected area in Peru. And it is a paradise for nature lovers, because there is an incredible biodiversity, with more than a thousand species of animals, among which anacondas stand out, the paiche that is the largest freshwater fish in the world, is an adventure for everyone. In addition, they also visit the communities and manage to have that integration and that connection not only with living culture, but with nature. It’s incredible because you interact with them and they know their culture.”
On the other hand, the official also highlighted the international recognitions that Peru has had in recent times and said that “the historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu has been chosen for the 7º consecutive year as the leading tourist attraction of South America in the regional edition of the World Travel Awards 2024. And a couple of weeks ago our Wonder of the World also received the international certification of Neutral Carbon, this is a very important achievement for us as a country. In addition, also at the World Travel Awards, Peru was chosen as a leading cultural destination in South America, a leading destination in South America and a leading culinary destination in South America. These awards not only highlight the country’s continuous effort to preserve and share its heritage as well, but also cultural diversity as with the world.”
And in another order he highlighted that Peru has a lot to offer the tourist “it is important to mention that Peru has much more to offer in addition to Machu Picchu. For example, in the region of Libertad is Chan Chan, the largest mud citadel in Latin America, declared a Cultural Heritage Site of Humanity and it is possible to observe and fly over the Nazca lines (450 kilometers from Lima between Palpa and Nazca, in the Pampa of Socos, these lines drawn on the ground are located, whose width ranges between 40 and 210 centimeters. It is a land between blackish and reddish that becomes violet at dusk. A semicircle of hills in the distance make up a gigantic natural amphitheater open to the west. In this region, thousands of lines extend over 520 km², and some even extend to an area of 800 km²)”.
Finally, he also mentioned that “in Puno you can have the experience of being able to navigate Lake Titicaca and immerse yourself in the textile art of the community of Taquile, precisely one of the islands that is impressive. And we also have the Colca Canyon in Arequipa, the turquoise lagoon in Ancash, which offers spectacular landscapes. And well, we are such a diverse destination, so multicultural, a perfect combination for those looking for adventure, culture, nature and luxury. I think it’s a destination that you’re going to find everything for pleasure, I think we have everything”.
