Peru promotes sports tourism with Half Marathon Des Sables
Extreme marathon, which will show the impressive deserts of Ica, is expected to reach an audience of over 200 million people in 160 countries
The Commission for the Promotion of Peru for Exportation and Tourism (PROMPERÚ) announced the realization of the second edition of Half Marathon des Sables in Peru, a sporting event that will take place from December 3 to 6, and will have as its stage the impressive deserts of the Ica region.
Thanks to the great commitment of PROMPERÚ in this type of events, the positioning of the Peruvian tourist offer of adventure and nature will be strengthened, increasing the tourist flow from our main international issuing markets.
“In the last six years the interest of the foreign vacationer in the Peruvian desert has shown an annual growth of 49%; while adventure tourism shows a cumulative growth of 111% from 2014 to 2018 nationwide, ”said PROMPERÚ executive president Luis Torres.
He stressed that events such as Half Marathon des Sables directly impact the economy of the region that hosts the competition, due to the expense of those who arrive in Peru for the sporting event (organizers, runners and companions), because they consume lodging-related services , transport, restaurants, among others.
According to the organizers, the race in our country is projected to attract around 500 athletes, 70% of them foreigners. On the other hand, the HMDS Peru 2019 is expected to have more than 5.5 million page views on social networks and reach an audience of 264 million people in 160 countries.
This year, Peru has hosted important sporting events, such as the Dakar Rally and the 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games, which have made sports activities be placed in the heart of Peruvians. With Half Marathon des Sables, Peru will once again be in the eyes of the world, demonstrating the ability to organize large-scale events, the competitiveness of athletes and the diversity of landscapes.
The second edition of the Half Marathon Des Sables includes a pedestrian race in the Peruvian desert of 120 kilometers in 3 sports stages and food self-sufficiency. The route is secret and is revealed a day before to the event runners.
The validation of the route is being coordinated with the Ministries of Culture and Environment so as not to affect the cultural or environmental heritage of the area. In this way, the race will not pass through exclusion zones with archaeological value, nor through exclusion zones with paleontological value.