In this context, Travel2latam had the opportunity to talk with Elba Yañez Castillo, Deputy Director of Promotion at Promperú.
What are the objectives of participation in the Anato Tourist Showcase?
Promperú has been participating in Anato for 20 consecutive years. Colombia is the fourth largest source market for tourists to Peru in the world, and the third in South America. Many of the Colombians already went for the first time, and got to know the south of Peru, but we have seen that they have a high percentage of return. More than 50% travel again. So we are offering you the northern area, Lambayeque and La Libertad, with very important pre-Inca cultures. We also have the Amazon. There are 8 countries that have the Amazon in South America, but each one has its charm. In the case of Peru, it has some luxury cruises where you can navigate the Amazon River for up to a week and you can use some small yachts and boats. With them you can enter the native communities and get to know a good part of the fauna that is there; alligators, butterflies, etc. And above all, interact with communities.
Then we have the part of the Amazon and the north of Peru, but also the Lagoon in the Huayhuas Mountain Range, located in the center of the country, where there are mountains and snow-capped mountains, mountains and lagoons with turquoise waters where you can go hiking or trekking. We have a varied offer, and we are also promoting contact with native communities and experiences, for example, with the shaman or the healer. All of this is something very rich that is part of our living culture. On the other hand, we have the best restaurant in the world in Lima, and doors of gastronomy have been opened to us, respecting the culture and tradition of our ancestors.
How is the year going for Promperú?
We are in the process of reaching our pre-pandemic tourism level, but we are still struggling. We had some problems last year at the end of 2022 and during the beginning of 2023. Fortunately, that has now been resolved, but it may cost us a little more to recover compared to other countries. I can tell you that we were at a 58% recovery from the 2019 level in some markets and we have already reached 70%, and this year we are going to continue increasing. What we have to do as a government institution is to continue and insist and work with, for example, advertising campaigns. Today we are launching our international campaign, and generating more deals with airlines, so we hope to be able to diversify, because not only do we have the Bogotá market, but we also serve the markets of the interior regions of Colombia, which are very interested in traveling to our country.
How has the planning of this event been?
Countries plan an event like this practically a year in advance. We have been betting on the Anato Tourist Showcase for 20 years and we are coming with 20 exhibitors with great experience who can guarantee quality service. There are tour operators that come from Lima and Cusco and that present the offer at the national level. Apart from that, they present news that three hotels are coming located between Lima and Cusco, and also two trains that are the ones that finally take us to Machu Picchu.
There are many activities being done here that we just saw, do you want to tell me a little more about what they present at this event?
On the three days of the fair we have strong performances and you have already seen the number of people who are eager to try our pisco. We have brought our chef and our bartender, who came to delight the Showcase attendees with products and inputs such as: causa limeñas, ceviches, ají de gallina, chiquito. We also have drinks such as Peruvian coffee. I know that we are in Colombia, a totally coffee-growing area, but that is precisely where the wealth of our sister countries lies, where we have a lot in common. We come with coffee, with pisco, and they are preparing the Pisco sour tasting, and we see that it will really be a success.