In this context, Travel2latam spoke with Teresa Rubina, President of the Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Related Businesses of Arequipa.
What are the characteristics of Arequipa and why should tourists choose it as a destination?
Located in the south of Peru, Arequipa is a beautiful city built of volcanic rock, one of the only ones in the world. The historic center is very quiet but is also characterized by its gastronomy. Although it is true that Peru has a very good food, Arequipa is one of the main gastronomic cities, with an incredible variety of dishes. This is due to immigration from different places. Arequipa has been the second most important city in Peru for many years, which is why there has always been a lot of exchange of people, cultures and products. In addition, we have a special tradition, which are the picanterías, the typical restaurants of Arequipa where the food of yesteryear is eaten.
We also have the Colca Canyon, three hours away, which is one of the most interesting canyons in the world, which can be visited, you can go there and see a condor fly over it. It is very beautiful, and Arequipa really has many possibilities to visit.
How do you present yourselves here today at this fair? Who is accompanying you?
On this occasion, thanks to the invitation of the Provincial Municipality of Arequipa, we have come with three associations: the Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Related Businesses, represented by me, who am the president, the Gastronomic Association of Arequipa, and the Association of Travel Agencies.
The Association of Hotels and Restaurants is the most representative of the city. We have 140 members, but there are also the most important hotels and restaurants. And we try to share alliances in order to have more sustainable tourism and provide a good service as a city.
Does Arequipa receive MICE tourism?
Yes, Arequipa has the opportunity not only for inbound tourists but also for MICE. Every two years we have a mining convention that hosts more than 20,000 people. We have a venue that is a space where wonders can be done, from huge events of 20,000 people to 200. We have spaces for cocktails in monasteries that are beautiful.
What hotel capacity does the city have? And what connectivity does it offer?
We have around 10,000 to 15,000 beds in the city of Arequipa, since the appearance of Airbnb has greatly increased the number. It is a large city with very good connectivity. Like Lima, it has around 1.5 million inhabitants. And air connectivity makes it easier, because from Lima to Arequipa it is an hour and a quarter by plane, with 14 daily flights. By land, we are almost 10 hours from Cusco, seeing some wonderful landscapes, and by air it is a 45-minute flight.
Arequipa is located in a mining area, right?
Yes, and it is also the only city in Peru that has a mine that is 45 minutes from the center. Cerro Verde is our most important mine where copper is found, then there are other mines a little smaller in different parts. There we have a very interesting segment, which is the corporate sector that comes to do business, set up spaces and stay for a while. Arequipa really has different kinds of activity.