Jean Dujardin and his wife Nathalie Péchalat amazed by Peru

The cultural, tourist and culinary wonders of our country enchanted the renowned French actor Jean Dujardin, winner of an Oscar in 2011 for his role as George Valentin in the film The Artist, and his wife, the champion international ice skater Nathalie Péchalat.

Péchalat, who arrived in Peru for ice skating exhibitions at the new Star Ice skating rink in Callao, danced our traditional marinera dance on ice, getting to know the elegance and complexity of this Peruvian dance first hand. These presentations were organized by the Peruvian Sports Federation of Mountaineering and Winter Sports.

Dujardin accompanied her on the trip and strolled along the Miraflores boardwalk, visited Casa Aliaga in the Historic Center, and wandered through Plaza de Armas, Jirón de la Unión and Plaza San Martín. The famous actor also visited the archaeological monument of Huaca Huallamarca and enjoyed a delicious pisco sour during his visit to the Museo Larco in Pueblo Libre.

"It was a beautiful discovery. The French love Peru; its cultural richness, with magnificent archaeological sites, extraordinary mountains where you can hike at great heights, very beautiful villages and the rich capital of Lima. It's a journey that allows us to see the world in a different way. Peru is an obligatory step. It also comes with the surprise of being an extraordinary country in terms of cuisine," said Nathalie Péchalat, at the end of the trip.

The Trip

The couple visited the city of Cusco, toured the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Vinicunca, Chincheros, Maras and the Moray Archaeological Center, where they enjoyed the best of our cuisine. They then went on to Machu Picchu and climbed Huayna Picchu.

Before leaving our country, Dujardin and Péchalat visited the Real Felipe Fortress and Callao Monumental, where they were able to learn a little more about the history of Peru and appreciate the urban and contemporary art of the multiple art galleries in the area.

The Tourism Sector in Peru

Tourism is one of the country’s main economic sectors, contributing 3.9% of the national GDP and generating over 1.4 million jobs. It is very important for its knock-on effect and the long production chain it generates –especially SMEs– directly benefiting the regions that are visited and empowering the female workforce.

It is worth mentioning that Peru has been positioning itself as the venue for major international events, such as the Pan American and Parapan American Games, where more than 8,500 athletes from 41 countries and delegations from all over the Americas are expected to participate. 

Details

In 2018, 100,951 tourists from France came to Peru, representing an increase of 5% over the previous year.