Peru is reaping the rewards of its international promotional strategies. In 2017, the country consolidated its place as top destination for US tourists in South America with 598,685 arrivals, the Commission for the Promotion of Peruvian Exports and Tourism (PROMPERÚ) reported.
Peru has positioned itself as the favorite destination with an average annual growth of 5% since 2013, despite the slowdown in US tourism to the region over the last year.
It should be noted that international tourist arrivals to our country from this market grew by 6% during the fourth quarter of 2017 compared to the same period in 2016. This result supports the promotional campaign for the destination which has been carried out through PROMPERÚ and the private sector.
The various promotional activities implemented for the destination by PROMPERÚ include: publicity campaigns, e-strategies, participation in tourism events and work with tour operators and associations, such as ATTA (Adventure Travel Trade Association), USTOA (United States Tour Operators Association), and marketing networks such as Virtuoso, which is directed at the luxury sector.
In addition, due to new demands and ways of promoting destinations, innovative 360º branding campaigns have been implemented which are directed at this market and focused on promoting Peru as a cultural, nature, adventure and culinary travel destination. That is how campaigns with The New York Times and press trips with media brands such as National Geographic or Lonely Planet in 2017 on their various platforms allowed Peru to achieve millions of potential travelers from the US.
Promotional campaigns have been carried out to maintain this result in the North American market, such as Peru's participation as top destination in the last episodes of the reality show 'The Bachelor', which was watched by over 14 million people last month, as well as press trips with major local media channels and digital leaders. This had the aim of reaching a high-spending sector interested in visiting Peru, while also extending the stay of travelers.
It is worth highlighting that, according to the Foreign Tourist Profile prepared by PROMPERÚ, the average spent by a tourist from the US is US$1,485, whereas for the average foreign tourist it is US$964. Additionally, the main activities of American visitors in our country are focused on culture, nature and adventure.
In 2017, foreign currency generated by international tourists in our country grew by 6%, reaching the record figure of US$4,500 million.