Peru’s tourism board is hoping to see an increase in interest for the Amazon once the destination appears on Sir David Attenborough’s latest BBC show.
The Amazon region and the Peruvian rainforest will make an appearance on Seven Worlds, One Planet in the coming weeks. The show will feature footage of scarlet macaws.
Sandra Doig Alberdi, incoming tourism deputy director at PromPeru, said: “We’re working to promote northern Peru and the Amazon region as our main focus at the moment. We are hoping to see an uplift of interest due to the David Attenborough show. The destination is ready to welcome more visitors.”
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Alberdi said the north had become more accessible, opening it up to the possibility of more tourists.
UK visitor figures to Peru have grown in recent years, with a 7% increase in visitors in 2018 (74,000) compared to 2017. Average spend from the UK also increased from $1,849 (without airfare) in 2017 to $2,007 in 2018.
Although Alberdi says she’s expecting visitor growth this year, she said she remained “more conservative” on the expectations, predicting growth of around three or four percent.
The tourist board is also promoting the country’s luxury offering to the trade and has created a brochure focussing on high-end experiences including hotels, restaurants and activities. It’s the first brochure PromPeru has created specifically for the luxury sector.
“We will be able to use the brochure to showcase recognised luxury experiences across Peru,” Alberdi said. “It’s the first time we’ve done this and we’ll be using these in different markets with the likes of Virtuoso.”
Alberdi said part of the strategy to boost luxury bookings was to attend more trade shows including ILTM and Pure. PromPeru has partnered with Connections, part of Jacobs Media Group, on an event which will bring international buyers to Peru next year.
Other key focuses are gastronomy and the adventure travel sector.