, attended by authorities, delegation heads, and technical teams of the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies that participated in the 63rd APEC Tourism Working Group Meeting and 12th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting, which took place in Urubamba from June 5-9.
The minister reported that said visit was organized to position Peru as an attractive destination for hosting international meetings and events, as well as to show APEC economies how tourism management in Peru has been restructuring, after the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Our purpose is to foster direct contact with APEC member economies on competition issues in the tourism sector, as well as to consolidate the country by strengthening trade and investment with Asia-Pacific region members," she explained.
Minister Galdo mentioned that
officials and authorities who visited Machu Picchu were amazed by the Sanctuary, as well as the landscape they observed during the tour.
"It has been a magnificent opportunity to place Peru in the spotlight of APEC economies," she remarked.
The Mincetur head indicated that tourism recovery is on its way, citing that, during the first quarter of this year, Cusco-based Velasco Astete International Airport registered the arrival of 428,782 passengers, which represented a 76.2% expansion (an additional flow of 185,000 passengers) compared to the first quarter last year; besides, this figure exceeded by 3.9% the values reached during January-March 2019.
Regarding the arrival of visitors at tourist sites, such as the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary, she reported that the Sanctuary received 120,780 visitors between January and March 2024, a 67% expansion (additional flow of 48,000) compared to the same months in 2023.
Considering that hosting the APEC meetings is an important opportunity for the Peruvian Government towards the tourism sector's sustainable development, this visit will lead to showcasing Peru, providing the opportunity to establish contacts with cooperating countries and fostering alliances aimed at strengthening tourism, Minister Galdo concluded.