Within the framework of the
, the positive economic impact that this meeting will have on Peru is evident.
From your perspective, what impact do you anticipate the upcoming APEC Leaders' Summit will have on Peru?
It is a great opportunity to boost trade operations with other APEC member economies.
For this year, we expect trade between Peru and other member economies to exceed US$80 billion, which would imply a growth of 5.89%, considering that these operations in 2023 totaled US$75.548 billion.
We also consider the (positive) impact on tourism that
hosting the APEC Leaders' Summit for the third time is generating.
So far this year, with the 240 preparatory meetings held, we have already registered 7,400 visitors who arrived in our country for APEC-related issues.
We hope that by the end of Leaders' Week we will have some 15,000 additional visitors attracted solely by these types of meetings, thereby consolidating Peru as a destination for event tourism.
Some 20,000 journalists are also expected to arrive to cover the Leaders' Meeting.
Regarding trade integration, which agreements are expected to be signed at the upcoming Leaders' Summit?
We have two specific topics: the signing of the protocol for optimizing the Peru-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the signing of the trade agreement with Hong Kong.
In both cases, it will favor the development of new businesses, benefiting the growth of our exports and improving projections.
Does this occasion generate opportunities to initiate negotiations for new trade partnerships?
The APEC Leaders' Meeting in our country represents not only a great opportunity for the growth of our international trade, but also for inbound tourism.
It enables us to create a space to foster the start of negotiations for new free trade agreements with economies such as Thailand.
We must remember that of the 21 economies which comprise this bloc, we already have trade agreements with 14 of them.
In this year marked basically by APEC, how will inbound tourism perform?
By September, we have recorded the arrival of 2.5 million international tourists. We expect to close this year with the arrival of 3.5 million foreign visitors.
Although we are not yet back to pre-pandemic figures, this goal might be achieved in 2025 as a result of all the promotion and dissemination work being carried out worldwide. However, at the currency (foreign income) level, we observe a rapid recovery.
Peru is well regarded internationally as a place to visit or invest in, and that is something we must ensure. The idea is that our country continues to be seen as a safe destination for investment, with legal stability and economic growth.
Everything points to the fact that the flow of tourists, regardless of the reason for their arrival in Peru, will increase steadily.
Having a growing economy is also a significant factor that provides certainty to international tourists interested in visiting this country.