Community-based tourism is one of the activities that has recovered over the past year, benefiting organized communities that offer this type of experience,
highlighted in her Address to the Nation marking the 204th Anniversary of Peru's Declaration of Independence on Monday.
"In just one year, we reactivated community-based tourism, with 55 organized communities and 40 authentic experiences that not only enrich our tourism offering, but also improve the quality of life for those who lead them," she stated.
Speaking from the Congress chamber, the Head of State recalled that when her administration began in December 2022, tourism was still in a recovery phase due to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Revenues and visitor arrivals had yet to reach expected levels," she noted.
In this context, the President stated that her government has made a firm commitment to diversifying the tourism offering, decentralizing its development, and promoting innovation as pillars for the sector's recovery and sustainable growth.
The top official highlighted one such initiative: that of Elsa, an entrepreneur in community-based tourism on the Uros Islands of majestic Lake Titicaca in Puno region.
"Thanks to the Turismo Emprende program and a grant of S/80,000 (US$22,599), she made her dream come true: an innovative lodge built with totora reeds that offers visitors a unique experience: kayaking, Andean cuisine, and restful stays in nature," Mrs. Boluarte said.
The top official emphasized that Elsa's venture in the Uros benefits 28 families and is part of a community that receives a high volume of tourists.
"This is the Peru we are building: where tradition, with the support of the (Peruvian) State, becomes sustainable development," she added.
Lastly, Mrs. Boluarte noted that, for the first time, 11 Peruvian handicraft companies and the national network of Productive Innovation and Technological Transfer (CITE) centers for crafts and tourism secured US$11 million in deals at the world’s most important wholesale trade fair for home and decoration items in Germany.
"Three of them were recognized by the 'Ethical Style' program, which highlights sustainable production and corporate social responsibility," she indicated.