In the first four months of 2023, 662,891 international tourists entered Peru, an increase of 76% compared to last year, although it still did not reach pre-pandemic figures. However, spending increased compared to 2019.
According to data published by Comex Peru, between January and March this year, the average spending per foreign tourist in Peru was US$1,504, an increase of 38.9% compared to the average spending per tourist in 2019.
Thus, in the first quarter of the year, US$ 712 million in foreign exchange was registered for inbound tourism, 46.2% more than in the first quarter of 2022. According to the Central Reserve Bank of Peru (BCRP), this includes international visitors' spending on goods and services purchased during their stay in the country and income from international passenger transportation.
Improving the infrastructure of regional airports in Peru is necessary to provide quality service to travelers and handle increased passenger traffic as we recover from the pandemic. Additionally, modernizing the Anta Airport in Ancash will attract more tourists by air, positively impacting the region's tourism industry.
The travel and hospitality data
According to figures from the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI), in the first quarter of this year, the income from transport and accommodation activity in Peru reached a value of S / 3,976 million, 5% higher than the same period of 2022, but 6-8% less than the same period of 2019.
In addition, during the first three months of the year, the Peruvian restaurant subsector grew by 5.7%, while the accommodation subsector decreased by 3% due to social conflicts in the south and the harmful effects of Cyclone Yaku in the north and center of the country.