Thanks to its reputation for being relatively safe and offering tons of amazing destinations, Peru is attracting U.S. travelers at record-breaking rates.
According to a report from PromPeru, the country’s official tourism board, 598,685 Americans visited Peru in 2017. Their data shows that international arrivals have been growing steadily by five percent every year since 2013.
Peru’s strong appeal comes from its incredible food, natural wonders, and wide variety of adventure options. PromPeru credits this tourism boom to increased marketing efforts in the United States. They’ve partnered with major outlets like The New York Times and Lonely Planet, and even arranged for the season finale of the hit reality show The Bachelor to be filmed in Peru.
According to PromPeru, all these visitors brought in a record-setting $4.5 billion to the country. Government stats show that American tourists spend an average of around $1,500 per person on their trips to Peru—way more than the under $1,000 average spent by tourists from other countries.
In a recent travel article, The New York Times named Kuélap as one of its “52 Places to Go in 2018,” calling it the perfect alternative to Machu Picchu.
¡#MachuPicchu Once again, it’s crowned the favorite of thousands of travelers!
Our amazing Inca citadel won the “Top Dream Destination” award, organized by the U.S.-based travel agency.#VirtuosoTravel. #OrgulloPeruano #MarcaPerú pic.twitter.com/Cwh1oLrC45— Marca PERÚ (@marcaPERU) April 3, 2018