Who doesn’t love a holiday? Let’s be honest—everyone enjoys a break from the daily grind. A public holiday offers a much-needed pause from the routine and work stress we carry throughout the year.
More than just a day off, holidays are often about celebrating a national figure or historical moment—events that helped shape Peru into the nation it is today.
A holiday is like an oasis of rest in the desert of deadlines and early mornings. It can also recharge our motivation and make the workweek feel a little more manageable.
Many would agree that a single day off is great for relaxing, but what about recreation? In Peru, tourism is a powerful engine for growth and a major contributor to the economy—so it makes sense to harness holidays to stimulate domestic travel.
That’s exactly what the Peruvian government has done. In 2017, it announced the addition of new “bridge holidays” as part of a strategy to encourage local tourism.
It’s a smart move. With Peru being such a naturally touristic country, creating long weekends supports not just leisure, but economic development in communities across the country.
Welcome to the new long weekends of 2017! More tourism, more growth, and more reasons to explore Peru.
The initiative was signed into effect by then-president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, adding three extra holidays to the country’s usual list of ten official days off.
This policy applies only to 2017 and part of 2018 as follows:
July 29 is already a holiday celebrating Saint Peter and Saint Paul. In 2017, July 30 was added as an extra day off.
July 28 and 29 are already national holidays for Peru’s Independence Day. In 2017, July 27 was added as a holiday to create a full long weekend.
January 1st is a traditional day off for New Year’s. For 2018, the government added January 2nd as an additional holiday to help people recover and rest.
However, these extra holidays are not meant to encourage laziness. They are official non-working days, but the hours must later be rescheduled. Employers and employees are expected to agree on how to make up the time.
For tax and fiscal purposes, these days are still counted as working days.
Peru’s National Chamber of Tourism praised the decision, calling it “a great way to stimulate domestic tourism.” Still, they emphasized that declaring holidays isn’t enough—tourism promotion must also improve to truly drive results.
That means offering more attractive deals and travel opportunities, especially in regional areas. The private sector will continue to work alongside public institutions to improve services and expand travel options for Peruvians.
It’s clear that teamwork across all sectors has helped Peru make real progress. And even when it comes to holidays, collaborating for the greater good is the key to building a stronger, more connected nation.
