Israel Ruiz, Living in Peru

2009 to be a tough year for Peru

In an extensive article published in El Comercio newspaper, Mara Seminario, head of Peru's tourism Promotion Agency affirmed that 2009 would be a tough year. She explained that for this reason Prom-Peru had not released its estimates on how many tourists it expected to arrive to the Andean country during 2009. The number of foreign visitors that came to Peru in 2008 surpassed 2 million, a 17 percent increase when compared to the previous year.

Majority of Peru's tourists come from Chile

Records released by Peru's state-run tourism agency showed that 25 percent of the country's foreign visitors came from Chile. It was noted that this number of foreign tourists was much greater than the 17 percent that came from the United States. Representatives explained that this 25 percent that came from Chile included Peruvians that had moved to the country and become Chilean for work-related reasons. Experts explained that these expats were considered in statistics and had most likely reentered the country to visit family members.

Tourists surprised by Cusco train fare

Tourists traveling last weekend by train from the town of Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes were surprised when they were charged a fee by the municipality when they were to board. While Peruvians were charged 1 sol, foreign tourists were charged $1. Many visitors complained affirming they had paid for packages which covered transportation fares and had not been told of this fee. Marco Ochoa, head of Cusco's tourism agency stated he was troubled by the matter and explained he had not been informed of the additional fare being charged by the municipality of Ollantaytambo.