‘Premium’ tourist inflow grew 17% in 2015 with respect to the previous year, according to Peru's Exports and Tourism Promotion Board (PromPeru) 2015 Foreign Visitor Profile (PTE).
The PTE is an annual study that monitors foreign tourists' characteristics, motivations and behavior in Peru.
The premium segment comprises foreign travelers, who come into the Inca nation via Lima's Jorge Chavez International Airport. They acquire tourism packages and spend at least US$1,000 during their trip.
A total of 525,227 such luxury visitors were recorded in 2015, accounting for 16% of international arrivals last year.
The majority of tourists come from the United States (34%); followed by France, Japan, Canada and Spain (5%); as well as the United Kingdom, Australia and Germany (4%).
"This group's average stay in our nation is 10 days, one more day if compared to a regular vacationer. Their average tourism expenditure stood at US$ 2,210, which led to US$1.161 billion in revenues in 2015," the study revealed.
"On a regional level, Peru is the country where foreign tourists spend the most, relegating Brazil to second position," it highlights.
The study confirms the increase in tourism revenues as a result of foreign tourist inflow growth. In this respect, U.S. tourists account for most of the industry's income.
Average tourist spending
Regarding average expenditure, highest spending was recorded by Asian tourists (close to US$2,000), and visitors who acquired a holiday package invested the most in their trip (US$2,078 on average).
As for trip organization, 65% of visitors travelled on their own, with Latin Americans leading the segment (82%).
With respect to accommodation, 18% chose 4 and 5-star hotels, whereas 41% preferred 3-star options and 48% went for 1 and 2-star hotels.
Luxury accommodation (4 and 5-star hotels) was favored mainly by Asian (48%) and UK (36%) visitors.
"Being aware of foreign visitors' preferences proves fundamental to design promotion strategies. These statistics become an essential tool to learn about, understand and value foreign tourists' characteristics," it pointed out.
"Thanks to this information, entrepreneurs, investors, professionals and all stakeholders directly or indirectly involved in the sector can add value to their products and services. This will allow them to better satisfy international travelers' demands," concludes the study.
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Published: 9/23/2016