Tourism in Peru

Domestic air travel serves as a major method for tourists to traverse the country with multiple airlines offering service between many of Peru's cities.

Domestically, the highway system is extensive and covers nearly the entire country excluding the department of Loreto which can be accessed onlyby boat or airplane.

But, bus travel is dangerous as many of these highways are built on cliffs, and accidents leading to death are frequently reported by the media.

The buses range in size and comfort but they usually have cushioned reclining seats and a form of onboard entertainment, such as a movie or music.

The Ferrocarril Central Andino starts at sea level in Callao and traverses the Andes, crossing through the Junín and Huancavelica departments.

The southern railway, operated by PeruRail, a company founded by tourism entrepreneur Lorenzo Sousa in 1999, is the one most commonly used by tourists and is considered to have two of the most luxurious rail services in the world, The Hiram Bingham and the Andean explorer, as a segment of its route goes from the city of Cusco to the citadel of Machu Picchu, a major tourist attraction.

A newer railway, Inca Rail, also takes tourists from nearby cities to Aguas Calientes at the bottom of Machu Picchu.

[4] It employs 11% of the labor force in Peru (484,000 direct and 340,000 indirect jobs) the majority of them belonging to the hotel and transportation industries.

[citation needed] It is regulated by the Commission for the Promotion of Peru (PromPeru) belonging to the Ministry of Foreign Commerce and Tourism.

Pre-Columbian civilizations – most notably the Inca Empire, Chavín, Moche, and Nasca – left a large archeological and cultural impact on the nation.

Peru has a higher percentage of land area protected in national parks and reserves than any other country in South America.

Many Peruvians have resorted to financial income channels that are harmful to the environment because environmental degradation and changes in the country have caused a decline in alternative economic opportunities.

[7] Illegal logging as a source of income is a dominant example of this and a product of the lack of economic opportunity in many regions in Peru.

[9] By creating alternatives to this, like ecotourism, there is an opportunity for ecological conservation, economic development, and political empowerment of local and indigenous communities in Peru.

The region also hosts Huascarán National Park, which holds biodiversity of various flora and fauna, being a World Heritage Site since 1985.

There are lots of beaches near Talara, "tourist capital of Piuria"[12] and since it is located on the Equator, there is beautiful weather all year round.

The non-profit organization, Ecoswell, now offers opportunities for dry forest ecotourism in Piuria, specifically in Lobitos and surrounding towns.

Because of Peru's geographical diversity, it is possible to go surfing, sandboarding, 4x4, dune buggy, alpinism, rafting, rappelling, downhill, rally, trekking, skiing, and mountain climbing.

River rafting has become very popular among national and international tourists in recent years, and availability in Lima and Cusco is high.

These ingredients have been combined with a number of staples brought by the Spanish, such as rice, wheat and meat (such as beef, pork and chicken).

Two of the most popular beach areas are Máncora and Punta Sal in the Piura and Tumbes regions respectively, and Asia in the Lima Department.

On the northern coast is the town of Puerto Chicama, home to the longest left-breaking wave in the world at 1.4 miles (2.2 km).

In 1998, mudslides caused by a major El Niño event altered the seafloor on the coast of Peru and brought significant amounts of sand to the beaches.

These natural beach and ocean resources have the ability to draw tourists to lower-income regions of Peru and boost the economy.

Surf tourism in Peru has the potential to act as an agent of ecotourism and aid in the goals of conserving the environment and improving the well-being of local Peruvian people.

[16] This niche of tourists arrive seeking high-end hotels and premium experiences in unique destinations, and travel mainly from the U.S. and Europe, but increasingly also from Asian countries, particularly China.

The Peruvian government has made major efforts at securing international investment in the country's high-end tourism industry, particularly in emerging markets.

World Heritage Sites National Parks According to a 2005 Peruvian government study, the satisfaction rate for tourists after visiting Peru is 94%.