Magali Silva Velarde-Alvarez, the Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism (MINCETUR) and President of the Board of PROMPERÚ, credits smart business strategy for positioning Peru as a favorite destination for business travel and meetings.
“Peru’s ICCA ranking has moved up to 39, with 84 events, climbing four positions. Lima, meanwhile, rises from 42 to 35. Out of 54 events organized in 2013, we have moved to 64 in 2014. Arequipa stayed in the ranking for the second consecutive year, and this year Cusco appeared for the first time. This is very important news that makes us more motivated to continue working in this segment,” she said.
The strategy that PROMPERÚ has implemented, said the Minister, is aimed at attracting events in an increasingly demanding international marketplace. The success of this strategy is due largely in part to PROMPERÚ’s work with key stakeholders – the organization is working closely with professional associations, universities and government agencies, among others, to attract major events to Peru.
Silva emphasized that PROMPERÚ’s presence at specialized tradeshows in the business tourism segment will continue to position Peru as a top destination for event planners. PROMPERÚ is also offering site inspection trips to meeting planners interested in sending a group to Peru. The organization is also working on strengthening bureaus in destinations like Arequipa and Ica, and the creation of the Bureau of Conventions in Cusco will help to expand outreach from different cities.
Carlos Canales, president of the Lima Convention Bureau, attended the presentation of ICCA’s rankings and credited the promotional work done by PROMPERÚ and the MINCETUR to promote Peru’s cities as destinations for international events and meetings.
Minister Silva noted that the Commercial Office of Peru Abroad (OCEX) in Washington, D.C. has organized a series of actions to help raise the profile of Peru as a destination for business tourism in the US market. A travel inspection schedule will be added to provide greater knowledge of the destination and the development of specialized materials in the segment.
“But it is also important to mention that the good reputation that our country has earned is what has allowed us to advance positions in the ICCA ranking. Also, the best air connectivity and the creation of adequate infrastructure for organizations to host meetings of all kinds, a situation that will be substantially enriched when the new Convention Center in Lima opens in the coming months.”
