Peru’s tourism promotion agency, PromPeru, expectes to see a 50 percent jump in Brazilian tourists this year, state news agency Andina said.
Brazil, the world’s sixth largest economy, is Latin America’s regional powerhouse and is increasingly becoming a player on the world stage.
While Brazil’s clout increases abroad, it is also seeing a growing middle class that is able to take international holidays, including trips to Peru.
In the first nine months of 2011, 92,000 tourists from Brazil visited Peru, up from 64,000 in the same period in 2010.
“The expectation is that this Brazilian tourism [rate]… continues growing at the same rhythm this year,” said PromPeru sub-director for tourism, Andrea Martinez.
In comparison to European tourists, Brazilians that come to Peru are younger with an average age between 25 and 45 years, Martinez said.
Like European visitors, Brazilians are interested in Peru’s cultural tourism, Martinez said.
Most Brazilians coming to Peru are from Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, the country’s cultural and financial hubs, and often visit the main attractions in southern Peru, including Cusco, Arequipa and Nazca, according to the official.
“However they are starting to visit the north of the country with more interest. Little by little we are trying to position the north, which has a lot more potential for growth,” Martinez said.
