Loreto promotes local tourism with International Raft Race
-
|
Raft race in Amazon River. Photo: Dircetura |
|
- Lima, Sep. 02 (ANDINA). Loreto authorities will carry out the XII International Raft Race involving 180 km in order to promote tourism and support the Amazon River on the competition to become one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.
The Regional Director of Foreign Trade, Tourism and Handicraft Mauro Guimet said that 33 international teams and 12 Peruvian teams have already been registered.
“The contest starts September 23, finishes three days after and goes throughout beaches such as Pescadores in Nauta and towns in Nanay,” he told Andina.
“This is an emblematic event for Loreto and will help us to cast votes supporting the Amazon River as one of the world’s natural wonders,” he added.
The competition, jointly organized with sport man Michael Collins as part of the World Tourism Day, will be supported by National Police and Defensa Civil (Peru's civil defense organization in case of natural disasters) in terms of security.
Registrations are opened until September 10 in the office of Loreto’s Regional Directorate of Foreign Trade, Tourism and Handicraft.
Peru plans new tourist route in Cusco
-
|
Yunca Punku hanging bridge located over Vilcanota river,
in Cusco. Photo: ANDINA / Percy Hurtado. |
|
| |
- Lima, Sep. 01 (ANDINA). Peru plans to launch new tourist route including the Inca Trail to Antisuyo, the Yunca Punku hanging bridge and the colonial church of Andahuaylillas or “Sistine of America", the Regional Directorate of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Dircetur) reported.
The proposal will be launched on Thursday as part of the activities of World Tourism Day on September 27.
“Cusco can’t settle for what it is doing at the time. We have to expand (the tourism industry) more and more and continue to enjoy leadership status in the country,” stated the head of Dircetur Victor Hugo Perez when saying that they have many more attractions to show tourists.
According to him, the tour was tested by some tourists who ventured on foot and bicycles, and stood amazed.
“This new attraction will enable villagers to create new job posts and benefit themselves economically; they will show the beautiful landscapes.”
Aerolineas Star Peru new UATP merchant
-
|
Star Peru flight to Ayacucho. Photo: ANDINA/ Vidal Tarqui |
|
- Lima, Sep. 01 (ANDINA). Aerolineas Star Peru, Lima, chose UATP to address the needs of its corporate travelers and now accepts all UATP corporate cards effective immediately at all points of sale including online at Star Peru web site.
"Peru is in a growth phase for corporate travel and we chose to join the UATP Network in efforts to expand our corporate market share in the region," said, Roman Kasianov, General Manager, Star UP S.A. via prnewswire.com
"We strive for excellence in our service and it quickly became apparent that to grow our corporate market share and meet customer demands, we needed to fulfill the requests for UATP acceptance."
Client satisfaction is the core value behind Star Peru and it concentrates on providing excellent service based on flexibility, technology and social responsibility.
"Airlines are listening to corporate customers and building UATP into successful business strategies," said President and CEO, Ralph Kaiser, UATP. "As the increasing challenge for market share gain continues, Star Peru joined UATP to position itself to capitalize on new opportunities."
Star Peru has been serving Peru since 1997, beginning its operations with porter and charter services. In 2004, a commercial operation to domestic routes began and was the fastest growing airline in Peru, now serving 10 domestic destinations.
UATP accounts are accepted as a form of payment for corporate business travel worldwide by airlines, travel agencies and Amtrak.
Star Peru was founded in May 1997 and contributes to the economic and social development of Peru by promoting different tourist destinations from a cultural perspective.
Star Peru operates with a vision of establishing value for its clients based on Flexibility, Technology and Social Responsibility in its fleet of aircraft with a team of professionals with wide commitment to service, warmth and customer focus.
Arequipa’s gastronomy to captivate attendees at Mistura 2010
-
- Arequipa, Aug. 31 (ANDINA). Three picanterias –traditional eating houses serving spicy food– from Arequipa invited by the Peruvian Society of Gastronomy (Apega) will participate in Mistura 2010 gastronomic fair, reported regional trade and tourism director Rocio Cervantes Mansilla.
Eateries include “La Lucila”, “La nueva Palomino” and “El rinconcito arequipeño”.
Cervantes said the picanterías will offer rocoto arequipeño, adobo, lechon al horno, chupe de camaron and other traditional dishes from the southern city.
Contestants expect to sell at least 2,500 dishes per day at Mistura, which has become the most representative fair of Peruvian food.
The third edition of Mistura 2010 will take place from September 7 to 12 at the Parque de la Exposicion in Lima.
More foreigners visited Arequipa in Jan-Jul period
-
|
Anniversary celebrations in Arequipa.
Photo: ANDINA/Rocío Méndez |
|
- Arequipa, Aug. 30 (ANDINA). At least 80,000 foreign tourists arrived in Arequipa between January and July this year, surpassing the figure for the same period last year, regional trade and tourism director Rocio Cervantes Mansilla said Monday.
Cervantes also noted that the number of domestic tourist arrivals hit 380,000 in the first seven months of the year, which was up from the same period in 2009.
"These figures are expected to increase further by the end of this month as at least 22,000 visitors have participated in the city's 470th founding anniversary celebrations," said the tourism official.
According to statistical data, most foreigners come from France, Spain, Italy and the United States, while Peruvian tourists are mostly from Trujillo, Tacna and Puno.
Peru: A country of contrasts and adventure
-
|
Machu Picchu and other attractions in Peru. Photo: ANDINA |
|
- Lima, Aug. 29 (ANDINA). Guide books on Peru call it a country of contrasts. Of rich and poor. Native and mestizo culture. Of bustling coastal cities and traditional Andean towns literally built on the foundations of the Inca Empire. The books are right.
Journalist Chris Nichols and his wife left Southern California in late July to explore this South American country, "a destination that's not at the top of most travelers' lists, but ought to be," he says.
"We had long wanted to visit Peru for separate reasons: I wanted to see Lima, the nation's capital where my father spent two of his high school years while my grandfather worked at the U.S. Embassy.
"My wife, on the other hand, wanted to experience Machu Picchu, the ancient Inca city known to most only through stunning photographs in world history books.
"We visited both places and others during our 10-day tour, which took us from coastal Lima to the Andean high country of Cuzco and finally to Machu Picchu, on the edge of the Amazon jungle.
"At times it was a whirlwind adventure, complete with river rafting in the Andes and navigating the crowded streets of Lima, where cars rule the road and taxi rides are a white-knuckle experience. Click here to read his full story at North County Times.
Conference of American Armies members visit Machu Picchu
-
|
Conference of American Armies members visit Machu Picchu
Photo: Andina/ Difusión |
|
| |
- Cusco, Aug. 29 (ANDINA). A 70-member delegation of military commanders, generals and high-ranking officials attending the Conference of American Armies (CAA) arrived in Cusco this week to visit the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, as part of activities marking marking the conference's 25th anniversary.
The CAA is an organization that promotes cohesion, improves hemispheric security and strengthens inter-American friendships on an army-to-army basis.
Accompanied by Peruvian army chief Otto Guibovich, the delegation flew to Cusco on Friday and on Saturday morning they headed to the Aguas Calientes town, the main gateway to the ancient Inca ruins.
General Otto Guibovich said that high-ranking military officers, who attended the Conference of American Armies in Lima, discussed and exchanged experiences on defense issues with an emphasis on security and democratic development of member countries.
“Agreements against drug trafficking were given priority during the meeting,” he sai
Peru to invest over US$ 163 million in six tourist destinations
-
|
Kuelap Fortress in Amazonas, Peru. Photo: ANDINA/Archive |
|
- Lima, Aug. 29 (ANDINA). With the support of international cooperation, the Peruvian government will invest more than US$ 163 million to promote sustainable development of six high-priority tourist destinations in different regions of the country.
According to Peru's Trade and Tourism Ministry (Mincetur), the six destinations to benefit from such investment are Kuelap Fortress in Amazonas, Moche Route in Lambayeque and La Libertad, the northern beaches, the Amazon, Lake Titicaca in Puno and Colca Valley in Arequipa.
Located at the top of rocky cliffs and guarded by a gigantic defensive wall, Kuelap contains in its interior circular compartments with decorative friezes. Peru's private investment promotion agency, or Proinversion, is currently promoting a cable railway project in the area.
The project seeks for the development of a system to transport tourists in cable railway, in the province of Luya, department of Amazonas. The cable railways will have 3.8 km of length and will demand an investment of around US$ 10.6 million. Currently, Proinversión is defining the characteristics of the transaction with the Ministry of Tourism and Foreign Trade (Mincetur) for this concession that shall be granted during the fourth quarter of 2010.
The government is also planning to improve tourism service and infrastructure in the Moche Route, an archaeological tour in northern Peru which includes the famous Lord of Sipan tomb and Tucume Pyramids in Lambayeque region and the Temple of the Sun and the Moon and Chan Chan, the world's largest pre-Hispanic mud-brick citadel, both located in La Libertad region.
These six destinations are part of the 2008-2018 National Strategic Plan for Tourism (Pentur), a government initiative, developed under the aegis of Mincetur, that will serve as the basis for implementation of a series of initiatives aimed at fostering sustained growth of national tourism over the coming years.
"The country offers attractive investment opportunities for the private sector because it combines culture, nature, history, among other things," Mincetur said
Santa Rosa de Quives to receive 7,000 visitors during long weekend
-
- Lima, Aug. 28 (ANDINA). The district of Santa Rosa de Quives, in the province of Canta, in central Lima, expects to receive 7,000 visitors from August 28-30 to mark celebrations to commemorate the Day of the Patroness of Lima, the Americas and the Philippines, Santa Rosa de Lima.
Municipal Manager Oscar Amat Pérez explained that most of the visitors will arrive on the central day, Monday 30, however, as it is a long weekend, people will star arriving since Saturday afternoon.
“Considering prior years, we estimate that 5,000 visitors will arrive on Monday, and other 2,000 on Saturday and Sunday,” he told Andina news agency.
Festivities start Sunday with a traditional mass, which will be celebrated at 19:00 hours (Monday, 00:00 GMT).
Saint Rose of Lima was the name bestowed upon Isabel Flores de Oliva, a woman who dedicated her life to caring for the sick.
She was born in Lima in 1586 and died in 1617. Her character and good work earned her considerable fame even within her own lifetime and by the end of her own century she had become the first saint of the Americas and the patron saint of Lima.
Her shrine, in the historic centre of Lima, attracts a continual flow of pilgrims who come in hope of a miracle or a cure. On her day, pilgrims compose letters, detailing their needs, and leave them at the well in the garden of the hermitage, or in the shrine itself.
The anniversary is a holiday celebrated throughout Peru, but especially in the city of Lima and the town of Santa Rosa de Quives.
Lambayeque museums to attract over 300,000 visitors this year
-
Inaugurating ceremony of Huaca Rajada - Sipán site museum.
Photo: ANDINA / Alberto Orbegoso
|
|
- Lima, Aug. 27 (ANDINA). The six museums of Lambayeque, in northern Peru, are expected to receive over 300,000 national and foreign tourists, reported Celso Sialer Távara, director of the Executive Unit 111: Naylamp-Lambayeque.
New discoveries showcased to Peru and the world increase expectations.
In statements to Andina, Sialer said tourists are highly attracted by museums of Tumbas Reales de Sipán, Arqueológico Bruning, Nacional Sicán and the on-site museums of Huaca Rajada-Sipán, Chotuna and Túcume.
Sialer said that it will be easy to meet the goal of 300,000 tourists as “in the last few months a higher number tourists was registered in the area”.
Some 15,000 tourists were expected to visit
Peru connects with International Space Station from Machu Picchu today
-
|
Machu Picchu to connect with the International Space Station. |
|
- Lima, Aug. 26 (ANDINA). A ten-minute connection will be made with the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday afternoon from the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Cusco, which will be directly broadcasted by Andina News Agency website.
The radio connection with the crew of the space station will be carried out with transmission and reception equipments assembled in Peru by experts of Lima-based National University of Engineering (UNI), reported the university's rector Aurelio Padilla Rios.
He explained that such connection is possible due to an alliance with the South West State University in Russia (UESOR), as a test to improve future communications.
“We’re getting used to these equipments that were lent to us by the UESOR once, but now they belong to the UNI and we’ll try its communication abilities that, for now, will only be of voice,” the rector told Andina.
Pastor indicated that the communication will be made between 15:30 (20:30 GMT) and 16:00 hours. Six cosmonauts (three Americans and three Russians) will greet the Peruvians and tell how they live in the space and the research they develop.
Some 95% of hotel investments concentrated in Lima, Cusco, Ica & Arequipa
-
|
Libertador Palacio del Inka Hotel Cusco. Photo: ANDINA |
|
- Lima, Aug. 26 (ANDINA). Some 95% of hotel investments in Peru, which currently goes up to US$845.28 million, is concentrated in the departments of Lima, Cusco, Ica y Arequipa, according to Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur).
Peru's Hotel Society (SHP) said that most investment is located in Lima and Cusco, with US$317.60 million and US$317.40 million, respectively in the 2010-2011 period.
These departments are followed by Ica with US$99.60 million, Arequipa US$64.40 millions, Puno US$22.20 million, Tumbes US$15 million, La Libertad US$2.5 million and Ucayali US$5 million, among others.
The ranking of the main investor groups is led by Hoteles Libertador with US$200 million, followed by Peruvian Tours Agency with US$64 million, Marriot with US$60 million, Orient Express Hotels with US$52 million and Casa Andina with US$43 million.
The list includes Hilton Hotels with US$40 million, GHL Hotels with US$36 million, Accor with US$35 million, Inversiones La Rioja with US$33 million, San Agustín Hotels with Us$29 million, Hoteles José Antonio with US$24 million and Intercontinental Hotels with US$22 million.
Over 25,000 Peruvians to head north this weekend
-
|
Fiori bus terminal. Photo: ANDINA/Vidal Tarqui |
|
- Lima, Aug. 26 (ANDINA). More than 25,000 people will travel from Lima to Peru's main northern cities during the long holiday weekend of August 28-30, said the general manager of Fiori bus terminal, Erick Hidalgo.
August 30 is a national holiday in Peru, as the country marks the death anniversary of Santa Rosa of Lima, the first Catholic saint of the Americas.
Erick Hidalgo noted that Chiclayo and Trujillo in Lambayeque and La Libertad regions, respectively, are the most popular northern cities thanks to an increasingly growing tourism development and the great variety of culinary delights.
"In La Libertad, tourists can visit the Chan Chan archaeological complex as well as the Temple of the Dragon or Rainbow (Huaca El Dragon o Arco Iris) and the Temple of the Sun and the Moon, among other sites," he said.
Other attractions are the city's main square, the Cathedral, Santo Domingo Church, La Merced Church, and Huanchaco beach.
“Lambayeque is also popular among travelers who are eager to visit historical sites such as the famous Lord of Sipan tomb, the Tucume archeological complex, or the Pomac Forest Historical Sanctuary," Hidalgo added.
The Fiori bus terminal is the main bus terminal for long-distance buses connecting Peru's capital city, Lima, with various destinations in northern Peru.
Flow of domestic flight passengers rose 22.19% in first half 2010
-
Domestic arrivals at the Jorge Chavez International Airport.
Photo: ANDINA/ Archive
|
|
- Lima, Aug. 26 (ANDINA). The air traffic in domestic regular flights in Peru totaled 2.48 million passengers between January and June 2010, a 22.19 percent increase compared to the same period last year (2.33 million passengers), the General Administration of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC) reported Wednesday.
This is explained by the fact that more than 70% of airlines posted gains in domestic passenger demand. Lan Peru air traffic increased 7,36% and Star Peru’s rose 30.31%.
According to DGAC, some 445,701 passengers were transported in June, a 30.07% rise over the same month last year when the total number of passengers carried was 342,661.
The most demanded cities were Cusco (with an increase of 10.62% regarding 2009), Arequipa (65.45%), Iquitos (28.61) and Piura (32.14).
Flow of international flight passengers totaled 2.26 million in first half 2010
-
|
Jorge Chavez International Airport. Photo: ANDINA |
|
- Lima, Aug. 25 (ANDINA). The air traffic in international regular flights to Peru totaled 2 million 268,208 passengers between January and June 2010, a 0.84 percent drop over 2009 (2 million 388,193 passengers), the General Administration of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC) reported Wednesday.
The international market is still showing a downward trend. Spirit Airlines registered a 73.67% fall in passangers, while Lacsa and Taca Peru showed a 43.7% and 26.68% decrease, respectively.
So far this year, January continues to be the month with the highest number of passengers transported (434,678 people), while June posted a 2.2 percent contraction with 399,352 passengers.
In the first half of the year, Miami - Lima was the most demanded flight route with 128,991 passengers transported. While only in June, this same route registered most passengers with 25,224 people.
According to DGAC, the most demanded destinations in June were Miami (US), Madrid (Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Santiago (Chile) and Bogota (Colombia).
Lan Peru continued to be the airline carrying most passengers during January and May, which added to Lan Airlines flights, leads the Peruvian market with a joint participation of 42% and a total of 979,587 passengers transported.
400-year-old letter shows how Peruvian natives used numbers
-
|
The back side of an early 17th century letter shows translations
for numbers from Spanish to a lost language.
Photo: Jeffrey Quilter |
|
- Lima, Aug. 25 (ANDINA). In the early 1600s in northern Peru, a curious Spaniard jotted down some notes on the back of a letter. Four hundred years later, archaeologists dug up and studied the paper, revealing what appear to be the first traces of a lost language.
“It’s a little piece of paper with a big story to tell,” said Jeffrey Quilter, who has conducted investigations in Peru for more than three decades.
Quilter is deputy director for curatorial affairs at Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, as well as director of the archaeological project at Magdalena de Cao Viejo in the El Brujo Archaeological Complex, where the paper was excavated two years ago.
According to an article at physorg.com, the writing is a set of translations from Spanish names of numbers (uno, dos, and tres) and Arabic numerals (4-10, 21, 30, 100, and 200) into the unknown language. Some of the translated numbers have never been seen before, while others may have been borrowed from Quechua or a related local language.
Quechua is still spoken today in Peru, but in the early 17th century many other languages were spoken in the region, such as Quingnam and Pescadora.
Information about them today is limited. Even so, the archaeologists were able to deduce that speakers of the lost language used a decimal system like our own.
Quilter said that this simple list offers “a glimpse of the peoples of ancient and early colonial Peru who spoke a language lost to us until this discovery.”
“The find is significant because it offers the first glimpse of a previously unknown language and number system,” said Quilter. “It also points to the great diversity of Peru’s cultural heritage in the early colonial period. The interactions between natives and Spanish were far more complex than previously thought.”
The name of the lost language is still a mystery. The American-Peruvian research team was able to determine it was not Mochica, spoken on the north coast into the colonial period but now extinct, and pointed to Quingnam and Pescadora as possible candidates.
Neither Quingnam nor Pescadora, however, have been documented beyond their names. There is even a possibility that Quingnam and Pescadora are the same language but they were identified as separate tongues in early colonial Spanish writings, so a definitive connection has not yet been established.
Peru's Lake Titicaca graces cover of Travel+Leisure magazine
-
|
Lago Titicaca se luce en portada de
prestigiosa revista Travel + Leisure. |
|
| |
- Lima, Aug. 24 (ANDINA). The beauty of Lake Titicaca in Puno, southern Peru, can now be seen gracing the cover of Mexican edition of top travel magazine Travel+Leisure, which also includes a 10-page article describing the top attractions of Cusco and Puno.
Mexican reporter Daniela Vaca and photographer Theda Acha were greatly impressed by southern Peru's culture, gastronomy and natural lanscapes, especially Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Sacred Valley and Chincheros peasant community, in Cusco.
During their trip in Chincheros, they met traditional artisans in women's craft collectives and learned about their lives. These women sell their articrafts in a small market located on the top of a mountain, said the article named "Esplendor Inca".
Travel+Leisure is a US-based magazine which focuses on leisure travel and features resorts, restaurants, cuisine, and entertainment. It includes World's Best Awards, a reader survey rating destinations and travel providers.
The Mexican edition of Travel+Leisure is addressed to potencial Mexican travelers, who spend US$15,000 per year, only in travel. Its circulation reaches 46,500 and 186,000 readers.
This article is the result of a press tour organized by Peru’s Export and Tourism Promotion Board (Promperu), June 21-29, as part of its strategy to position Peru's image abroad.
The tour included journalists from Mexican media namely Travel+Leisure magazine, Reforma daily and Expressions magazine, reported Promperu.
All of them praised the great services and quality of Peruvian hotels such as Miraflores Park Plaza (Lima), Monasterio (Cusco), Río Sagrado (Sacred Valley) and Titilaka (Puno), as well as Lan's service, which provided national and international tickets.
Restaurant infuses cuisine with Peruvian passion in Connecticut
-
|
Peruvian cuisine is a unique mix of ancient Incan roots,
Spanish foods, French methods and even Chinese immigrant
dishes. Photo: ANDINA/Archive |
|
- Bristol, Aug. 23 (ANDINA). The name is the same, but Latino Restaurant has a new owner and a new menu with an emphasis on Peruvian cuisine. It is located at 417 Broad St. in Bristol, Connecticut.
“I always thought that if I opened a restaurant it would sell Peruvian food,” said Eduardo Garces, who bought the Broad Street restaurant a few months ago. “I have a passion for Peruvian food. I believe in it.”
Garces moved to the United States from his native Colombia 10 years ago. He was only 18, but he had owned and operated a hot dog cart for three years. Since arriving here, he has attended Tunxis Community College, where he learned English and is now studying business administration.
He has also sold real estate, became a certified auto body technician and worked at several restaurants, including the Farmington Country Club, Michael Angelo’s and Taj Mahal. Several months ago, he began working at Latino Restaurant, which at the time sold Hispanic food. But the owner, a 60-year-old former jockey who also worked at ESPN, decided to sell it.
“He thought owning a restaurant would just be a social matter,” said Garces. “But it turned into his worst nightmare. He couldn’t keep up.”
According to an article at The Bristol Press, Garces bought the restaurant and changed the menu, hired more staff and began to spruce up the parking lot.
The menu features dishes made with steak, chicken and seafood. Ceviche De Camarones consists of tender fried calamari, along with shrimp and octopus, served with onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes and a large type of corn called mote, with a Peruvian lemon spicy sauce. Click here to read complete article.
Peru island of Taquile offers a lesson in culture, family-style
-
|
Taquile is a small, pleasant island in Lake Titicaca, the world's
highest navigable lake. Photo:ANDINA/Carlos Lezama. |
|
- Puno, Aug. 22 (ANDINA). In a recent article at mydesert.com, Ohio native Maggie Downs describes life and customs in Taquile, a small island located 36 kilometers east of the city of Puno, southeastern Peru.
“Come,” said Thomas, leading us down crumbling stone paths into unknown territory.
My friend Deborah and I were going to stay for the night with Thomas — even though until that very moment, he had been a perfect stranger to us.
We were on Taquile, one of the islands on the Peru side of Lake Titicaca. Each populated island functions almost as an autonomous country, with its own rules, governing body and culture.
Taquile is particularly intriguing in that they have just three laws: Don't lie, don't steal and don't be lazy.
The island has no police, no prison and no dogs, which are seen as a symbol of security. They also do not have cars or electricity.
What they do have are the most delicate, beautiful handicrafts, recognized by UNESCO as the best in South America.
The women of Taquile make the wool, which is dyed vivid colors using local materials, while the men are the knitters.
Boys learn to knit at a very young age, around 6 or 7, and their skill eventually becomes a sign of masculinity. For instance, when a couple intends to marry, the woman takes her love interest's hat and fills it with water. The longer it takes for the water to leak through, the tighter the knit and the better the man.
Once they agree to marry, the woman then cuts off most of her long hair, which is then woven into a thick belt with heavy wool. The stiff belts are about 8 to 10 inches high and wrap around the man's waist a couple of times.
The belt serves two purposes: It's a symbol to others that he is now off the market. It's also a way to protect the lower back — according to those on the island, married men carry more burdens than single ones.
Tourists mostly come for the knitted goods, which are displayed around the main plaza. There is no haggling at their markets — everything is a fixed price — and each piece says which family made it, so the money goes directly to them.
Though the island has tried to keep their traditional ways despite an influx of vistors, there are definite signs that tourism has affected the people.
For instance, a small boy followed me around, chanting “Photo, photo.” I thought he simply wanted to see his image on the digital display, so I stopped and snapped a quick shot. The boy then stuck out his hand and asked for money in exchange for taking his picture.
Peru rainforest campaign expects to attract some 20,000 tourists
-
|
Narrow boats with a motor attached at the end, known as
peque-peques, at the port of Iquitos. Photo: ANDINA/Archivo. |
|
- Lima, Aug. 21 (ANDINA). Peru’s Export and Tourism Promotion Board (Promperu) launched the Selva Pone (Rainforest Rocks) campaign to promote tourism in the Peruvian rainforest at special rates in airlines and tourist packages.
The campaign, which projects to gather some 20,000 tourists, will last until October 20.
Jacqueline Saettone, Promperu’s tourism Director, indicated that such campaing is intended to promote departments of Loreto, San Martin, Amazonas, Ucayali, Huanuco, as well as the central rainforest region (Pasco and Junin).
“The Peruvian rainforest houses unique tourist destinations, it has a good hotel infrastructure and connectivity, which enables tourists to have an unforgettable experience. Tourism packages at good prices, which is why we expect a great number of attendees.”
For more information on tourist destinations and offers, visit Selva Pone.
Trans-Pacific Partnership countries meet in Lima, Peru
-
|
Lima, Peru's capital city. Photo: ANDINA / Victor Palomino. |
|
- Lima, Aug. 20 (ANDINA). Representatives of eight countries participating in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations will meet on August 20-21 in Lima, Peru’s Trade and Tourism Ministry has announced.
The TPP builds on the existing P4 Agreement between Brunei Darussalam, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore.
During the meeting, the chairs of the negotiating groups will continue to discuss the admission of new member countries such as Australia, Vietnam, the U.S. and Peru.
They will also cover topics including regulatory coherence, regional integration, development competitiveness, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and transparency.
The Trans Pacific Partnership (officially the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement) is a free trade agreement among Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore signed in June 2005. It came into force in May of 2006 with the goal of reducing all trade tariffs to zero by the year 2015.
It is a comprehensive agreement covering all the mainstays of a free trade agreement, including trade in goods, rules of origin, trade remedies, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, trade in services, intellectual property, government procurement and competition policy.
Peru announced that it would be joining the P4 trade bloc during the APEC Leaders' Summit held in Lima in November 2008.
Tourism industry in Peru's jungle grows around sacred ritual
- Lima, Aug. 20 (ANDINA). An article in the Washington Post focuses on Peru's sacred Ayahuasca drink and its associated healing rituals, along with a fascinating series of nature-mystical experiences.
Kevin Simmons, a 28-year-old American, said he "was stuck" -- depressed, locked away in his home and taking months to answer an e-mail.
He found the road to recovery, he said, deep in the Peruvian jungle, in the form of a sludge-like concoction the Indians call "the sacred vine of the soul."
The potion is ayahuasca, and increasingly, it is becoming an elixir for foreigners grappling with everything from depression to childhood trauma. Coming from the United States and as far away as Australia, they arrive in a jungle city of faded glory to participate in ayahuasca rituals offered by a range of healing centers.
Ayahuasca may taste like ground-up earth, but many leave praising the brew in reverential terms for having purged them of demons and shown them a clarity about life that they never thought possible.
"It's provided a sense of okay-ness, this maternal reassurance that everything is all right," Simmons said. "It made me feel like trying again, reminding me of this beautiful internal world that we have."
This city, on the murky, chocolate-colored Amazon in northeastern Peru, has always lured outsiders seeking adventure, riches or redemption. Its heyday a century ago brought rubber barons, none more colorful than Carlos Fitzcarrald, inspiration for Werner Herzog's film about an obsessed, would-be rubber magnate who hauls a steamship overland to reach a rich strand of rubber trees.
The end of the rubber boom brought decay to Iquitos, leaving once-opulent mansions in disrepair. The city's resurrection has partly come from tour operators offering fishing and sightseeing deep in the forest.
Now, the ayahuasca devotees are flowing in, searching for insight into their lives from a growing flock of local and foreign shamans, or medicine men. Tour operators say the potion -- and the ceremonies in which it is consumed -- has become a cornerstone of the local tourism industry.
The visitors go to centers with names like the Temple of the Way of Light, Sachamama and the Yacu Puma Healing Center. Click here to read complete article.
PromPeru recommends tourist spots for long holiday weekend
-
The Historic Center of Lima houses City Walls Park (Parque
de la Muralla). Photo: ANDINA/Stephanie Zollner
|
|
| |
- Lima, Aug. 20 (ANDINA). Peru’s Export and Tourism Promotion Board (Promperu) recommended affordable tourist destinations in the capital for the upcoming long holiday weekend on the occasion of Saint Rose of Lima’s Day.
For instance, the Historic Center of Lima houses Lima's Main Square, Basilica Cathedral, the Government Palace, Lima City Walls Park (Parque de la Muralla), among others.
Another recommended spot is the Cathedral’s Museum, in which the remains of Lima founder Francisco Pizarro are placed. It also features a religious art collection with paintings dating from the 16th century.
Promperu also recommends the Real Felipe Fortress, the Navy Museum, La Punta district and Darsena Pier in the province of El Callao.
For more information on tourist destinations, routes, tourist services, hotels and even recommendations for your trip, visit the following
French hotel chain to build new Ibis hotel in Lima
-
|
Limean district of Miraflores. Photo:ANDINA/Archive/Piero Vargas |
|
- Lima, Aug. 19 (ANDINA). French hotel group Accor, owner of both Novotel hotels in Peru, will build its first hotel under the brand name Ibis in the upper-scale Lima district of Miraflores, with an investment of 60 million soles (US$ 21.4 million).
Which is why Banco de Credito (BCP) and Sociedad Inmobiliaria y de Hoteles Gran Larco, a subsidiary of Accor, signed a medium-term loan agreement of 38.4 million soles (US$ 13.7 million) to finance this construction.
The hotel, to be located a few blocks away from Larcomar Shopping Center, will start operating in January 2011, reported Semana Economica.
It will have nearly 250 rooms, targeted to tourists and business travelers.
Peruvian students to connect with Space Station from Machu Picchu
-
|
Machu Picchu will connect with the International Space
Station. Photo: ANDINA / Percy Hurtado. |
|
- Lima, Aug. 19 (ANDINA). A group of Peruvian students at Lima-based National University of Engineering (UNI) will make contact with the International Space Station from the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Cusco.
Using a radio system they designed and built themselves, the students will learn about space from astronauts floating 340 kilometres above the Earth in the International Space Station.
The team will send their signal into space on Thursday, August 26, during the UNI-sponsored First International Congress of Satellite Technology. They will have a 10-minute window to talk to six astronauts from the United States, Russia, Japan, and Belgium.
According to the university's rector Aurelio Padilla, this connection is possible due to the alliance that the university has with the South West State University in Russia.
|
