In 2019, the tourism sector contributed 3.9% to GDP and directly generated 725 980 jobs which represented 4.1% of Peru’s employed economically active population. The tourism sector’s contribution decreased to 1.5% of Peru’s GDP, and tourism jobs more than halved to 353 552. Foreign exchange revenues totalled just over PEN 3.5 billion, 79% less than in 2019.
With a total of 897 000 international tourists in 2020, inbound tourism decreased by almost 80% compared to 2019, when there were 4.4 million international tourists. This declined further in 2021, when Peru recorded 444 000 international arrivals, down 50% compared to 2020 and 90% below 2019 levels. Arrivals from the United States rebounded to 177 000, representing 39.8% of total tourists in 2021. Tourists from Chile, historically the top source market, remained low (37 000 tourists compared to 1.2 million in 2019).
Domestic tourism is the driver of tourism in Peru, with 48.6 million domestic tourists in 2019. Domestic tourism was hard hit by the pandemic and remained low in 2021, with 15.6 million tourists, up 8.3% compared to 2020, although still down 70% from pre-pandemic levels.
Given the pace of recovery of tourist trips observed to date, it is unlikely that inbound tourism will reach pre-pandemic levels before 2025 or 2026.
