New Peruvian government plans to treble Chinese tourist flow in 5 years

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The head of Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (MINCETUR), Roberto Sanchez, indicated that Peruvian and Chinese technical teams have been working on the optimization of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Sanchez highlighted the relevance of intensifying trade relations with China, incorporating technological transfers and promoting technical cooperation for large investment projects, as well as boosting tourism.

During his meeting with the Chinese Ambassador to Peru Liang Yu, Economic and Commercial Counselor Zhao Chunjiang and the head of the People’s Section Yao Yuan, the Minister said that the Asian giant has established itself as Peru’s main trading partner, accounting for 33% of Peru’s total exports.

Consequently, the minister pointed out that Peru’s main goal is to generate a flow of Chinese tourists 3 times greater than today in the next 5 years, after the introduction of the Safe Travels seal in its main destinations.

According to the National Chamber of Tourism (CANATUR), more than 40,000 Chinese tourists visited Peru every year before the pandemic.

Minister Sanchez said that Peru and China’s technical teams are currently working on the optimization of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) through online communication.

He recalled that bilateral relations with China are extremely important, as they will enable the access of Peruvian products to a powerful market of over 1 billion consumers, thus multiplying the current US$12 billion in exports and promoting foreign investments for the execution of mega-projects of national interest in Peru.

MINCETUR also pointed out that over the past 10 years, the average annual growth rate of Peru’s exports to China, including total, traditional and non-traditional exports, stood at 11.6%.

In the non-traditional sector alone, exports of agricultural, fishing and non-metallic mining products grew the most during the 10 years that the FTA with China has been in force. The agricultural sector stands out for having grown at an annual rate of 28%.