Peru's Post-Covid Tourism Faces Setback From Civil Unrest

25.08.2023 - 14:25 / skift.com / Latin America / Machu Picchu / Dawit Habtemariam / South America / Pedro Castillo

Peru’s post-pandemic recovery will take longer than expected because of the violent political protests that started in December. As the protests continue, the country’s competitiveness as a tourist destination is at risk if the political situation isn’t resolved and images of unrest and chaos stay in the international spotlight.

Peru is off to a bad start in 2023. Up to 60 percent of travel bookings for the first half of the year have been canceled since the protests began in December, according to Reuters. Train service to Machu Picchu, the country’s most popular tourist attraction, has had repeated closures due to the protests. On January 4, thousands of protesters marched on Lima, Peru’s capital.

The South American country has been grappling with a destructive political crisis. On December 7, left-wing President Pedro Castillo was impeached and arrested after he attempted to dissolve the country’s national legislative body and set up an emergency government. Castillo’s vice president, Dina Boluarte, was sworn in as the new president on the same day.

In the following week, large-scale violent demonstrations over Castillo’s removal broke out across the country, with protesters demanding new general elections, Boluarte’s resignation, Castillo’s release or Congress’s dissolution. Protestors blocked transportation networks and staged attacks on police stations, courthouses, factories and airports, according to the New York Times. The protests have resulted in 28 deaths and more than 600 injuries, according to infobae, which provides news centered on Latin America.

On December 14, the defense minister declared a nationwide state of emergency for 30 days, limiting some civil liberties like the right to assemble. Despite the declaration, protests continued to block roads, bridges and railways in many parts of the country. Five airports had to be temporarily closed due to the protestors.

The protests have disrupted daily life and the tourism sector, said Eduardo Nycander, founder of Rainforest Expeditions, which has offered tours and lodging in Peru for over 30 years. The disruptions caused nearly 1.8 million people across the country to stop their tourist activities, operations or travel plans, according to Peru’s National Chamber of Tourism. 

One travel vlogger posted a TikTok viral video on December 18th of his trip inside Peru. His video received over 11 million views.

DO NOT TRAVEL PERU NOW I didn’t want to make this video, but with the protest in Peru it has become unsafe for tourists to be in Peru, here is my story about what it is like traveling Peru at the moment. Peru has put themselves in a 30 day state of emergency, so please please don’t go until its safe . . #peru #perutravel #backpack