Apec host Peru eyes tourist dollars from Asia

Sizeable delegations from many Asian countries and territories will be converging this week on the Peruvian city of Lima for this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit – including ones led by President Xi Jinping and Chief Executive John Lee. The influx of Asian visitors will be a bit of an anomaly for the South American country – since tourists from Asia normally make up just 3.4 percent of all international arrivals. It’s a figure that Peru – for which tourism is the third-biggest industry – wants to pump up. RTHK spoke to some Chinese migrants to the country who believe there’s growing interest among Asian travellers in making the long and expensive trip to the region. Alicia Tay moved to Peru in 1983 and now runs a travel agency in Lima specialising in MICE tourism – catering to business travellers attending meetings, conferences and exhibitions. She noted a growing number of Chinese firms wishing to bring their employees to Peru and other parts of South America in recent years. “A lot of our customers have travelled extensively around the world, such as Europe and of course Asia. Even the United States and Canada, many have been to these places. But for South America, it is certainly a new destination for them,” Tay explained. On the other hand, she said many Peruvian holidaymakers are curious about Asia, and see mainland China and Hong Kong as places with cutting-edge technology. There are also businessmen who are looking for investment opportunities abroad. “I think the Peruvians consider China as a potential country [to invest in] industries and technologies. I think it’s a point of interest, they want to visit China,” she said. The Peruvian government has been going all out in recent years to lure tourists, telling them there’s much more to see than just the ancient Inca town of Machu Picchu. It is a lucrative business after all: holidaymakers who are willing to travel halfway across the world to Peru usually have deep pockets. That includes Hue, a visitor from Sydney, Australia. “I'm here for a 19-day South American tour to see Machu Picchu, Iguazu Falls, mainly for sightseeing,” she said, adding she was planning to spend nearly US$10,000 for the trip. “Do I think it's worth it? Look, I think it is. I mean, for me, experience is more valuable than goods, so that's where I splurge my money.” Shenzhen natives Rachel and her sister planned to spend even more. “It’s around US$30,000, because we have a plan to go to Antarctica, I think that costs a lot. It takes around 28 days,” she said. Peru hopes that the Apec meetings, which is held in Lima for the third time since 2008, will further raise the nation’s profile and attract more visitors and even investment.