World Travel Awards (considered to be the “Oscars of Tourism”) with 3 top awards, demonstrating the growing appeal of Peru’s tourism industry. For the seventh consecutive year, Peru won the award for Best Culinary Destination and, currently, they have three Peruvian establishments on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

The second award was received for the Best Tourist Attraction, not surprisingly, thanks to Machu Picchu. The sanctuary comprises archaeological complexes and a wide variety of ecosystems, which is why it has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. Interesting to note: as of December 2018, visitors will not be able to enter this wonder of the world while carrying any non-reusable plastics including plastic bottles, straws, bags or styrofoam containers.

The third award for Peru was for Leading Cultural Destination, due to the country’s large, valuable and well-preserved archaeological heritage. Complementing the archeological heritage, Peru also has a vibrant and active contemporary cultural life, with museums and art galleries that showcase the best of Peruvian artisans.

Hotel News
As Peru continues to grow, hotel chains continue to expand across the country.
IHG (www.IHG.com), which currently has two properties in the capital city (Crowne Plaza Lima hotel and Holiday Inn Lima Airport hotel) will have a greater presence in the area with six hotels that will be opening across Peru over the next few years. The most recent opening is the newly built 175-room Holiday Inn Express Lima San Isidro hotel located in the heart of Peru’s capital city. Located in the vibrant San Isidro neighborhood, travelers can enjoy the hotel’s proximity to the Huaca Pucllana ancient archaeological site in nearby Miraflores district, and top restaurants and shopping areas surrounding the hotel. Holiday Inn Express Lima San Isidro opens with IHG Connect, which delivers enhanced Wi-Fi with the fastest speeds in the industry, as well as an auto recognition feature for IHG Rewards Club members, so guests only need to sign in once to access hotel Wi-Fi at all IHG Connect-enabled hotels.

In the beautiful seaside area of Miraflores, one of Peru’s most distinguished hotel groups, Libertador Hotels, Resorts & Spas (www.libertador.com.pe), opened the 164-room Aloft Lima Miraflores this past November, bringing innovation, modern style and a vibrant new social scene to the Miraflores district. This is the first Aloft hotel in Peru and features bold, stylish design and tech-forward features such as SPG Keyless entry. 

Adventure Travel
Naya Traveler (www.nayatraveler.com) has curated an experience perfect for those looking for an epic, untarnished adventure in the fabled land of the Incas. The ancient citadel of Choquequirao (Qechua for Cradle of God) offers a combination of mountain-trekking, historical discovery and nature indulgence. Known among locals and archaeologists as the little sister to Machu Picchu, Choquequirao sits at the junction of three rivers in a distant corner of the Apurimac Valley, and is believed to be several times larger than Machu Picchu. The challenging trek to Choquequirao takes four days from Cusco, and offers a degree of solitude virtually impossible at most ancient sites today, seeing no more than a dozen visitors a day. From there, it’s a 9-day trek across the Peruvian Andes to reach Machu Picchu, retracing the steps of mighty Incas themselves. 

The Tambo del Inka, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa (www.Marriott.com), recently announced a new electric bike adventure in the Sacred Valley region. This “Sacred Cycling” package at offers an exciting alternative to hiking for outdoor enthusiasts wishing to explore more of this magical countryside off the beaten path. To elevate the experience even further the bikes used are electric, double suspension, with pedal assist systems and central motors, opening up this experience to those who may not otherwise feel fit enough to participate.

For more information, please visit www.peru.travel