Peru leads growth in international meetings in the region

Peru continues to position itself as a regional favorite for the meetings tourism industry. The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) recently released its annual ranking. Peru performed well at 39th on the list, having hosted 84 events during the year and moving up 3 spots from 2013.

Lima, one of the Peruvian cities on the ICCA’s list, ranked 35th as the host city for 64 events. Arequipa holds the same spot in the ranking as last year, and Cusco appears on the list for the first time.

This news reflects the success of the strategy outlined by Promperú, which is designed to attract events in an increasingly demanding international context by working with professional organizations, universities and government agencies, among other players, with the goal of hosting important events.

The next steps to be taken to continue positioning Peru as a destination for corporate events include the country having a presence at specialized industry trade shows, strengthening bureaus in destinations like Arequipa and Ica, and jump-starting the creation of the Conventions Bureau in Cusco to involve different cities in expanding the effort to attract new prospects.

Additionally, Peru’s Commercial Office Abroad (OCEX for its Spanish acronym) in Washington has planned a series of actions to make people in the US market more aware of Peru as a destination for meetings tourism. Inspection trips will also be planned, allowing people to become more familiar with the destination. Specialized materials will also be developed in the sector.

After its good showing in the 2014 ICCA ranking, it is important to highlight the strong international reputation Peru has gained due to its improved flight connections and the infrastructure it has created, which is suitable for holding all types of meetings.