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The Inca Trail Rated First Wonder of the World |
Ambassador Luis Solari Tudela announced that readers of the prestigious
travel magazine “Wanderlust” voted the Inca Trail as the First Wonder of
the World. The Inca Trail was chosen from a field of 75 different tourist
destinations. Cuzco received the top spot in the cities category.
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Orient Express to Open New 5 Star Hotel in Cusco |
Orient Express announced that it will open a new 5 star hotel in Cusco
during 2006. The hotel will open once the company is finished with
restoration and renovation of the old “Las Nazarenas’ convent. Along with
the project, the company is also working on a new luxury cruise along the
Amazon River in Iquitos.
The archeological complex of Kusikancha has been recovered and will be
handed in to authorities and the people of Cuzco, by the Director of the
National Institute of Culture. The project consisted of the restoration of
a two-story colonial building and the recovery of Inca architecture.
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The Entrance Fee for
Machu Picchu to Increase |
The National Cultural Institute (Instituto Nacional de Cultura) of Cusco
announced that the entrance fee for visitors to enter the Machu Picchu
site will increase from $24 to $36. The increase will take affect starting
on January 1, 2006. The increased fee will provide more resources for the
preservation of the site. The fee will be charged to both foreign and
national visitors.
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Peru a Paradise for
Birdwatchers |
Peru was present, for the third consecutive year, at the British Bird
Watching Fair (2005) in Rutland, UK. This year’s aim was not only to
promote Peru as an ideal destination for birdwatchers, but as a priority
country for the viewing of endemic species of birds as Peru has more than
120 endemic species. This means that over 100 species can be found in the
region and nowhere else on earth. Over 19,000 visitors from all over the
world were present at the bird fair, which took place from August 19-21.
According to Bird Life International, over 100 million people worldwide
are interested in bird watching.. |
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A Royal Mission to Protect the
Hummingbirds of Peru |
The Peruvian hummingbird is a species on the brink of extinction due to
the destruction of its habitat in the Amazon region. The plight of the
Peruvian hummingbird is not only a concern in Peru, but in other nations
as well as bird watchers try to save the species. The Prince Consort of
the Queen of England, Phillip of Edinburgh, has taken the problem under
his wing, so to speak. In the Edition of “British Bird Watching Fair
2005”, the Prince assigned the British conservationist, Nigel Simpson the
mission of protecting the species. Hopefully with his help the Peruvian
hummingbird will rebound and many more bird watchers will be able to enjoy
viewing this species.
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Hot Springs Contain a Wealth of Potential Tourism
Dollars in Peru |
With the promotion of the new book, The Inca Baths in Cajamarca–Thermal
Springs of the New Millennium, Peruvian authorities publicized that Peru
has nearly 500 sources of medicinal hot springs. The Geologic and Mining
Institute did the study of this publication. Currently, only 22 of the 500
hot springs are being used for tourism. There is a lot of room for growth
in this sector of tourism in Peru. Their relaxing and soothing effects
frequently surprise visitors to various hot springs in Peru.
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Aerolíneas de Perú
to Begin Flights |
Tika Suarez, the General Manager of Aerolíneas de Perú,
announced that the airline will start commercial flights starting in late
October or November. The airline has 3 Boeing 737-500 planes and will fly
to Cuzco, Arequipa, Trujillo, Chiclayo and Piura.
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New Bridge to Make Colca Canyon More Accessible |
Arequipa’s local and regional authorities inaugurated a new bridge that
will make Colca Canyon and its dramatic landscapes more accessible to
visitors. The bridge allows visitors access to villages located on the
right and left banks of the river. The bridge will link the traditional
towns of Lari and Maca and will be used by the more than 800 tourists
that visit Colca Canyon each month..
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The Tumbas Reales de
Sipán Quickly Becomes Peru’s Most Visited Museum |
Mr. Walter Alva, Director of the Tumbas Reales de Sipán (the Royal Tombs
of Sipan) in Lambayeque announced that 3 years after its doors opened to
the public, the museum has already been visited by nearly half a million
visitors, both foreigners and Peruvian. These astounding numbers make
the "Tumbas Reales de Sipán" the most visited museum in Peru.
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Lima to be Travel
Mart LatinAmerica 2010’s Venue |
Lima will welcome the prestigious travel convention Travel Mart
LatinAmerica in 2010. Canatur made the announcement that Travel Mart
LatinAmerica 2010 would be coming to the city and bring with it many
travel professionals. This is an excellent showcase for Lima and Peru to
be promoted as a premier destination. Carlos Canales, President of
Canatur, pointed out that W.H. Coleman Inc., the company that produces
the convention, was impressed with Peru’s achievements during XXIX
Travel Mart Latin America and has decided to hold the event in the city
again. The company’s President, Bill Coleman, said that Lima has been
chosen again as a venue because it “fulfills the quality and demands in
service and in infrastructure” requested by international operators.
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