Peru continues to gain attention as one of the world’s most important tourist destinations. The United States Tour Operators Association revealed that their survey for 2014 placed Peru in third place (in a tie with China) for the most popular destinations for this year, behind Italy and the UK. Now the backpackers chime in to claim Peru as a destination not just for tour packages, but for those seeking inexpensive travel.
The Price of Travel Website named Cuzco the third least expensive place for travelers in Latin America, following La Paz and Quito. Lima came in at fifth place. The two Peruvian cities came in at 23rd and 34th respectively in the global rankings. While Cuzco is argued to cost 27$US per day, Lima ranks in at 31$US per day.
In addition the site described these two cities as follows:
Those planning to see the amazing Machu Picchu ruins will start their trips in Cusco, so fortunately this is a great tourist town in its own right. There’s plenty to see and do in the city and in the general area, and there’s almost no end to the amount of affordable accommodations available. With most things being as cheap as they are, this is a wonderful town to just chill out in for a while if your schedule permits.
Lima can be a surprising city to many who first visit, with lots of great colonial architecture combined with a vibrant big-city nightlife scene and a European-style way of life. The Miraflores suburb just on the coast is where you’ll find most of the hotels and guesthouses, and fortunately things there are still quite cheap in spite of the slightly posh vibe.
In addition, Euromonitor International has released actual data on international visitors and shows that Lima surpassed South American giant Buenos Aires in international arrivals for 2012. It came in at number 34 of the top hundred cities of the world with 3.79 million international arrivals. This was 29.1% over 2011.
