After weathering one of the toughest storms through the pandemic, cases are dropping, vaccines are increasing, and Peru is welcoming tourists back.
Although many Australians are sadly in lockdown right now (you’ve got this), it’s refreshing to see that other countries in the world are reopening and there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Let’s take a look at Peru; which is now receiving international travellers from all nations without the need for travellers to quarantine, apart from visitors from India, Brazil and South Africa, who require 14 days in a 3rd ‘safe’ country prior to entering.
For all other nations, borders are open, providing a negative PCR test is presented 72 hours prior to departure from the country of origin, or an antigen test is taken on arrival at the tourist’s expense and the results are negative.
Intrepid Travel recently shared a beautiful letter on its Facebook page, written by Maritza, Intrepid’s Deputy Operations Manager in Cusco, as her team set off on its 10-day Inca Encounter.
It read:
“I remember getting that first call saying, ‘the groups are coming!’ Immediately after, I got phone calls from our cooks and porters saying ‘Maritza, the Inca Trail is open!’
“We’ve been waiting and are ready to get out there again.
“Tomorrow the first Intrepid group will depart, our first Inca Trail trip in 17 months.
“It’s been hard not being able to share our beautiful country. But finally, we were able to purchase the first permits.
“The excitement is in the air, you can feel it. Our porters are at the warehouse getting the gear ready, and we’re back in the office.
“We’ve been through a lot to get here. A lot of testing and trials to get this done right. I was one of the first trekkers back on the Inca Trail to make sure we could operate safely. I tell you; I’ve done the trek 500 times and every time it’s a different experience and I love it.
“In August we usually have a big ceremony for Mother Earth, it’s the religion of our ancestors the Incas.
“We will have a smaller ceremony than usual this year, we will thank Mother Earth and wish for good luck on this first trek. We’re thanking the mountains because they take care of us, and we will take care of them.
“It will be different than before, but I’m so excited to see all my people together again.”
Intrepid isn’t the only adventure company celebrating the #ArrivalRevival over in Peru.
Chimu Adventures’ hotel and operations manager, Australian, Nick Macciocca has been on deck at Casa República in Lima reporting an increase in occupancy month on month with August now enjoying 50% occupancy during the week, swelling to 70% on weekends following a trend that is happening countrywide.
All remaining hotel staff is now back on full hours and the hotel has had to increase its workforce to keep up with the increasing demand.
A far cry from the early days of the pandemic where the hotel was used to help tourists find their way home, then offering quarantine for returning Peruvians.
Now occupants in the hotel are business and leisure travellers, 80% from the US/Canada, 10% Europe and 10% local during the week, with weekends swelling due to the rooftop bar, showing a mix of 50/50 locals and foreigners.
According to Chimu, last-minute bookings are the current trend.
The Peruvian borders were most recently opened to international visitors, without the need to quarantine on arrival, in March 2021, since then COVID cases and deaths have been on a steady and significant decline, whilst vaccination rates are accelerating.
Peru has secured 90 million doses of various vaccines to cover its 33 million population and hopes to be complete by November 2021.
Masks are compulsory in public areas, to further protect both locals and travellers.