Tourism in Peru is still below pre-pandemic levels. Why?

I’m Peruvian and something I’ve been genuinely curious about is why Peru’s tourism industry still hasn’t fully recovered after the pandemic. I’m Limeña and before 2020 I used to see way more tourists walking around the Historic Center and Miraflores than I do now.

In 2019, Peru received almost 4.4 million international tourists, compared to around 3.8 million in 2025, although the trend has been improving over the last few years. Meanwhile, a lot of other countries in the region seem to have bounced back already, and in some cases have even surpassed their pre-pandemic tourism numbers. Countries like Mexico, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic recovered pretty quickly, while Peru still feels somewhat behind.

I think there are probably several reasons for this, such as political and social instability, insufficient tourist infrastructure, limited flight connectivity, weak international marketing, and a tourism industry that still isn’t very diversified.

It’s honestly frustrating to me because Peru has so much to offer: incredible food, nature, history and some of the most unique cultural experiences in Latin America.