Peru has won the ITB Earth Award 2024 with the sustainable tourism project in the Cavinzas and Palomino Islands. The award was presented during the ITB in Berlin. The ITB Earth Award recognizes exceptional contributions to sustainable tourism through destination management, inspiring initiatives, and effective stakeholder management. This protected area in the Lima region is home to one of the largest colonies of sea lions, a wide variety of birds, and a colony of Humboldt penguins. These are named after the German naturalist Alexander von Humbold. These small rocky islands are home to more than 8,000 sea lions. They are located just 18 kilometers from the port of Callao, about half an hour from Plaza Mayor in Lima, and attract many visitors. To further protect this particular fauna, various institutions have set up a comprehensive approach to managing and controlling tourism activities around the islands. The result is a clear regulation of activities and other measures, which benefits the conservation of the protected area and promotes sustainable tourism. Tourism is an important sector with a major impact on Peru’s economy, says the tourist board. In the first two months of 2024, the total number of international visitors to Peru will be back to 70 percent of the level in 2019, in January and February. The figures for February this year alone show an increase to 73 percent. In 2023, 2,524,658 foreign tourists came to Peru, of whom more than 21,000 were from the Netherlands. For the Dutch market, this was a recovery of 58 percent compared to 2019. The country is committed to climate-responsible tourism and works to preserve the environment and the country’s economic and social development. (Photo: Prom Peru).
