Magali Silva Velarde-Alvarez, the Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur), stated within the framework of the 2016 edition of the International Tourism Fair (FITUR) being held in Madrid between January 20 and the 24, Peru had signed an agreement with the World Tourism Organization (WTO) and the prestigious Basque Culinary Center (BCC) of Spain to make Lima the headquarters of the II World Forum on Food Tourism.
Silva Velarde-Alvarez also stated that Peru would chair the Committee on Tourism and Competitiveness of the WTO, a milestone for Peru as it will be the first time that the country leads this group.
"We take these new challenges with great responsibility. We proudly accept the task of organizing the annual world cuisine meeting, which is leaving Spain for the first time and will be held in Peru, a gastronomic destination that is increasingly more recognized," said the minister.
"Promoting our cuisine, and our star export products, such as quinoa, blueberries, asparagus, or maca, always respecting tradition, sustainability, authenticity, and the tourist's experience opens the doors of global inbound tourism," said Silva.
The agreement for the organization of the II World Forum on Food Tourism was signed by the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Maria del Carmen de Reparaz; the Secretary General of UNWTO, Taleb Rifai, and the director of the BCC, Joxe Mari Aizega.
About FITUR
The International Tourism Fair (FITUR) 2016 brings together tour operators, airlines, and government entities responsible for the promotion of tourism. It has a great business potential: in 2015 Peruvian companies and co-exhibitors reported approximately five million dollars in business opportunities. This year, the same companies have reported 20.
A total of 3,157,997 international tourist arrived in Peru between January and November 2015 , 127,484 of which came from Spain, i.e. 5.9% more than in the same period last year and a 4% share of the total arrivals.
Source: marcotradenews.com