The government measure ordering the preventive isolation of all passengers arriving in Peru from Italy, Spain, France and China, countries with a high rate of coronavirus infection, has generated a series of reactions, especially in the tourism sector, which records the cancellation of many tourist packages purchased in advance.
Guido Quiñones, head of the Directorate of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Dircetur) of Cusco, said that this measure will inevitably affect the tourism sector, but noted that it is very premature to draw conclusions about the extent of damage that could be caused in regions like Cusco.
“As for the effects these are going to be negative for the time being (…) some passengers already have the packages bought for the amount of days they would have to lose, so surely they are going to have to take some measures, we are going to be aware of the communication of the guilds,” he said.
He recalled that Cusco is going through the so-called ‘low season’, with little presence of Asian and European tourists, so the measure would not translate into a strong detriment in the tourism sector.
“According to the World Tourism Organization, the most affected markets will be China, whether it be Polynesia, Oceania, Asia, India, China, etc. That they are not going to have any tourist market and even some of these packages can be reverted towards our zone”, remarked Quiñones, in declarations to the newspaper Correo.
Regarding the cancellation of traditional events in Cusco, such as the Holy Week and the procession of the Lord of the Tremors, the head of the Dircetur cited that it is a rather complex decision but that if it is the most prudent thing to do, these religious activities will have to be suspended.
Source: Turiweb